Interviews Jacob Oliver Interviews Jacob Oliver

ABOUT BUNNY

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.?

We’re from all over the UK (Wales, Brighton, Northern Ireland and Yorkshire) but now we all live in London. Jemma (vocals) and Alex (bass) formed the band in 2019 and began writing together, and later met Karl (guitar) and Ed (drums) through mutual friends!

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

We all have quite eclectic music backgrounds, but to name a few would be Garbage, Jack White, Distillers and Dream Wife.

Q3. What made you fall in love with music and want to pursue it in the way that you have?

For me (Jemma) I can’t remember a time when music didn’t play a huge role in my life. Growing up my dad was always playing 60’s and 70’s rock and punk around the house, and my mum would play Motown and pop in the car on the way to school.

Q4. What was the writing and recording process for the recent singles like? Were there any themes or sounds you wanted to explore? How has the reception of them been?

Alex and I usually begin the writing process, generally just while we’re hanging out at mine or hers with a few drinks. Sometimes one of us will come to the other with the verse written or maybe the chorus and then the others will add to it, which is what happened with 7 to 11 and Married With Kids. Sound wise it can be super clear what the vision is while writing and other times we work that out in the studio with the producers. We’ve been so happy with the reception of our new singles. We got more radio play and ‘Track of the Week’ type selection than before, plus we also got more editorial playlists across Spotify, Amazon, Deezer and Apple Music!

Q5. Is there one song in particular you would point to and say this is “quintessential About Bunny”?

That’s so hard it’s like picking your best child! ‘Special’ being our first single does have a certain core About Bunny energy about it, but from the recent releases maybe 7 to 11!

Q6. What are some of your touring highlights and/or most memorable shows you’ve been a part of?

Our first festival slot at Ynot Fest last year was definitely a highlight for us. We had no idea what kind of reception we would get but we were buzzin when we filled the tent!

Q7. What are your plans for the near future—shows/touring, more music, etc.?

Yes, we have a few more shows lined up this year around the UK. More music coming in autumn and that and more at the start of 2025! Keep an eye on our socials!

Read More
Interviews Jacob Oliver Interviews Jacob Oliver

SIDESTEP

Answers by Nils, Guitar

Q1. Could you please provide some background information on the band for those readers who may not be familiar with you—where you’re from, when you formed, etc.?

All of us are from around the Gothenburg area in Sweden. We actually know each other from being part of the competitive Super Smash Bros. Melee scene, attending local tournaments and meetups. The name “Sidestep” is taken from a move in the game (also called spotdodge, which doesn’t sound as cool though).

The first seed for the band was planted when I asked John, the drummer, if he wanted to jam around early 2018. I was into metal, and I knew he was obsessed with this niche punk subgenre called “hardcore” which I agreed to playing. Eventually he came up with the idea that we should form a band consisting entirely of smash players, and so we did. It wasn’t very serious to begin with, and most of us were newcomers to the punk scene.

We recorded a demo in our rehearsal space and released it in 2020 just before covid hit. When we started playing local shows after the restrictions were lifted the scene in Gothenburg really started popping off, and we realized that we had the potential to actually be a serious band and not just a fun project. Since then we’ve been fully sucked into the hardcore vortex.

Q2. How would you describe the band’s sound? Who are some of your primary influences?

Madball was definitely the main influence in the beginning. It’s one of John’s all-time favorite bands and was my first proper introduction to hardcore. We ended up with a groovy sound which wasn’t very prevalent in Swedish hardcore at the time. Since then we’ve added more and more of a hip-hop influence which is largely due to the fact that the singer, Hugo, is a huge old school hip-hop nerd. Our music has also been influenced by hardcore bands such as Trapped Under Ice, Cold World, and Fury of Five.

Q3. What was it about hardcore that attracted you to it?

The largest thing for me was definitely the live shows and sense of community in the local scene. Shows are always crazy, everyone involved are dope, and people really care about the scene and writing good hardcore.

One thing that attracts me musically to hardcore is the conciseness of the music. Hardcore bands often understand not to overstay their welcome, both when it comes to the length of individual tracks as well as live performances. With Sidestep we think a lot about how we can make the songs “all killer no filler”, without any boring bloat.

 

Q4. Talk to us about the new record—what was the writing and recording process like, what themes do you explore, what can people who haven’t heard it expect?

The riffs are pretty much written 50-50 between me and John. Songs are often completed in our rehearsal space, where the band collectively discusses how the songs should be put together and what the lyrics should be. After we had all songs lined out for the record, we reiterated everything for a while, making minor improvements here and there. Then we booked a studio time at Hoborec and went on an intense and somewhat anxiety-ridden rehearsal grind to make sure we were good enough. Recording was very fun but also nervous. We recorded everything in four days, living and sleeping in the studio. At the end, we were definitely satisfied with the result.

Lyrically, a lot of songs are just about hardcore being sick as fuck. Others are about dumb topics such as Gothenburg being cold, or not being able to decide what food to order. The song “Muscle Memory” is homage to our roots, Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Musically it’s mostly very groovy with quite a lot of hip-hop influences. Lots of 2-step with some heavier mosh parts spread out. We also venture outside our comfort zone with some songs, such as the punky “Fuck You (Not Me)” and the positive “Hoodie Up”, which is basically a pop song. Overall, I think it’s a pretty “wide” record that still has a unique identity.

Q5. What would be your dream lineup of bands or artists to share the stage with that you have not had a chance to?

TUI and E-Town Concrete.

 

Q6. Do you feel like hardcore is in a good place right now? Are there some bands from Sweden or beyond we should be looking out for?

I feel like it’s in a very good place. The Gothenburg scene is bonkers, and there are tons of great bands globally. From Sweden, you should especially look out for Bulls Shitt, Speedway and Xiao, all of which have upcoming LPs around the corner. There’s also the band Pipe Dream in which I’m the singer, which will soon release its debut LP of heavy metal-inspired hardcore.

  

Q7. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions! Any last words or a parting message for the readers?

Thanks for having us! Don’t forget to check out all the sick Swedish bands. And if you’re on tour, you should hit up Moral Panic and come play in Gothenburg. You won’t regret it.

Read More
Interviews Jacob Oliver Interviews Jacob Oliver

REEBZ

REEBZ joins to make a special announcement and to talk about the exciting frontier of drum n’ bass metal, the power of building community around values, and more!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/REEBZuk

Instagram: https://instagram.com/reebz_uk

Twitter: https://twitter.com/REEBZ_uk

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@reebz_uk?_t=8nxbL4X8GBc&_r=1

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2cUSgme8otbeKGRDl6xm1t?si=aASTdh1fTCqSVJDIbkLW1g

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/reebz/1596188243

Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCDrx6kjFKTVyRUCwNtI2GDg

https://hypeddit.com/rbz-thanatosis

Read More
Interviews Jacob Oliver Interviews Jacob Oliver

ICYKAL

UK rapper, South London Film Festival Winner, artist manager, and co-founder of Southeast London Pride Icykal joins for this incredible interview about her music, her work, the importance of having real conversations, and beyond!

Insta: @icykal

Tik Tok: @icykalofficial

Read More