Fresh off the back of their standout EP ‘Everything At Once’, Brighton bunch Thyla are making the most of their enforced downtime by eating lots eggs (alright for some, our Tesco’s out) and writing and recording lots of new material from a shed in the garden. (No, really…) They’re also playing Dork’s new online festival, Homeschool, this Bank Holiday Weekend.
Hello Millie! How’s it going? Are you feeling okay amid all this virus madness?
Hello, all things considered, I’m doing okay! The uncertainty of things is, of course, difficult to process, but I’m lucky in the sense that I still have a space to write and record music.
How has it impacted you so far?
Doing music while juggling a day job was a thorn in my side, but in a perverse way, the lockdown has enabled us to write music non-stop, while still receiving a furlough pay – like a pseudo developmental deal but without any executives checking in. Admittedly, the lack of routine or a deadline does make it harder to knuckle down in concentrated spurts, and the music I’m writing is a bit post-apocalyptic, but that’s quite cool.
What are you up to on a day-to-day basis? Do you have any fun indoor hobbies?
I get up late, drink a tonne of coffee, eat some eggs, and then head to the makeshift studio Danny and I set up when lockdown started. We’re in there pretty much all day trying to write tunes because that’s the only “activity” that keeps the depression at bay. As soon as there’s a puzzle or a book (I hate to say it because I love reading) in front of me, I start freaking out that I’m on a forced holiday and have to go back to making music in some form.
How are you finding creating at the mo?
That’s the one personal positive; we’ve been able to set up a makeshift studio in my parents’ garden and have been in there most days making tunes. A lot of it is dystopian synth madness, but anything goes right now, it’s the end of the world, or we’re playing on that vibe for artistic advantage.
How’s the album coming along?
We are in the final mixing stages, and it is sounding great – feeling blessed that we managed to record it before all this madness and obviously, like everyone in all walks of life, just itching for things to get back to some semblance of normality so we can crack on with releasing it and touring it, although the gigging scene seems like it could be irrevocably changed!
Will ‘current events’ impact what you want to write about do you think?
Definitely. I mean, how could it not? Even if you write really introspectively. This has invaded everyone’s lives on such a personal level, and things will never quite be the same again. In a way, there has been a bit of a cultural vacuum for the last ten years, at least at the mainstream level, and it has historically been the role of the arts to try to make sense of it, or perhaps document socio-economic catastrophes. But actually, it’s kind of a responsibility to try and envision a way out, albeit in the form of some music that eases the soul. Can you imagine Bieber putting out another ‘Yummy’?
Have you binge-watched any good TV shows?
Peep Show – that’s the only thing we’ve watched since this all started, probably because the stuff we used to find depressing about Mark and Jez’s lives is now stuff we’re jealous of, having a pint with Hans or the general mundanity that gave the show it’s trademark just seems so god damn appealing! It’s like Keeping Up With The Kardashians for the apocalypse.
What would Thyla be doing right now if there wasn’t a pandemic on?
Updating the live show to accommodate the new album! We didn’t set any boundaries during the recording process, and so we have a lot of work to do.
Tell us some good news?
Thyla is alive and well, and that doesn’t look set to stop. Even if the opportunity to play live look unforeseeable, there’s an album finished and likely many more releases. Look out for our new single ‘Fade’ which will be coming out (as soon as we can decide on an appropriate time to release). Big love Dork, stay strong.
Thyla are taking part in new online festival Homeschool, which runs from 8th-10th May – visit homeschoolfest.com for details.
