SOURCE – In the current landscape, which favours musical independence, album releases, promotion through media channels, and touring, how important is it, in your opinion, to have a contract with a label such as Century Media Records, given that many bands are successfully releasing independent albums and running major campaigns on their own?
George Hunt (Bass) – It’s still very important. Being able to utilise the support, resources, and networks of a label like Century Media Records enables us to have more focus on the creative aspects of putting together an album campaign, while knowing that we have incredibly talented people to work with and suggest ideas to help us in areas which might not be our greatest strengths.
SOURCE – DID YOU ASK TO BE SET FREE? is the band’s third album. What was the songwriting and recording process like for this album?
George Hunt (Bass) – The songwriting for the album began shortly after the release of our last album, Ultraviolet, so the process has definitely been the longest that we have had for any of our releases to date. It also coincided with some incredibly difficult experiences, which shaped some of the themes throughout the record. Regarding recording, we did both Within Each Lies The Other and Ultraviolet with the same engineer, so we felt that this time around it would be good to have a change of environment, so we worked with someone new. We like to try to put ourselves in new situations and work with different people when we can to mix things up and be exposed to new ideas.
SOURCE – I could list more than ten new bands emerging from the current UK scene as potential breakthrough acts. What does it take to stand out in a scene so saturated with talented new names?
George Hunt (Bass) – While it is saturated, it’s great to see so much variation and creativity. It definitely leads to a lot of really exciting new interpretations and amalgamations of genres that haven’t been heard before. That is what it takes to stand out, as you have to always be thinking of ways you can push boundaries and do things differently, both sonically and visually, whilst also staying true and authentic to what the band has always been.
SOURCE – Media today is increasingly visual, with significant exposure through video content. How did you select the tracks for the promotional music videos featured on DID YOU ASK TO BE SET FREE?
George Hunt (Bass) – Whilst the lyrical themes are very personal at times, there is a strong visual connection to film. So, when choosing the singles, we had to consider which songs we felt were the strongest and most engaging to capture our existing and new audiences. We also wanted to interconnect them with the film influence running throughout the record to help drive the singles in a visually striking way, to capture the audience and encourage them to explore the lore behind the videos.
SOURCE – Today, there is an active social media environment where engagement with fans generates high expectations. How do you assess the visibility and online presence of the band members across social media platforms?
George Hunt (Bass) – We’re always trying to move with the times. We’ve been in the band for over 10 years now, and the way in which bands market and promote themselves has been constantly evolving and changing. We do the best that we can to embrace new platforms to engage with our audience effectively and keep their attention, but there also need to be boundaries, to a degree, to protect ourselves as well.
SOURCE – Spotify has revolutionised the way society consumes music. Although it offers relatively low payouts, it has become a phenomenon among audiences, bands, record labels, and the press. How do you evaluate this distribution model?
George Hunt (Bass) – Obviously, it would be great to feel like you are being compensated fairly. However, we do have to recognise that Spotify has been really effective in helping us reach a much wider audience than we would have without streaming platforms. We have been lucky to secure strong playlisting over the years, which has put us in front of a global audience that would have been really difficult or impossible to achieve without it. It doesn’t feel like there is really a viable alternative. As much as we love and value physical media, it doesn’t have the instant impact of streaming.
SOURCE – In your opinion, is being in a band a liberating experience?
George Hunt (Bass) – Very much so. Being able to create, travel, and perform is a unique and special experience, and I remind myself regularly that I’m incredibly lucky to get to do what I do.
SOURCE – Do you have a special message for the fans eagerly awaiting the release of DID YOU ASK TO BE SET FREE?
George Hunt (Bass) – Thank you all for sticking with us while we navigated the hardest period of our band’s history. We recognise and appreciate the love, support, and patience that you have shown us, and we can’t wait to share our new record with you.
Photo band credit: Daniel Marsh
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