08/08/2013 | Great Escape Festival
“We wanted to make a modern rock album and to us, they’re modern rock bands and they gather their ingredients from the cupboards of historic rock from 60’s and 70’s and they piece together this cake of modern rock. Thats sort of where we see ourselves.”
Sam Rawlings and I had the pleasure of meeting Little Matador before their set at Great escape festival.
So you’ve known each other for ages but how did you guys get together as a band?
Nathan (Snow Patrol guitarist) had the idea and he approached us who was already in a band and I’ve been in a couple of bands, so that’s how it kind of came together – a few phone calls and jam sessions. The vibe was just instant. Everyone just came together, I loved what everyone was doing and everyone felt the same. It could have been a disaster!
That’s good though cos then you know each other and how each of you work, would you guys are like brothers?
Laughing, uhhh more like cousins mate.
It was dependant on that first meeting and see if there was any chemistry to take it forward and we did.
Definitely a gamble worth taking?
Yeah definitely
Absolutely, you never know you could be best friends with someone but then get in a room with them and be like ‘Oh my Gooood’ but we all get all along.
You’ve just finished your tour, am i right in saying that?
Yes indeed, we’ve just finished our tour.
What a lovely way to end it!
Yeah, we’ve had a couple of days off in Brighton and the suns been out.
They say Chicago is the windy city!
It has been very windy! First time in Brighton?
No i’ve been here before when I was in a different band called wilt.
We’ve never done great escape though, but we’ve heard fantastic things.
Great vibes here.
You planning on enjoying the rest of the festival after you play?
Theres a few bands we want to try and catch later.
How was the tour?
The tour was great. The last couple gigs we’ve done have been like this, cities in Glasgow, Liverpool – all little festivals scattered around and before that we did our own shows in Darby, Exeter .. Help me out here Dave.
Winchester, all over the shop!
You really have gone everywhere!
The albums out in a couple of weeks so we’ve kind of been pushing that down people’s throats.
Have you been getting the response from the crowd that you’ve wanted?
I think so, yeah
Yeah yeah they’ve been great.
We’ve done a couple of warm up legs before and yeah, numbers are up, certainly in places we’ve been before. People are coming singing the tunes.
Aw that’s really nice.
Radios picked up on it, really getting to know the stuff.
Even with our crew and stuff everything turning into a nice finely tune, it just works.
We’ve been checking out you guys and researching you and we’ve come across that people have kind of drawn comparisons too like queens of stone age and band of skulls. Is that a viable comparison?
Initially the plan was to get together and see whats happens and then when we’re done make an album.
We wanted to make a modern rock album and to us, they’re modern rock bands and they gather their ingredients from the cupboards of historic rock from 60’s and 70’s and they piece together this cake of modern rock. Thats sort of where we see ourselves.
That was pure poetry, pure poetry. Modern cake!
Were they particular influences?
In a way they were, when you’re jamming out something and something comes to mind.
We all like the queens and the Band of Skulls, they’re kind of bands that we listen too so that kind of comes out of the music.
So you’ve had your album out, you’ve finished your tour and now you’re finish at a festival in Brighton – so that’s pretty good!
Yeah this is a great place to finish it.
Finish on a high.
Even though the tour has finished have you got much planned? Coming to the UK in the summer?
2000 trees, Sonisphere, Belsonic with Biffy Clyro, couple dates with we are scientists around this neck of the woods – busy summer.
Few more things in the pipeline just waiting for confirmation.
Good to have so much going on though, people who are coming to your tours and these festivals we’ll be off to see you at these festivals!
That would be great.
Bet they will! Hold me to it.
HANNAH RYAN 