FALSE REALITY

Photo Credit: Andy Baz Haynes

Answered by vocalist Rachel Rigby

Q1. For readers who might not be familiar with you, would you please provide some background on the band—where you’re from, when you formed, etc.?

Hi! We’re False Reality and we’re a hardcore band from Essex and London. We started the band just over a year ago, the guys have been in hardcore bands for years and I’ve been putting on hardcore shows for 8/9 years and going to shows for around 15 years - so that’s how we met! When I decided to try out starting a band I knew immediately who I wanted to do this project with.

Q2. Who are some of the band’s primary influences?

Our main influences are very all over the place as we all wanted to bring in our own style to the band which has allowed us to create the sound we have which has a little bit of everything - our most notable influences are Trapped Under Ice, old Sepultura, and old Metallica.

Q3. Your EP Path of Self Destruct recently came out. What can listeners who haven’t heard it yet expect?

A lot of riffs, bouncy two-step rhythms and a lot of guitar solos.

Q4. What was the writing and recording process for the EP like? Were there any themes or sounds you wanted to explore with it?

It was a lot of blood sweat and tears - we’d been writing and working on it for quite some time because we wanted it to reflect us properly. Dave wrote the riffs, we’d go into a practice room and change bits, all put our inputs and styles into it and it just worked. Steve Sears who mixed and mastered our EP was amazing - we would go in with ideas in our heads about how we wanted certain parts to sound and it’s like he’d go into our brain and do it without us having said it yet. It was a really amazing experience writing this EP and it’s made us extremely excited to start working on the next record.

Q5. How did the feature with Speed on “Opposites React” come about?

So one of our first few shows was supporting them when they played in London in 2023 and we became good friends with them from there. They’ve always supported us from the very beginning so when we wrote Opposites React I knew I wanted someone to jump on the song with me, and I just knew I wanted to ask Jem as it just felt right.

Q6. “Pressure” was recently featured on Alyx Holcombe’s BBC Introducing Rock program; that had to have been very exciting! What is the impact this program under her stewardship is having on alternative music in the UK?

Alyx is absolutely smashing it out the park. It’s so important to put a spotlight on upcoming artists as it can sometimes seem like a closed shop - but she’s given so many new bands that boost of excitement which is inspiring.

Q7. Who are some of the great bands on the scene we should be paying attention to?

Words of Intent, Ill Vision, Final Nail and Rated X

Q8. What are some of your touring highlights and/or most memorable shows you’ve been a part of?

Playing with Jesus Piece was so much fun. It was so last minute (I’m talking mere hours) and our bassist was stuck in work so there we were on stage infront of a lot of people playing without bass which was very nerve wracking but we made it work. We also love playing at Boom in Leeds so much - the energy up north is amazing in live music.

Q9. What are your plans for the near future?

We’re so excited to get started on new music - everything that’s happened lately and all the support we’ve received has really inspired us to get back in the studio. Having something you can pour real passion into is the best feeling in the world and we’re extremely grateful to get to do it with our friends.

Photo Credit: Andy Baz Haynes