A Chat with Cellos (20.04.20)

April 21, 2020 Nicole Mendes

In June 2019, Niall Fenwick and Joe Teasdale decided to form the band Cellos. From then to now (and hopefully beyond) they have shared an energetic enthusiasm for music with anyone who would listen. Adding drummer Harry and bassist Jack, they are changing the scene in Durham. We sat down with the lads for a chin-wag about their EP Sea or Sky, favourite smells and celebrity crushes.

OSR: What is the concept behind your EP Sea or Sky?

C: The concept behind the Sea or Sky was for Niall Fenwick (vocals and guitar) and Joe Teasdale (guitar) to combine song ideas and create a new band following on from prior experiences performing and writing together. All of the songs on the EP are written to be attention-getting and straight to the point. This is how we want to be portrayed in terms of our live sound and future releases. We enjoy creating music that is accessible to everyone and feel like Sea or Sky embodies this well. The title came from a lyric in our song ‘Smiles’. It also influenced the album art which was initially drawn up by Niall and we think it looks great.

OSR: Was the writing and recording process relatively simple or were their challenges?

C: We began going over our song ideas in summer of 2019 and immediately decided to turn the songs we had into a new band and EP. We recorded the EP with Tru Studios shortly after with just the two of us recording all of the music. The song ‘Pinnacle’ was a particular struggle to get right first time due to its completely mental drum parts. On the whole, it was an enjoyable process and our producer really helped us bring the songs to life.

OSR: Do you have a favourite track off the album? if yes, why that one?

C: We love playing them all, Jack’s favourite is ‘Say No More Say No Less’ due to the lyrics involved and Niall is a big fan of ‘Pinnacle’. Joe is a big admirer of ‘Wanderlust’ due to the guitar parts just sounding massive.

OSR: What about a least favourite track?

C: Don’t have one.

OSR: You released official videos for two tracks off the album – ‘Wanderlust’ and ‘So Happy’. Can you tell us more about them?

C: We take a lot of pride in making great music videos. We began with ‘So Happy’ in late 2019 and worked closely with Von Fox Productions to create a music video portraying a simple everyday breakfast between a couple. It was Niall’s idea and looks great on camera.

The video for ‘Wanderlust’ was done for release in March this year and was an instant hit on Facebook gaining over 6000 views upon release. The video looks closely at people in all walks of life that ask themselves every day, “am I having fun yet?”

OSR: What would you like a listener to take from Sea or Sky?

C: We’d love the listener to understand us and how we write the songs. The songs are easy to listen to and enjoy and have a real indie DIY sound. We are four young lads who are just trying to put the dots together.

OSR: Which bands inspire and influence your sound?

C: It’s hard to put anyone too specific in terms of our sound as we are influenced by so much. In terms of songwriting, it would definitely be the greats of the 60s and 70s, particularly The Beatles. However, bands today such as DMA’s are big inspiration for how we want to sound.

OSR: You have to choose a band to collaborate with and have a choice between Babyshambles, Dirty Pretty Things or The Cribs, who would you opt for?

C: Jack says Dirty Pretty Things as Carl Barat is his fave Libertine. Joe and Niall say The Cribs.

OSR: What’s the worst job you have ever had?

C: Pot washing, according to Jack; however, not sure if this counts. Joe has only had one job so it may be risky mentioning that. Niall says his job at KFC was the worst, but still loves fried chicken.

OSR: Who was your first celebrity crush?

C: Niall says Megan Fox from Transformers, but everyone else is in agreement that it was Cheryl Cole.

OSR: Finally, do you have a message for our readers?

C: Like many bands, we have had so much planned for 2020 in terms of gigs, festivals and recording a new EP. The global virus situation at the minute has temporarily halted this, so we think it’s important that people really look to keep live music alive! There are tons of great bands there all across the UK to be found and hopefully, people can find us too!