Tell us a bit about yourself, where are you from and how did you all meet?
Me (Ryan) and Howard met while working in a supermarket in London, England. We didn’t realise for a while, but it also turned out we were both studying at the same music university. Around a year later, Howard asked if I wanted to jam with him and Luke, a drummer friend of his who he had met in first year of uni. The rest is history.
If I were to use the phrase “for fans of”, who would you most liken yourself to?
Howard would say we were a mix of the Beatles and Kasabian, but I think there’s more to it than that. There’s a little Radiohead and Oasis mixed in there too, especially in the live sound.
Tell us a bit about your latest single A Little Bit Better. What does this song mean to you?
Howard came to me with the main idea at the beginning of 2019, and after a few lyrical edits, it became a main-stay in our live sets. We love it, and from what we’ve heard, our fans love it too. It’s uplifting, but also, because the lyrics don’t necessarily make complete sense, it’s open to interpretation, which makes it more enduring to us.
Where did the inspiration for this come from?
Howard has moments of inspiration that come quite literally from nowhere. Usually, once he’s had an idea, it comes to me, and we refine it together, or if it’s my idea, vice versa. This was one of those that came from the ether and wasn’t really inspired by anything in particular.
Did you have any help in the writing and producing process?
Me and Howard write all of our songs ourselves, but the recording was done with a friend of Howards, Del Bartle. It was then mixed by a friend of mine, Evie Clark-Yospa, at Premises Studios in East London, and I think she really bought out the power of the song.
You recorded a lockdown version of A Little Bit Better recently. How did that go?
It was interesting, and a little unpredictable, but we think it turned out okay. Howard’s friend from home Paul provided the trumpets, and we think it really elevated the song. It’s something we want to include in future songs, maybe even live one day.
Can we expect an ‘official’ music video at some point?
Absolutely. Due to the situation right now we couldn’t get what we had planned filmed, but we will, sooner rather than later.
Did you get a chance to play many shows pre-lockdown? Are there any plans to play more once we are allowed out again?
We played Brighton in January. It was our first show out of London, and because it was set up by us, it was an amazing experience. We also played a quarter final gig for a competition to play the Isle of Wight Festival, which was unfortunately cancelled, but we would have been in the semi finals if not. We were disappointed, but are so glad that we managed to play them before this all hit.
Where can we find out more about you?
Instagram is the best place, @the_two_nine_five, but we post stuff on most socials; Youtube, Twitter, Facebook. The best way to find out about us though is by listening to the music, which is on most streaming services; Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.
Anything else you would like to tell us?
We’ve got more music coming soon, and hope to be back playing live by the end of the year. We’ve got a lot planned, and we hope to see as many people as possible come along on the ride with us. Get on that bus.
I’d like to thank Ryan for taking the time to answer my questions and I wish him and the rest of the band the best of luck for the rest of the year, and I hope to be able to catch them at a live show as soon as possible
TrueStyleMusic 