We catch up with
SEA GIRLS frontman Henry Camamile to chat about their recent successes, new material, and what festival-goers can expect from their Y Not set.
As the summer sun begins to shine, the anticipation for Y Not Festival 2023 is heating up. This year’s line-up is a veritable feast of musical talent, with a diverse range of acts set to grace the stages of the Derbyshire-based festival. Among the highlights are the anthemic indie-pop quartet, Sea Girls. The band are riding high and ready to bring their infectious energy to the festival crowd. We caught up with frontman Henry Camamile to chat about their recent successes, new material, and what festival-goers can expect from their set.
Hi Henry, how’s it going? What are you up to today?Hey, it’s going good; the sun is shining. I’m gonna see if I can write a song this afternoon.
You finished up last year playing Alexandra Palace - how was it?
The perfect gig to end the year; it’s something we looked forward to for a long time. Amazing crowd, amazing fans! We had a proper party after to celebrate with lots of friends. I love bumping into fans who came to that gig and that tour.
Were there a lot of nerves beforehand?I don’t know about nerves, but we don’t like waiting around that much. When it’s the last few hours before playing a show like that, you just wanna be playing it.
Did it set a new benchmark for you? What are you aiming for next?
It was our biggest headline gig so far. We felt ready to play it and loved playing it. I’ve been to a lot of gigs at Alexandra Palace over the years, and it’s nice to be among those artists I’ve seen there. We are always aiming for bigger we have a huge ambition, and it’s just about enjoying it along the way. I just love the culture we have with our fans and what we are achieving.
What have you been up to since that gig?
One really special day, we played a couple shows to raise money for War Child as part of Brits Week at the 100 Club in London. It means a lot to be in a position to raise money for a charity like that.
Then we’ve been doing our thing, staying creative. Been to a bunch of gigs, big and small. I got a new favourite band, HotWax. Saw them at the Lexington a couple months ago and couldn’t believe how good they were. It was like a perfect gig, you know when you see something amazing for the first time that sounded so good? I was like, “Is this a different set of speakers they’ve got on for these guys?”
"Our new material feels really fresh and gives its own identity"
— Henry Camamile
You’ve been teasing new material - how’s it sounding? What’s inspiring you at the moment?
Our new material feels really fresh and gives its own identity. Always inspired by what’s going on in our lives. We are enjoying being a band. We played a new track at a festival recently, and it felt like an anthem already.
When do you think we’ll get to hear some?When you see me next, I’ll show you some stuff on my phone.
You’re playing Y Not this year - are there any acts you’re particularly looking forward to seeing or catching up with there?
It’s a strong lineup, isn’t it? Love Wunderhorse; they really became a band favourite this year. ‘Teal’ and ‘Purple’ are both amazing tunes. Amazing stories in them I really connected with, so it would be nice to catch them. I have mutual friends, but we’ve never actually met. If we are there when Maisie Peters is playing, I’d catch her set too.
Do you hang around at festivals after your set?Normally we will stay at one after playing if it makes sense and get friends to come along. Had such a good time at Glastonbury last year with our mates. Backstage areas were made the most of.
Have you ever discovered a new favourite up-and-coming band at a festival before?
A lot of the time, we’ll see a sick new artist or band, and that’s kinda how we choose who to support us on tour.
If you were booking your own festival, who would you like on the lineup?
Hmmm, The Prodigy, Kings of Leon (cos I love their story), Wolf Alice, boygenius (Oli is a huge fan) and Taylor Swift cos my girlfriend loves her.
Is there anything else we should know?
Always something else. ■
Taken from the August 2023 edition of Dork. Y Not takes place from 28th-30th July; visit ynotfestival.com for more information.
