Mellor
Describe your music in three words
Energetic, Loud, Interesting (hopefully!)
The artwork for the current singles is beautifully dark & atmospheric, can you tell us a bit more about the theme?
We wanted to use pictures of Reading as a bit of a homage. I took the first image for 'Lost In This World' and I wanted to try and capture the haunting loneliness of our streets during these strange times. We stumbled across a local photographer Sean Wright (@mrswphoto on instagram) who had these amazing, eye catching rooftop photos, we were fortunately given permission to use a couple of them.
As Reading is your hometown, what are your favourite music venues & memories from gigging here?
So so many memories to choose from! We've had a few support slots at Sub 89 which is such a brilliant venue, amazing sound and a great stage space. Loads of gigs and launches at Oakford, Sun Inn, South Street Arts Centre, but for me Purple Turtle will always be a special place for us. 'Are You Listening' a few years back headlining Turtle was probably the most fun we've had on stage so far, everything felt loud and electric, the crowd was rowdy, amazing gig!
Tell us about the first gig Mellor ever played & how the band has changed over the years. Do you still adopt the same process with songwriting?
Over the years we've had a couple line-up changes, so it's hard to pin-point where everything kicked on from. Our first show with Kris (guitar) was back in 2017 at none other than Purple Turtle! I like to think we've matured as musicians and that my lyrics have developed more thought and meaning behind them. Over the last couple of years we've definitely been writing more as a unit and our best ideas come from bouncing off each other in practice/ writing sessions, it's certainly contributed to creating 'our sound'.
What music/artists influence you the most?
We all have our individual influences but we share a love for Radiohead, Biffy Clyro, Arctic Monkeys, Queens Of The Stone Age.
Your latest video was DIY green screen, how did you find the process?
We've pretty much always done things DIY so we're very used to cameras and editing. However this particular video felt super DIY since we couldn't meet up or leave the house!! We hadn't used a green screen before, so thought we'd give it a whirl. We all ordered a cheap one, filmed ourselves and I plonked it all together. I'd like to say it was a breeze, but it was a bit of a nightmare. It all turned out ok though no??
Do you prefer the buzz of playing live or the creative process in the studio?
You probably can't beat the buzz of a live show... but the studio is a nice change of pace and it's exciting developing new ideas. You're always thinking how songs will sound live though.. It's what it's all about for us
If you could’ve written one song(or indeed album) by another artist, what would it be & why?
I can't say anything other than Beach Boys - Pet Sounds. It's an absolute Masterpiece. Having said that.. I'd be delighted with the royalties for Slade - Merry Xmas Everybody every year.
What are your plans for 2021?
It's hard to say what the rest of the year will bring, but we're laying foundations for a very very busy 2022. Could be some exciting announcements on the way!
Name a couple of other local acts we should check out
Abandon Ship! St. Peter's Dream and the great Adam and Elvis.
New singles 'Lost In This World' & 'Vacant Stare' are out now!