EMQ’s With The Larches
EMQ’s With The Larches
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with UK Alt/ Sludge Metal band, The Larches. Huge thanks to them 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?
We are The Larches, an Alt/ Sludge Metal band from the North East of England. Bringing our ‘fat’ and ‘heavy’ sound everywhere we go. The band consists of: George Moss (drums) Alfie Murphy (bass) Noah Annandale (vocals) Joel Hardwick (rhythm-guitar) Sonny Evans (lead-guitar). We officially started playing as a five piece in early 2023, playing indie-style songs with influence from bands like the Artic Monkeys and The Strokes. The 5-piece released their first indie single, ‘You Don’t Care’ in October of 2023. Going onto then release an EP In February 2024, we branched out into a little bit more of a heavier style. From there, we have developed our sound and style, playing countless gigs all around the North of the UK and really cementing our name into the roots of the local music scene. We went onto release our new single ‘Equilibrium’ in June 2025. We have recently been hitting the studio, and you can expect to hear a heavier wall of sound in future releases……
How did you come up with your band name?
The Larches is a street in TS6 near where the Drummer George is from. He and Alfie used to go there to buy flowers.
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
We are from Middlesbrough in the Northeast of England, although Middlesbrough and neighbouring Stockton have some nice venues, and we always love playing hometown shows, we need to travel a little bit further up the road to Newcastle where there is more of a Metal presence in clubs like Think Tank? & Trillions.
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)
Our Latest release is a double-A-side with the singles ‘Ego Death’ & ‘The Skin I live In.’
Who have been your greatest influences?
Bands like Acid Bath, Deftones, and Eyehategod are now clear influences on the band, and you can hear this coming through on our latest material.
What first got you into music?
Sonny: I grew up around music in the house. My parents and grandparents all played and the house was full of guitars and things that made a noise, so as a kid it was all there for me to make a racket that then turned into a racket with melody.
Joel: My dad listening to Pixies and Led Zep on the nursery runs, he played guitar and that became my hobby growing up. I now play his Les Paul at gigs.
George: Hearing the Beatles at my grandparents’ house when I was a kid made me want to play instruments, so it just went from there.
Alfie: I picked up guitar and then subsequently bass because of this surf rock band I liked, here I am 4 years late with music being my whole life.
Noah: Going to a Panto at Christmas as a child got me into music. I was enchanted by the different components and vocal techniques used. From an early age, I have been involved in shows and plays, expanding my love for music. It’s crazy how my musical scope has changed over the years to what it is now.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
Acid Bath, because they encapsulate that Metal is limitless as they effortlessly blend death metal, sludge, blues, dissonance, sombre acoustic pieces with poetic lyrics.
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
Download – Pure British Rock/ Metal Festival steeped in history, and they have all played there. We think it would suit our genre, and we could deliver a nice 45-minute set to give people something to remember.
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
Nothing yet really. Suppose this will happen, and we will have a better answer next time!
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Thanks for sticking with us this far, and when we say there is more to come, then we mean it. You are a bunch of absolute game bastards, and we love you!
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
Jim Morrison. A Poet with a voice that can do anything from Rock n Roll to Crooning and would only have got better with age, who knows what the next Doors album could have been like with Jim, all of them visions and thoughts needed to be heard using the Doors music as a vehicle.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
Enjoy having music as our greatest passion, and we feel most connected to music than anything in the world. Having that cohesive connection with as best mates makes it feel electric when we play.
We don’t hate much, probably because of our age, and we are still fresh and green. I guess this will change the more we delve deeper, but it has been kind to us so far.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
The Music Industry. Mainstream prefabricated songs are blocking the airwaves.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
When the Kite String Pops – Acid Bath
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?
Vinyl for the sound, but for music being accessible, downloads do serve a vital purpose. It is much easier to get your songs out there and onto the streaming platforms. Love the idea of getting our tracks on vinyl, but it is so expensive and a risk for up-and-coming bands who must decide what is more important with limited funds.
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
Think Tank? Newcastle Supporting Riding the Low & Big Iron, we met some great people & got loads of nice feedback from a crowd that was relatively new to us.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
We have no idea! At this moment in our young lives, it is all we know and all we do, so long may it continue, or we may then have to start being adults, and that would be boring.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
Jim Morrison – Dax Riggs – Chino Moreno– JR Hayes – Mike Muleboy Makela
What’s next for the band?
We are in a bit of a purple patch in terms of writing, so we need to get back in the studio to get our tracks down. We are planning another double single release for probably March 26. Gig-wise, we want to get out a bit further afield and play some new venues across the UK and hopefully some festivals in the summer of 26. Hopefully an Album towards the back end of next year
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people? Please include any links
Facebook
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?
Bun
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Although we are all relatively young and are just making our way into the industry, we wanted to thank everyone who has given us support up to this point, whether it be our loyal fans who show up to every gig, our parents who have provided endless backing including lifts to practice, studio’s & gigs and our peers who give us honest feedback & guidance through what can be a minefield out there! We love you all.
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