With the release of their latest single Oblivious today across all streaming platforms, I thought it would be a good opportunity to catch up with the guys from the band.
For those who haven’t heard of you before, how would you describe your style?
We self brand our style “feel-good indie rock” as our songs are generally uplifting but carry a sting of melancholy, I guess that’s some of the heavier soul elements that seep their way into the music somehow. We all have a mismatch of influences but our sound has been compared to Black Crowes/Reef and Charlatans circa 1995.
Who is in the band and how did you all meet?
I’m from New Zealand originally and found myself in Manchester 2013. I met Luke our drummer (who is the only actual Mancunian in the group) around the same time and we’ve been playing together in various projects on and off over the years. I used to flat with Mathieu our bass player who proudly hails from Corsica as he was establishing himself here, meeting through a mutual friend. Finally our keyboard player Ron who’s originally from Utrecht in the Netherlands I met on a photoshoot for a previous project I was in; I was astounded at his extensive knowledge of New Zealand pop icons Crowded House! We’re kindred spirits in our love for travelling and music.
Where did the band name come from?
It comes from a very obscure character in Alice in Wonderland called Pat the Gardner who works for the White Rabbit. When the rabbit asks him where he is Pat says, “I’m here! Digging for Apples, yer honour!”
This tiny phrase fits with me on so many levels as my family in New Zealand had an orchard and whilst searching for my musical roots in the UK I still look back to my roots there. It’s also a kind of French-English joke as the word for potatoes in French is “Pommes de terre” which literally means “Apples of the earth” (you have to dig to find them) which is a nod to the years I spent in Lyon, France.
By “digging for apples” I’m trying to make sense of where I am by remembering my roots from my homeland and channelling my misadventures into 3 minute indie pop songs.
You released your latest single Oblivious today. What does the song mean to you?
I became aware of my own obliviousness after travelling overseas, a tendency to be too often unaware of the elephant in the room – especially when it comes to relationships and social cues.
If everyone were more engaged and less oblivious maybe we wouldn’t be preparing for the end of the world!
Is this a hint at more new music on the way?
Yes! We’ve added some brand new material to the live set which we will be road testing at the “Oblivious” release gig.
We are about to record some more music this year to be released as singles with an E.P. on the horizon.
Who produced this music?
It’s been recorded/mixed/ and mastered by our bass player Mathieu who runs his own studio in Manchester called Red Sand Studios.
Can we expect any music videos on the way?
We are really proud to release a music video for “Oblivious” on the same day as it’s release on all platforms. The video recounts the final moments of the main character’s impending doom whilst remaining blissfully yet tragically ignorant.
Are there any plans to play any gigs or festivals anytime soon?
Our approach at the moment is less is more, we’ll probably only play Manchester a few times this year but they will be huge occasions! Applying for some emerging slots at festivals around the North at present so stay tuned.
What is your most memorable gig that you have played?
Our first gig as a band was at a festival inside an actual garden centre in South Manchester, the location was perfect and had a great community vibe about it. There were apples in the air and music on the trees!
What advice would you give to people trying to get their band up and going?
Run it like a business, play it like a game.
Where can we find out more about you?
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Bandcamp
Songkick
Anything else you would like to tell us?
Keep your eyes out on our socials for more information about our gig dates and releases! As we all love travelling we’re sure to head out into your neck of the woods soon, see you under the apple tree.
I’d like to thank Shane and the rest of the band for taking the time to answer my questions and wish them the best of luck with their release gig tonight! Last few tickets here.
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