EMQs With Beggars Bliss
EMQs With Beggars Bliss
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with UK Rockers, Beggars Bliss. 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’re Beggars Bliss, a 4-piece rock act from Derby, UK, blending heavy blues, funk and soul. Here are our band members and what they do:
Henry John – Guitarist, lead vocals
Milly Ayesha – Keyboardist, backing vocals
Dan Griffiths – Bassist, backing vocals
Chris West – Drummer, backing vocals
We launched in 2024. Since then, we’ve been songwriting and relentlessly gigging together across the Midlands, including getting to support the legendary ‘Black Spiders’ and a standout set at Off The Tracks Festival in 2025.
This year we’re preparing to release our debut album on May 21st 2026, coinciding with an exciting set at Call Of The Wild festival (Alongside headliners Florence Black, Onslaught, and Von Hertzen Brothers).
How did you come up with your band name?
Our bassist found it in a book. It actually means a fleeting moment of pleasure (or having a wank!), but we just thought it sounded cool.
What Country / Region are you from, and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
Derby, UK. We’re fortunate to have both Bloodstock and Download festivals close to us, so, as you can imagine, the alternative music scene is very active. However, these larger events are notoriously hard to break into. The local scene is very much alive and home to a lot of exciting bands (Like These Wicked Rivers and Muddibrooke), but it can be quite tough for original acts to break out into the rest of the UK.
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)
Our latest release will be our self-titled debut album ‘Beggars Bliss’, out on May 21st! This is a particularly exciting release for us, it’s a sort of ‘Hello World’ collection of our favourite 10 tracks so far (including the single ‘Peaches N’ Cream’). We can’t wait to share it!
Who have been your greatest influences?
Aerosmith is a huge inspiration; they’re all phenomenal musicians and put on a great show. Hendrix is another obvious choice, both for the revolutionary guitar but also showmanship. The Chilli Peppers Flea is, of course, a big inspiration to our bassist, and Tori Amos is a personal favorite for our keys player. The Beatles need a mention for songwriting and vocal harmony work. Our drummer notes Roger Taylor from Queen as a major influence on him.
What first got you into music?
Our key player Milly, and vocalist, Henry, both recall memories of seeing live music as a kid and also being moved by film scores. Our bassist Dan cites video games as an early call to music, specifically Streets Of Rage and Sonic 3. Our drummer Chris, was gifted a Casio keyboard when very young, which ignited a love for music. None of us can pinpoint an exact moment or thing, but these are a start.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician, who would it be?
Definitely Matt Berry. We toyed with trying to contact him for a skit on the album whilst recording, but decided we probably wouldn’t be able to pull something like this off yet. A collaboration with Scene Queen would also be fun with those brutal vocals.
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
Hellfest in Clisson, France, would be epic. The festival is such an experience, playing it is a dream for us.
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
We were given a hand-carved stone with our logo on it at a gig recently. It’s kind of like a grave stone, which is awesome but definitely different.
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
You are legends. We love you with all of our hearts combined.
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
Hendrix, Prince, Chris Cornell, Lennon, Cobain.. There’s too many to mention, so we couldn’t pick one.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
We love playing gigs, we love hanging out as a band, we hate carrying the gear! Also, the farts in tight spaces are no fun, at least for the other people in the room.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
How disposable music has become due to the nature of short form content. The pressure to relentlessly produce influencer style content really takes the magic out of the art for us. It’s a shame that musicians are being pushed to focus more on ‘digital engagement’ than their art.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
It’s hard to choose just one. Here’s one for each member:
Henry – Are You Experienced – Jimi Hendrix
Dan – Rubber Soul – Beatles
Milly – Scissor Sisters – Self titled
Chris – Dead Man’s Party – Oingo Boingo
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CDs or Downloads?
Who gives a damn, pick the one that works for you!
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
The Trailblazer live final at The Corporation in Sheffield. This was a really cool event to be a part of. We placed second in the competition, so we get to open the second stage at Call Of The Wild Festival in May, which makes it even sweeter.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
A photographer, painter, games developer or tattoo artist.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
Billy the Kid (1879)
Socrates (410 B.C.)
Joan of Arc (1429)
Genghis Khan (1209)
Abraham Lincoln (1863)
If you know you know..
What’s next for the band?
This year we have the biggest list of UK shows we’ve ever had! We’re excited to get out, play the new album and make a lot of noise. Beyond that, we’re practically drowning in material that we’re desperate to get out, so we’re already looking to book recording time for album number two.
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people? Please include any links.
Our LinkTree is regularly updated with the most important links, along with our BandsInTown page for gigs. Here’s a full list of socials if you want to keep up with what we’re doing:
Website: https://beggarsbliss.com/
LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/beggarsbliss
BandInTown: https://www.bandsintown.com/a/15530422
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beggars.bliss/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beggarsbliss
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2PxxUPLDXM3WtQ89XwxjGm
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/beggars-bliss/1728563735
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?
A COB!
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
These wise words of wisdom from Cypress Hill: “Catch a ho, and another ho, merry Christmas.”
Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this interview, unless you have the strict permission of said party. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
