We last chatted to In Earnest back in May 2020, after the release of their single Put Me Under. With the release of their new EP, we thought it would be a good opportunity to catch up with the band about everything they’ve been up to over the last 17 months.
So we last chatted back in May 2020, right in the middle of ‘that thing we don’t mention’. How have you guys been since then?
We’ve been good thanks! It’s been amazing to release our second EP, ‘Reasons To Stay Alive’ into the world and we’ve had such lovely feedback on it so far. We’ve also played our first few live shows which have been mind-blowing!
Would you say the Pandemic and resulting world has changed your approach to music and songwriting?
Having extra creative time definitely taught us to be even more thorough than we already were when creating a release and the promo campaign around it. For instance, our new ep is cyclical, gapless and loops back around on itself, which was a concept we came up with in lockdown. We do everything ourselves, so we’ve really noticed the difference in a release that has loads of great promo to support it and one that contains an interesting concept or quirk as a focal point.
In our last interview we chatted about your single Put Me Under. How does your new EP Reasons To Stay Alive compare to this.
The focus on mental health as a writing topic is definitely still there, but we pushed ourselves to dive even deeper into difficult subjects like depression and suicidal ideation. We also tried to push ourselves musically to create songs that were more artful and there away any commercial leanings.
The new EP has a pretty provocative title. What made you want to call it that?
It was inspired by our favourite book, ‘Reasons To Stay Alive’ by Matt Haig. It inspired us to write openly about our personal experiences with mental health, which is a topic that sits very close to our hearts. The title crept into track 5 (‘Welcome To Hope County’) and it really felt like a summation of everything we wanted to say with the songs on the ep – that we will always experience good days and bad days, but ultimately there is always something to keep on living for.
Making a gapless 6 track EP is a pretty bold move. What made you want to do it that way?
Sarah was inspired by The Beatles and came up with the concept as a cool way of tying all of the songs together. It’s also a reflection of the fact that we’ve all felt stuck on an endless loop through the Covid pandemic.
I hear there is something special planned for release alongside the EP soon, can you delve a little more into what this might be?
Yes! We’ve made a short film to accompany the EP, which will be released on the 4th November! We teamed up with our videographer friend, Rob Humm of Soundcastle, and spend 4 months creating a cyclical visual concept. We then shot it over 6 days in order to keep continuity with our appearance and to make everyone’s schedules line up! It was a challenge but we’re really happy with the end result.
Are there any plans for any gigs soon? Maybe even coming to Bristol?
We’re going to spend 2022 focusing on gigging in new places and writing, so it’s quite possible!
What music has each of you been listening to recently? Any good recommendations?
Deafheaven – Infinite Granite
Bo Burnham – Inside
Free Throw – Piecing It Together
Gang Of Youths – Go Farther In Lightness
As always, where can we find out more about you?
We’re on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook all under @inearnestband. We’re also on YouTube and our main website is www.inearnest.co.uk.
And finally, would you like to ask us anything? I’ll do my best to answer.
Any tips on great venues and local artists that might want to share a show with us in Bristol?!
Well, it would have to be always and forever at Exchange Bristol. And you’d have to contact some local bands, the Bristol music scene is pretty alive right now.
I’d like to thank In Earnest for taking the time to answer my questions, and wish them all the best of luck with the EP, the new video and the upcoming shows. Hopefully I’ll catch them on the road son!
TrueStyleMusic 