Released on the 31st January, Landslide, the latest track from Earl Grey Collective, is the perfect smooth-groove summer track. The combination of Funk and Blues make it a perfect late night with friends track to vibe with.
I thought it would be a good opportunity to catch up with front man Will:
Tell us a bit about the band. Where are you from and how did you all meet?
We’re pretty spread out actually, Katie hales from Hampshire, Zac from Woking, Will from Cardiff and Alex came from Australia! The band was formed in 2 separate stages, Me (Will) and Katie met at university and had the idea to start a band back then but it wasn’t until we finished Uni and after a bit of hard thinking that we asked Zac (who I knew from church) to be involved. We asked Zac if he knew any other bass players who had some serious groove and he suggested Alex, we met up a couple of times and the rest is history.
Where does the name “Earl Gray Collective” come from?
We came up with the name when I (Will Gray) met Katie Earl at university. On hearing each other’s last names we decided that we should either get married or start a band. Needless to say we formed a band!
You recently released your latest single, Landslide. Can you tell us what this song means to you?
I wrote the song around the time that I was getting married and it’s a reflection on the whole “through thick and thin” nature of the promises I made. I guess it’s kind of a reminder to myself that life’s not always perfect and I’m certainly not, and that love isn’t just about a good feeling but about choosing to care for the other even when it’s difficult.
Is this a hint at more new music on the way?
Yes, it definitely is! We’re releasing one a month (if all goes to plan) leading up our EP release, so keep on the look out.
Who produced this music? Have you worked with them before?
We self produce our music with most direction coming from the incredibly talented drummer/producer extraordinaire Katie Earl and myself.
Where do you look for inspiration and influence in your music?
For me the music and songwriting that have moved me most are ones telling stories. Whether through the emotions evoked by certain sounds or by well crafted lyrics driving the imagination. As a kid I could get lost for hours in the stories of Laura marling, Mumford and Sons, Bon Iver and John Mayer and I think it’s safe to say their way of writing stories has continued to form and inspire my music. As a band however we draw inspiration from all over the place, we’ve all got interests in slightly different areas and genres
What, would you say, was the biggest hurdle you had to overcome when making your music?
Ooooh that’s a difficult one, I guess at this point in our career when for us things have been slow, the big hurdle and obstruction to the creative process is just playing the numbers game. Trying to get out of a mind set of “who’s heard it” to am I enjoying what I create and write has been a big hurdle to overcome for me (Will).
What advice would you give to people looking to make music?
I guess I’d say 1: write a lot and then just keep writing and 2: Just have fun. Making great music can have a real technical element to it but if you forget about the spark behind why you write and the emotions you’re trying to evoke then it can quickly become just a task to complete rather than a joy to make
Did you have any plans to go on tour? Are you hoping to play any shows when we are all allowed back out?
No plans currently for a tour although who knows what the future holds. Yeah we’ll definitely get on the gigging as soon as it’s safe to do so (although who knows when that’ll be!)
Where can we find out more about you?
The main place we hang out is on instagram which you can find here:
https://www.instagram.com/earlgraycollective
Otherwise you can follow us on FB or even have a look at our new website.
https://www.facebook.com/EarlGrayCollective
https://www.earlgraycollective.com/
Anything you would like to tell us?
We’ve actually just released the music video we made for Landslide this week which was a heck of a lot of fun to make so if you fancy checking that out on our youtube page that would be awesome.
These guys are definitely one to look out for, and I hope to catch them at a gig soon. Until then, I’d like to thank Will for taking the time to answer my questions and wish him and the band all the best for the future.
TrueStyleMusic 