For those that haven’t heard of Risking Nostalgia could you tell us a bit about the band, your story?
Risking Nostalgia emerged from the wreckage of an 8-year long dream. I wasn’t ready to let go of my passion for Alternative Rock, so I came together with Ollie and Liam who I’d met through our producer Arjun and what can I say, we started banging out tunes. We share a love of hard riffs, soaring vocals and just getting really weird noises from instruments.
The origin of the name actually comes from one of our biggest inspirations, Queens of the Stone Age. We all felt like their name was so iconic, that we figured we could do something equally punchy in as many syllables. Given where I’d come from musically, Risking Nostalgia made sense and it stuck.
Who inspired you to get on stage and perform?
I think we all have different answers – The Smiths, The Cure and some others – but for me personally, I think I’m one of the few performers to have been inspired by Limp Bizkit at age 13.
What do you think makes a great live performance?
Whenever you see a band play live, I think what makes it great isn’t just having an amazing time but experiencing what I call “Stage Envy”, meaning that the performance is rocking so hard, and the atmosphere is so electric, that all you want to do is get up there and play yourself. It’s why so many people get inspired to write or perform music after seeing their favourite bands play. For me, that’s what separates the great from the okay.
Are there any particular artists or albums that have stuck with you through the years and informed your sound?
As I said before, Queens of the Stone Age have been a leading influence on the music for sure. Lullabies to Paralyze, Songs for the Deaf and Rated R have all been such muses for us as each sound, though completely unique in its own right, has resonated with us in different ways. For me personally, I try to emulate Chris Cornell as I like to aim high and challenge myself, although no one can beat that voice. Beyond that, The Pixies’ Surfer Rosa and Radiohead’s entire catalogue has often been a strong source of inspiration. Weirdly enough, we get told our sound is a lot like Incubus, which always comes as a funny surprise as none of us listens to them.
Could you tell us a bit about the Syncr Music winning track “All At Once”?
All at Once is a pounding, riff-based tune that delves deeper into our sonic love for the weird and wonderful. Specifically, the bridge was inspired by Kendrick Lamar as a way to incorporate a more modern beat to the track. It’s all about growing up with acne and how the skin you’re in becomes a battlefield.
Admittedly, in retrospect, acne isn’t the end of the world and the track doesn’t try to argue that it is. What is does, though, is tell a coming of age story that not only deals with the very real physical pain but also the emotional turmoil that comes with it; a deep-rooted lack of confidence and crippling insecurity that is often overlooked, mercilessly mocked by peers and hard to shake off even well into adulthood. The opening line of the chorus ‘Acid Face, change. You’ve gone and lost your war again‘ refers to the unbearable burn that comes from a horrid acne salve used to get a breakout under control, not that it ever actually worked.
You recently released your second EP, Salem, how has the reception to that been?
The reaction so far has been incredible! It’s lead to us to being featured on BBC Introducing South (who’ve been very supportive), yourselves through Syncr, as well as far more gigs and plays on the other local radio stations. We’ve also been accepted onto AWAL where we will be releasing all-new material. We’ve had such a great reception thus far, already seeing larger turnouts to gigs and the likes, and we’re excited to build on that momentum even further.
What is the most interesting venue you have performed at?
For absolute certain, the Haslemere Fringe Festival 2018. Scouting for Girls played which was awesome to watch and the atmosphere was all really fun for everyone! There were children dancing to our music, holding hands and spinning around, rocking out in their own way. It was very inspiring and just lovely to see. We never expected to reach that demographic so it was a very pleasant surprise.
Here at Artistic Echoes, we are always on the lookout for Artists. Do you have anyone to recommend?
Among the many talented bands and individuals we know, there are a few picks to mention, though they may be more than slightly biased. Evert Outen is truly a star on the rise, and one of the nicest guys (no rhyme intended). Sam Key, our very own drummer, is also an incredible solo artist who deserves a listen. Our mates Natural Mystery Museum and Calva Louise are absolute quality, especially if you love riffy rock music. There are so many incredible musicians we’ve heard and played with but to name them all would take forever.
What plans do you have for the rest of the year?
Our main focus right now is releasing our new single Generation Me sometime in the next two months. It’s a little zany compared to our usual sound, but we’re really proud of its unique aspect in that regards. Although our music can traditionally lean towards more classic rock, this one is a bit more accessible for people with different music preferences, which is part of what we were aiming for. It primarily deals with the loneliness our generation faces in the wake of the social media revolution. Oddly paired with a catchy chorus and a beat you can dance to, we’re very happy with how it turned out, and that juxtaposition.
After the release of Generation Me and Salem, we’ll be working on the next project which we’re very excited about but won’t go into just yet. As a band, we love getting up on stage as much and as often as possible, so we’ll be popping up around Guildford, London and the surrounding area so be sure to keep eyes peeled. The next time you can catch us will be at After Dark Club in Reading on Friday 22nd November. After that, we’ll be preparing for what 2020 has in store! It’s going to be a very exciting year for Risking Nostalgia.
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