It’s time to start getting excited, Dear Reader. We’re just a few months out from the unofficial start of our summer festival season. That May Day Bank Holiday weekend means one thing – Live At Leeds. Packed with (literally) hundreds of the best new bands on the planet, it sees one of the country’s most vibrant creative cities turned into a mecca of buzz, hype and awesome live music.
To celebrate, we’re holding a special Live At Leeds takeover. Over the course of the day (28th January 2020, in case you’re coming to this late – Ed), we’ll be bringing you all kinds of stuff from and about the acts playing this year’s event. If you’re going, it’ll help you plan out those all-important spreadsheets. If you’ve not yet picked up your tickets – well, what are you waiting for? You can grab ’em here, right now.
Dance to the Radio signees Fling are about to follow-up their single ‘One Day’ – which arrived at the very end of last year – with new ‘un ‘Windmill’, which will be coming around on 3rd March. The tracks mark a new chapter for the group, marking some of their first new material following the release of debut album ‘Fling Or Die’, as well as festival sets at Latitude, Neverworld and more. Jack and Bill introduce their band.
Hey guys, how’s it going? Looking forward to 2020?
We’re doing really good; we just finished a rehearsal going over some new songs for the set! Yeah course, it’s the roaring 20s again right?
When did you realise you wanted to make music?
I think all of us loved music from being young blah blah blah… but I know in terms of playing music and dreaming of being artists, nothing has really competed with this right now.
And you’ve already released your debut album – what can you tell us about it?
It’s the culmination of all the early years writing and recording at home in Bradford, and it became its own thing from that time, a complete mash-up of things everyone in the band was listening to, we’re really proud of it but at the same time really excited about new material.
Did the release open more doors for you?
It definitely helped us personally, as we’d written these songs when we started playing together, demoing in our beloved basement studio – early 2017. We also feel it was important to release a record that didn’t compromise what we were all into at the time and that it kinda set a tone for the band.
What’s been the highlight of your time as musicians so far?
Just getting to spend a copious amount of time together and becoming closer as friends and musicians. Also meeting other artists that take influence and have respect for what you do creatively.
We hear you’re playing Live At Leeds soon, have you spent much time at the event before?
Collectively we’ve known and been to LAL for soooo many years. It was great to play it for the first time as a band in 2017 too!
Is Yorkshire a good place for festivals?
Yorkshire is great, full stop. Period.
Where’s your favourite place to play locally?
We all come from Bradford originally, so we’d probably have to say there. We get to see all our family and friends, and it’s proper nice.
What are you guys working on at the mo?
Currently – we’re just about to start the process for our next music video for the next single, and we’re really excited because we’re trying something we’ve not done before in previous ones. And just generally prepping new songs in the set.
Anything else we should know?
Our first show of the year is on 31st January at the Exchange Arts Centre in Keighley (plug alert) as part of Independent Venue Week, plus we’re doing a show with The Specials in summer. C U there.
Live At Leeds will take place on 2nd May, visit liveatleeds.com for more info.
