A Chat with The Strange Days (21.05.20)
Describing themselves as “gutter-rock champions hailing from the bosom of Brexitland”, The Strange Days are an edgy, captivating and bewitching indie-rock band from the UK. Taking serious subject matters and putting them in an attention-grabbing track is something The Strange Days do with flair! We had a chance to chat with Isabel Hoolingum (IH), Patrick O’Keefe (POK), Declan Robertson (DR) and Ash Sandys (AS) about their upcoming EP Music For Pleasure, favourite musicians, Brexit and staying in their pyjamas.
OSR: How did The Strange Days come together?
IH: The band has had a few different looks over the years. It started with Ash and Declan in Leicester as fresh-faced students. A little while later Dec met me and Patrick at our day job in London and he decided we’d be a good fit for the band! Having never picked up a bass before I needed a bit of coercion, but Dec’s powers of persuasion were well up to the task. We were crammed together in our inhumanely sized practice room before long making tunes and drinking cans.
OSR: Who would you say influences your music the most?
IH: The list is long and complicated! We’re all united by a love of Bowie and The Beatles; The Strokes and The Clash are definitely up there too. At the moment we’re all very much enjoying Fontaines D.C. and Idles.
OSR: If you think of the bands from your childhood, who would you say was your all-time favourite artist?
IH: I think Blur was my first love! I grew up listening to my brothers’ CDs constantly and loved the way their music bounced around in my eardrums. Me and Ash can often be found chatting about which of their albums we love best. Parklife usually comes out on top, but The Great Escape cuts a close second.
OSR: What can you tell us about your upcoming EP Music For Pleasure?
IH: Lots! We’ve combined some cheeky lyricism with some lively beats to bring you the perfect tonic for these trying times. We’ve taken the name from a commercial label in the ’70s that specialised in compilations of pop and classical hits at a budget rate. We ran with the theme of mass-produced music for pleasure with the help of our good friend Sivylla Abati who designed the cover! It’s a tongue-in-cheek title for a tongue-in-cheek record. Obviously, the main thing to know is that it’s really good and you should listen to it!
OSR: What was the recording process like?
DR: The whole recording process was a load of fun! We managed to rush and get all seven drum tracks – that’s this EP and the next – down in a studio in one day thanks to the sheer level of Patrick’s skill and his chocolate biscuit-fuelled energy. We were allowed to relax a tad more in our producer Colin Thorpe’s house and childhood bedroom to record the rest of the instruments and vocals. The highlight for me was probably shouting “Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier” from the bottom of a staircase at a window, which hopefully bounced it back to a mic on the first floor. It was a tad experimental, exhilarating and easy-going all in equal measure!
OSR: Does the album have any significant meaning to any of you?
DR: I think it means quite a bit to all of us. Beside it being clearly made up of the best tunes to have ever graced this politically and biologically plagued strange days of ours, it’s also a bit of fun! You can see cultural comments if that’s your thing. You can find deep meaning in the lyrics if you really go looking. You can even analyse the rhythms for our levels of emotional distress if you want to. We just hope you can dance!
OSR: Which is your favourite song from the EP and why?
DR: It’s obviously quite tricky to pick a favourite and, truthfully, I’m not sure I have one. However, if my parents could remind me so frequently that my older sister was their favourite, then I suppose I could try to follow their example. I suppose I would have to say number one ‘Starchild’. That’ll be the last on the EP.
Not only is it the longest, but it also has a really good rise and fall to it. I had a fun time recording the guitar in the middle eight section, as well as the main riff which I think sticks in your head quite nicely.
OSR: What about your least favourite song?
DR: I really don’t have one that I like less than all the others! If any of us had a stand-out least favourite, I’m sure we all would have worked on it until it was great like the others or better! So, just logically, as the shortest, ‘Why Would You’ gives you that bit less of quality The Strange Days time; therefore (logically! If I had to!), I would go with ‘Why Would You’. It’s under two-minute length and is actually something I really love about it. It’s like a slap to the face. It’s over suddenly and leaves you a little warmer and ever so slightly confused.
OSR: How do you think the music industry is being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic?
POK: I think Covid is going to change things massively, mostly for the better. It’s going to force artists/musicians to be more creative and varied with their output. It was always the case, but song writing and production will be crucial. The strength of a band/artist will increasingly rely on a good song as there is no live scene to carry a band right now. Hopefully, musicians/artists realise this is the perfect time to iron out any kinks they may have as players, singers or writers.
OSR: Some people say staying in their pyjamas all day is a benefit of the lockdown. Do you think there are any benefits to lockdowns?
POK: They have had a negative impact on the lifespan of my pyjamas. Being on constantly means they’ve seen more action than what’s considered normal for pyjamas of this age. It doesn’t look likely they’ll lead a long and happy life, but die young with a crash, skid marks and all.
OSR: What about Brexit? How do you think the political shift will affect musicians?
POK: I think there’ll be a resurgence of gobby punk from both sides of the political spectrum. Leftie Antifa-types rubbing up against bovver boot-wearing UKIPunks. The great barbers of Britain will do well though as they’ll have a backlog of heads to shave. Especially after lockdown.
OSR: What is the worst haircut you have ever received?
POK: Although its more of a complete absence of a haircut, the Barnett I’m sporting right now is up there with the worst I’ve ever had. It looks like the bits that are swept across a barber’s floor, left in the corner until they can be ignored. Aside from this, maybe an armpit trim mishap.
OSR: When you’re not creating music, what do you spend your time doing?
AS: I’m currently tending chili plants, of which I seem to have enough to conquer a small nation (if the entire population was allergic to chilis). Besides that, I just got one of those Google speakers that is always listening, so I’ve been having a lot of fun asking that inane questions. Things like “how many catflaps does the town of Barnsley produce in a year”? It couldn’t tell me, which was disappointing.
OSR: What is your spirit animal?
AS: I don’t really know what a spirit animal is. I saw a video of a parrot dancing to some bloke playing it the violin. So, probably a parrot.
OSR: What is on the cards for The Strange Days over the next couple of years?
AS: We miss playing live dearly, so that’s first on the list. We’re also using a lot of the spare time coronavirus has generously imparted upon us to write new music, so I suppose once the shrieks of need from the world become too great we’ll need to record them at some point. Other than that, I’m afraid our ambitions are as cliched as “we’d like to be very successful”. I know, I never thought we’d sell out either.
OSR: Do you have any message for our readers?
AS: Yes! If you care about music, please donate what you can afford to your nearest venue. The world would be a very boring place without live music.
Thanks to The Strange Days for chatting with us! You can find more about The Strange Days on their Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Spotify.
