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Sophie
Hey! I'm Sophie, I'm 22 and live in Leicester.

You can usually find me at a gig in the photo pit or shopping for another new outfit which definitely won't fit in my wardrobe.

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Interview with Marsicans

On Sunday I had the chance to visit the 110 Above festival and chat to Marsicans, a band that I've worked with and interviewed before. It was the first time I'd met James, Rob, Cale and Oli and saw them perform live. They're all lovely lads and did a great job on stage.
Photo Credits: Robbie Jay Barratt
Marsicans have just released their new music video for their latest single Pop-Ups (Sunny at the Weekend) which you can watch below. It's a great chat and we dive into the meaning behind it in my interview with the lads - if you haven't figured it out yet.


Carry on reading to catch my interview with Marsicans!

_____________________

You only just got here, are you going to go and watch any performances?
R: We'd like to
J: You're (Oli) eyeing up Marika Hackman
*All laugh*
O: I don't think she's that way inclined
J: As in the gig,  I don't know what time it is. We would like to stay and watch Blaenavon and Peace but as we were just saying, we've got to get off unfortunately. When we first got the line up for this we were so excited, we love those bands anyway and we're playing just before them and we get to watch them. And that's what this festival's always been so good for us because it's bands we like and -
R: Also bands we know
J:  - Yeah, bands we've become friends with.
O: We walked in and it's a big hug-a-thon, it's a really nice atmosphere because we've been here the last three years and you get to know people. Everyone's just really nice. It feels good coming back here, I really like this festival.

It's quite small as well which is quite nice, a little bit more intimate.
R: Yeah, it's just like a barn and you go down the road and you've got bars and food in between.
J: Do you remember the first year we stayed and the DJ was on and I stood with Micheal that was on after and I was like too drunk outside. These (gestures to the others) had left me by this point, it's their own fault. I wen't "Micheal, don't worry - we'll headline this festival for you."
*All laugh*
J: And we're still not quite there yet! One day! One day we'll get there and I'll be like "see Micheal, I told you when I was pissed"

Rob performing at 110 Above 
So how are you coping with this heatwave?
C: I'm loving it! I'm so tanned. If I can sit in the sunshine all the time, I would. These guys wanna sit in the shade which is fair enough, they want to stay cool, but bring it on sun.
J: It's been uncomfortable!

You're a little sun baby!
C: I'm a little sun baby.
J: I love the sun if you've got a swimming pool or the sea to jump in but if you've got to just do your normal day to day things, it's just - it's as annoying as rain.
R: You know what's not fun, sitting in an old LVD maxus, formally owned by the Royal Mail, driving around the country with no air-conditioning what-so-ever.

There's no air con?! We sat in our car a little while ago, for about 20 mins with the air con on.
J: Yeah, we don't have a radio either.
C: Dogs die in vans, so do bands.
J: Well we have bought a little bluetooth speaker, it's bought the party to the van.
O: Music's referred to as conversation killer.

James performing at 110 Above
You've been making your way around the festivals. I'm actually jealous, you're heading to Reading and Leeds if I'm not wrong.
All: Yes!

I'd love to go.
J: That's our next stop!

What's been your favourite festival to play so far?
All: Ooooo
R: For me, Rob of Marsicans (Mars-ish-ans).
J: Marsicans. (Mar-sick-ans)
R: Sorry, I get told off.

I always call you Marsicans (mars-ish-ans)
R: You're wrong
O: Incorrect
J: You're one of them
C: Wrong

R: I think that maybe today was my favourite of the summer. We had a wonderful time at Barn on the Farm. We opened up the main stage there and it was about 11:30 in the morning -  we didn't expect anyone to be there, at all, wandered out and there's a full crowd of people that were up for it.
J: It was Sunday morning as well - hangover day.

Pretty nice to see.
R: It was great.
J: This ones always exciting for it. It was kind of one of the first ones that booked us as well, kind of like took the punt on us. When you're starting out, you're not getting booked for bigger festivals and stuff like that.
R: And it helps you out! You can go to the festival bookers next year and if you have a few under your belt then it's more likely you can play some more.

Marsicans performing at 110 Above
So you've been releasing some great tracks over the past few months. can we expect an album anytime soon?
R: Good question.
J: Errrm, you can expect an album. Anytime soon is a very open question. So I'm going to say, you can expect an album but that could be in three years, four years...
*All laugh*
O: I wouldn't use the word soon!

Okay then, lets say three months.
All: no

Six months?
All: No

Year?
All: Maybe
R: We won't quantify it, with a time. However, we will tell you that we want to release an album but we want it to be as perfect as it can be. Timing's everything.
J: We don't want to rush it, we're happy doing what we're doing. We're building each time. So we're not like "Ooo, let's release an album". These days, it's not "the old days" of a few years ago where it's like you do this, you do this, you do this. Now it's release singles, singles, singles, and the whole release is wide open so. We do want to do an album because we're all fans of albums but we want to make sure that we're in the right place for it. You don't just want to throw it out there!
R: It's like your first child!

