Released yesterday, this is one of our favorite releases so far of 2021. We thought it would be a good opportunity to chat to the band about all things music.
Tell us a bit about the band. Where are you from and how did you all meet?
Carl – Vocals/Guitars
Syd – Vocals/Keyboards
Martin – Bass
Phil – Drums
Syd – I’ve known Carl for many a year now – I replied to his ad in a local Maidstone music shop looking for like minded musicians back in the 90s. It all went from there really, although there have been some gaps ‘ere and there in between before arriving at where we are now!
Martin – People say I am from Kent… At least that’s what they shout at me in the street.
Syd – They do indeed Martin 🙂
Carl – We’re all originally from Kent. I have been in various bands with Syd and Martin in the distant past and went to college with Phil. The Shop Window kind of happened by accident… a bunch of mates just getting together for a jam after not seeing each other for years. Before we knew it we were releasing singles.
Where did the name The Shop Window come from?
Syd – That’s Carl’s fault!
Martin – From the film Time Machine I think.
Carl – It actually comes from a lyric in our debut single ‘Mannequin Lies’, “Looking like a Shop Window, the mannequin Lies”. It relates to everyone having a bit of a shop window front, something to hide behind when you don’t want to display what’s on the inside. It was probably the first song we finished in rehearsals and it just seemed right for us.
If you had to sum each band member up with one word, what would you say?
Carl – I would say Syd is Great, Martin is Hilarious, Phil is Chilled
Syd- I would say Carl is Genius, Martin is ‘Certifiable’ and Phil is Solid
Martin – Class but not me ha ha
Phil – Class but not me either. I’m still learning.
You recently released your latest single Out Of Reach. What does this song mean to you as a Band?
Martin – I remember the comradery of the recording.
Phil – The first track on the first day of the album recording sessions . This song got my full release from the first lockdown. For me It set the tone and pace for everything I did after.
Carl – For me it meant that all this is still possible without being able to get together in the same room for a rehearsal, I wrote it during the first lockdown. We still managed to send each other files and produce a demo and get the song in shape before going into the studio to bash it out for real between lockdowns.
Syd – Like Carl, I think it shows that we can work remotely and create great material. There’s an energy in that song that really exploded when we finally got to record it properly in the studio. When I first heard Carl’s demo I knew I was hearing something special.
Is this a hint of more new music on the way?
Syd – As Henry the Mild Mannered Janitor would say: ‘Could be!’
Martin – I certainly hope so
Phil – Wait and see, you won’t be disappointed.
Where do you look for inspiration in your music?
Syd – Down behind the sofa.
Martin – New music and other band members.
Phil – Band members, friends and of course Twitter is king.
Carl – Songs that make me sit up and think ‘I wish I had written that’.
Pre world-gone-mad, did you get the chance to play many gigs? What were some of your favourite stories from these shows?
Carl – We were due to start gigging in April 2020, sadly COVID had other plans. Myself, Syd and Martin have done hundreds of gigs together in the past in previous bands.
Syd – In a nutshell- No! Got plenty of gossip from touring with Carl back in the 90s though…..
Martin – Didn’t get a chance.
Phil – Meeting Mike Joyce at the 100 club, my former band supported The Primitives on their 25th Anniversary gig there and he was dj’ing.
Do you hope to get back on the road when it is safe to do so?
Syd – Yes please.
Martin – Really hope so.
Phil – Hope so too.
Carl – Oh Yeah!!!!
What was one thing you were not prepared to encounter when making music?
Carl – Having to learn how to promote music via social media.
Martin – Online recording.
Phil – The Wombles.
Syd – Social distancing.
Where can we find out more about you?
Carl – Our Twitter account is the most active but we’re always updating our Facebook/Instagram/Bandcamp/Youtube/Soundcloud accounts.
And, because they are always left out, any final words from the drummer?
Carl – He can’t hear you as he is thumping his tubs. In fact, nobody can hear anything…
Syd – The what?
Martin – Who’s that then?
Phil – Never heard of him.
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