EMQ’s With Down N Out
EMQ’s With Down N Out
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with UK Alternative Rock band, Down N Out. Huge thanks to their Drummer, Sam Bayley, for taking part.
What is your name, what do you play, and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
My name is Sam Bayley and I play the drums in the band. The band formed when we were all at a very young age. When at primary school, Myself, Archie (vocals) and George (bass) came together and jammed the classics such as Seven Nation Army and The Chain. You know, the songs that everyone plays when young. It was this moment where I fell in love with this escape. Just friends connected by one thing. Music. As a collective 3, we joined a local music group on Saturday mornings where we could jam and have a laugh. We then met Max (guitarist) and discovered he was also moving to the same secondary school as us. This is where the band was formed. As we grew up we started playing local pubs aged 14 and loved it. We have continued with this momentum and all took the plunge to choose a college further away from our small town and the exposure to this amazing music scene we are involved in has accelerated our passion entirely.
How did you come up with your band name?
The band name was a funny one, we played together without a name for years until we realised this was a pretty vital part of being able to perform in front of people. We wanted something that left the tongue easy but also sounded mature, I heard the saying Down and Out on a TV show I was watching. Pitched it to the lads and we all agreed that this was the one for us.
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
We are an alternative rock band from England. We operate within two regions currently, Northampton and Birmingham. The reason this is the case is that we live in Northampton but commute to Birmingham for studies each week. Going to Birmingham truly opened our minds to the huge array of unsigned bands there are that sound professional and legitimate. It is a blast going to local gigs each week and hearing all these refreshing interpretations of the genres we love. Every show is packed full of energy and excitement fueled by young and hungry bands striving to be the next big thing. Alternative rock, punk and metal thrive within the city of Birmingham and we are here for it.
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)
Our latest release is our single titled “Headspace”. We are excited to show our fans what we have been working on.
Who has been your greatest influence?
As a band, our greatest influences are Queens of the Stone Age, Foals, and Foo Fighters. We like to merge our roots of indie and heavy music. It is almost impossible to state a concise list of genres we take influence from let alone bands, as a collective the band’s music tastes and influences range from death metal to relaxed hip-hop.
What first got you into music?
I think I can easily say for all of us, our parents got us into music. All of our families are very musical and music flows through our veins.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
I think this is an easy one, Dave Grohl. His writing skills are off the charts and his knowledge of all instruments would help each member of the band tremendously. One of his famous screams on a track would also be nice 🙂
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
Glastonbury. This is a festival where genre does not matter a single bit. It unites everyone and everyone can have an amazing time. To play the same stages as some of the industry’s greatest figures ever would be a dream come true. As kids growing up we would always switch on a Glastonbury set whether it be Foo Fighters 2017 or The Rolling Stones 2013 and become absorbed by the stage, the crowd and the overall aura of this incredible festival. Dreams keep us going as a band and as friends.
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
Lots and lots of drunken advice if that counts aha. Playing pubs and weddings when we were starting our performing career we encountered a lot of this. “PLAY WONDERWALL’ will be the saying that destroys me aha.
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
THANK YOU!!! We truly appreciate everything we receive, all the DMs, comments and likes. These guys are the people who inspire us to keep striving and releasing new music.
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
Dimebag Darrell. Easy. He is a legend. As the younger generation, none of us got to see him perform live. I feel like his ability on the guitar is an inspiration for people of all ages and all genres. Also, the way he died was unfair.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
I enjoy the adrenaline and the escapism it provides. When we are in a flow as a band nothing can stop us and there is no other bother on our minds other than the music we are producing. The thing I hate as a musician is probably universally agreed especially among drummers is setting up and packing down.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
The reliance upon algorithms and social media. As a band, before we post on anything we have to decide whether the correct hashtags have been used or whether we post at the correct time. I feel this takes away from the hard work we put into our music and other aspects of the band. It also adds another layer of stress that isn’t necessary.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums.
Way too hard of a question for all of us but I’ll state the first album that came to each member’s mind. “Vessel” by Twenty-one Pilots (George, bassist), “Total Life Forever” by Foals (Archie, vocalist and lead guitar), “Ashes of the Wake” by Lamb of God (myself, drummer) and finally “Disintegration” by the cure (max, guitarist)
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CDs, or Downloads?
Vinyl, whilst it may be expensive there nothing better than opening the gatefold to one of your favourite albums and knowing you have given back to the artists that do so much for you.
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
That’s a tough one, our first gig in Birmingham at the Sunflower Lounge has to be up there. Another amazing experience to mention was when we were at the height of our covers routine we played a local festival which has held our largest crowd to date.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
I’m not sure, but I know for a fact I would be very bored. Being a musician is what keeps me going and provides my core entertainment. There is nothing better than meeting new people and playing the instrument you love for them. For a literal answer, I’d say probably doing A-levels that I don’t enjoy and wondering what could have happened if I hadn’t taken the risk by studying music.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
If you would like a realistic answer then it would be all the band and our producer as I have never laughed so much than when we were recording the single with our producer. An unrealistic answer would be Ozzy Osbourne as he has to have some insane stories, Lemmy as he was just awesome, Jimmy Hendrix, Dave Grohl and Chuck Schuldiner to ask him how he got so good at the guitar.
What’s next for the band?
We have our first pieces of merch coming through which we are extremely excited about. A music video for Headspace should shortly follow its release. That was an amazing experience recording and we are excited for everyone to be able to watch it. After Headspace, another single then an ep towards the end of the year!
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
We mainly use Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. Our music is released on all streaming platforms.
https://www.instagram.com/downandoutband_/
https://www.facebook.com/downnoutband/
https://www.tiktok.com/@downandoutband_
Time for a very British question now. As an alternative to the humble sandwich, is the correct name for a round piece of bread common in the UK either a Bap, a Barm (or Barm Cake), a Batch, a Bun, a Cob, a Muffin, a Roll or a Tea Cake?
BAP!!!!!
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
No, thank you.
Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
