By Katherine Witts

With the release of their latest single ‘Onomatopoeia‘, the four-piece Bristol-based band once again transports listeners back to the vibrant alt-rock scene of the early 2000s.

Their sound, rooted in nostalgia but undeniably fresh, draws from a wide array of influences, including video games, fantasy literature, cinema, and an eclectic mix of musical genres. It’s this fusion that sets them apart.

“There are some incredible soundtracks out there,” they explain. “Sometimes a certain film visual or phrase from a book is all you need to spark a new idea.”

We caught up with vocalist Maya MacCullum and guitarist Tom Sheppard to talk about the band’s beginnings and the exciting shows they’ve got lined up.

To begin, if you can give us some background on the band and when you guys first began working together?

“Maya and I met during the pandemic in 2020 through some mutual friends before attending music college together later that same year.

“I’d checked out her original music and recorded an alternative version of one of her songs at home – we both really liked the outcome and made a point to continue working together.

“We’ve actually played that song a few times at some stripped-back sets. We were in another band at college, which we played mainly just covers in, but towards the end of that is when we started dabbling in more original music by ourselves and the rest is history.“

With the announcement of your next support gig with GRLwood at Thekla and Buried in Bermuda at The Fleece, would you say the community within the alt-rock scene is important? 

“First of all, how cool is it that we’re getting to support GRLwood?! Such a sick band and we cannot wait for those shows.

“The community is everything. It’s the heart of the alternative rock scene. Bristol’s music scene is so well connected and diverse and it’s such a beautiful thing to be a part of.

“The local bands and people coming to gigs are all so supportive of each other and it’s amazing getting to watch each other grow and play bigger and better shows.“

Following on from the above, who would be your musical icons and dream brands to play alongside?

“Destroy Boys have been a collective influence throughout the band from day one, they’re such amazing people and put out some crazy good music too. We were lucky enough to catch them at The Fleece when they came to Bristol earlier this year which was an unforgettable experience.

“Apart from those guys, Green Day and My Chemical Romance are both iconic bands that consistently inspire us. They’re legends and would be a dream come true to see our name on a poster with them some day.“

For all the bands who are likely following in your footsteps, what pieces of advice would you give to them?

“Have fun with it and don’t be so hard on yourself. Comparison is the thief of joy and that’s never been more prevalent with how integrated we’ve become with social media.

“There’s no such thing as perfection and constantly striving for that is only gonna slow you down.

Be “cringe”, put yourself out there, be passionate about what you do. Most importantly, make art. YOUR art.“

Lastly, what can we expect to see from you guys in the near future?

“We’ve got some tricks up our sleeves. Expect some kickass live shows, we’re really making a point to take our gigs to the next level right now ahead of our summer appearances.

“Then, if you’ve been bumping ‘See No Evil’ that we dropped in January, there’s something really cool on the way we think you might enjoy. More on that soon…“

A big thank you to Allium! and be sure to stream ‘Onomatopoeia’ and check out their upcoming shows below:

Stream Onomatopoeia here!

Buy tickets to their support gig with GRLwood here!

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