Whitehill Grove headlined The Voodoo Rooms back in their hometown Edinburgh on Friday 13th of July (note: the only team that came home this weekend).Before they went on I had a chat with Danny, Callum and Ethan backstage alongside the 50 odd folk who barged in during it, perks of doing an interview in a cupboard. Links for Whitehill Grove will be at the bottom of the page, they are definitely worth a listen and being based in Edinburgh they are always playing local venues.
The Band:
Callum Fergusson - vocals/ guitar
Ethan Deane - Drums
Danny Gillies - Guitar
Seth Allen - Bass
So how did the band form?
Ethan: 'So Callum and Danny formed a 2 piece electric/acoustic duo and then I joined on drums. Then we went 'hey we need someone else' and then Seth was available.'
[Not wanted/needed/valued member of the band, just available.]
Callum: 'Me and Danny used to busk up town, played some gigs in school - they were shocking. Then we got Ethan in because we wanted a drummer. Well I didn't want a drummer.'
Danny: 'Yeah you didn't want a drummer.'
Callum: 'But we got him.'
[Yet another loved band member? Tick.]
How would you describe your style of music and who would you say you share a similar sound with?
Callum: 'Well the one we usually go for is 'indie riff rock' because everyone else does 'indie rock' that's too generic'.
[Briefly interrupted by some guy wanting a Stella, NEVER do an interview in a cupboard again].
Callum: 'We usually compare our sound to 'Twin Atlantic', 'The Amazons', 'The Peace'.
Ethan: 'Without the bad accents; 'The Amazons'.
So you've just listed folk you think that you share a similar sound, why should we listen to yous over them?
Ethan: 'I would honestly say listen to them, but if you've got time...listen to us.'
Callum: 'I'd say the music we have, we like'.
Danny: 'We just enjoy playing it and making music.'
You yourselves are a local band, who are other local/unsigned bands and artists that you would recommend?
Ethan: 'Gus Harrower is fucking amazing. I think every one of his songs are amazing.'
Callum: 'Indigo Velvet and Lost in Vancouver.'
Danny: 'Nasari, lovely guys.'
Touchy subject, but I've listened to your Spotify and I think we can all admit some of it's no quite there HOWEVER all I hear is folk saying you're fucking amazing live and that the new stuff you're playing is really good, so tell me about that? What's changed?
Callum: 'So the old stuff's shite, why's the new stuff half decent?'
[Yes.]
Danny to Callum: 'You've changed up you're writing style, it's more metaphotical than just about what's happening.'
Danny: 'Me andCallum stay together so we can easily just go 'right I've got this' and build it from there instead of 1 person, so it's more collective writing.'
So Hannah (Manager) let me listen to a couple of demos of stuff coming out soon. The main difference for me was the improvement in production.
Danny: 'I recorded the 2nd one 'Take off' in 45 A - Side in Glasgow with Bruce Rintoul. He's worked with bands like 'Twin Atlantic' and 'Fatherson'.
What's the inspiration behind the new stuff then?
Callum: 'Inspiration wise I have an idea for a song and I start writing about that. It's more out the box than 'I, she, you', just a bit more less basic.'
So that's what you've been up to recently, what's next?
Danny: 'Writing and recording and basically organising a few more shows for the end of the year.'
Now who is your music guilty pleasure?
Callum: 'I want to claim ABBA now.'
Danny: 'You know that song 'Heaven is a Place on Earth?' That is an absolute tune. or Kate Bush!
[That's not even acceptable, everyone loves Kate Bush.]
Ethan: 'This a playlist on my phone: The Muppets, 3OH!3, McBusted and Weird Al...even a bit of Disney.'
[He wins. That's totally fucked up like.]
Now yous all do stuff out with the band like uni, college, jobs ect. So do you think the band is just a phase or is this gonna last?
Danny:' As much as we'd like to, and we're gonna try our absolute hardest to make it happen,but if it doesn't we've had a great laugh.'
Last one, recently yous took on Hannah here [sitting right next to them] as your manager so honest opinion, how's she doing?
Danny: 'She's more of an advisor, she faffs about, a professional faff - abouter.'
Ethan: 'She's shocking, absolutely terrible. Nah she's helped a lot, helped us to take a step back an take a look from someone else's perspective.'
Keep an eye out for new releases and gigs form this sound bunch of boys and go have a read of my previous gig review from their headline at The Voodoo Rooms.
LINKS N STUFF:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whitehillgrove/
Comments