C: Just want to interject, I can see the horse. (Editor's note: yes, we were sat in a field)

Myself interviewing Marsicans at 110 Above
So what is your favourite album, all time?
J: Oo big shout!
R: Do we all have to pick one now?
C: Yours (James) is definitely and Artic Monkey's early album.
J: Mmmm, I don't know if it is.
C: Or is it a Beatles album?
J: Erm, I'm going to go with Abbey Road (The Beatles).

C: On the account that it was their debut album, Two Door Cinema Clubs, Tourist History. Just because, I can't think of my favourite album ever because that's too much pressure! But that album, every song on it is a banger - it's undeniably great.

R: This can't be my favourite album ever, but one of my go-to albums is Bon Iver second record so, his self titled. It's a proper bath of great sounds and songs. It just makes me feel really good so that for me - today, this minute.

O: I think I'll got for Radlands by Mystery Jets.
C: Course you would.
O: Because that's one of them that you go back to. It's like which albums do you just put on? I'll often listen to it in full. If we released an album would it be your favourite?

Haha, yeah I'd probably listen to it for a good few months.
R: That's good!
J: Only a few months?!

Cale performing at 110 Above
What's been your favourite song you've released so far?
R: For me, Too Good.
J: I think my favourite is always the most recent.
C:Because its freshest
J: Any song that's fresh it's my favourite.
C: Obviously you get used to playing songs and you play them for a long time, or they've been out there for a while. Your new ones are like your newborn. We've got about 12 kids out there on Spotify!
R: There's a lot of talk about kids.
C: Pop Ups for me and James.
O: I'd say Too Good. Too Goods like having another lease of life it seems.
R: It's just a good song.
O: People are reacting to it more live.
R: A lot of people online are saying it's 'our song'.
C: It's quite nice.

Oil performing at 110 Above
What inspired your new song, Pop Ups?
R: James will tell you.
J: I was legally (also illegally) watching a film and you know how you get pop ups on a webiste? It was that Brit Method one saying "wow look how much money I've made" kind of thing. It just made me laugh. Every time it came on, it made me laugh and I've talked about that pop up with certain people before, like "oh, do you ever get that one?". We'd just come home from rehearsal and Cale had written a great riff and it reminded me of people that just take you for a ride and go "Ooo, look at this over here, you could be doing this".

So... inspired by a pop up ad?
J: Yeah. It's as basic as that. Oh way to make all of that sound very simple.
*All laugh*
J: I thought I'd be all poetic! Basically it was about a pop up. There we are.

If you could support anyone at any venue, who would you support and where?
C: James has just bought a ticket to see Paul McCartney.
J: He's like my God.
C: So I can imagine James...
J: I'd say Paul McCartney gig in my house - just for me - and I would support him. I'd play to him and he's play to me. We'd have a great time.

You'd have a little serenade.
J: That would be lovely that.
R: Where do we fall into all of this?
J: You can do one, it's just me and Paul.
R: So rude.
J: It's just me and Paul - no one else.

R: I don't know for me, wait yeah I do know. I'd get the Maccabees back together and we'd go on some kind of tour with them and we'd play Ali Pali (Alexandra Palace).
J: Oh, that sounds pretty fun, I'll be there with ya!
R:You're not invited now mate.
J: Me and Paul have finished our dates!

O: I'd like to get Bombay Bicycle Club back together at Red Rocks in the US. Go there just for that gig! You'd be in a terrible position financially but we'll do it anyway.
C: I'd like to support Slipknot just to see everyone's faces when we start doing Too Good harmonies.

Rob performing at 110 Above
If you could collaborate with anyone on your own music, who would you choose?
R: Kanye West producing us, that's for me.
J: Tame Impala.
C: I wanna jump on that.
J: Okay, I'll change my mind! Rostam. Rostam Batmanglij, he was in Vampire Weekend, he was the guitarist who's left. He was the producer, he produced their first albums and he's just a very talented man who created beautiful sounds.

C: I'd like to work with Tame Impala.
J: Really?
O: You don't?
R: You don't do you?
C: I listened to the Ronson album, Mr Parker - our Kev (Tame Impala) - did a few songs on it with him and they're very funky.
J: That came out at Glastonbury - Daffodils.

Oli performing at 110 Above
Are there any smaller bands or artists that you think deserve more attention?
R: Indigo Velvet, Cassia.

I like Cassia.
R: Me too.
C: We had Vistas support us on our headline tour. they're a really cool bunch of guys.
J: That's a good three right there.
R: Fizzy Blood! That'll do.

James performing at 110 Above
What's your must-watch film right now?
R: Pirates of the Caribbean - they're all the same film so just name any one.
C: Harry Potter!
J: I watched Django Unchained the other day, that was great, really good.
O: I never watch films that often?
C: What was your German one-shot film?
O: Victoria. That's a good film.
C: It's all shot in one take.

I quite like films like that.
J: He likes to watch films and forgets what happens.
O: That's true.
C: "I watched a great film, I can't remember what happened..."

Interviewing Marsicans
What's your best pickup line?
R: Oh god.
J: "So, do you come here often?" That's mine. I would say that to these just out of the blue, why not?
C: Ohh a cheesy one would be: "Feel this (grabs t-shirt), that's boyfriend material". That's a classic one.
R: Mine's 'Do you like bands?', shouted out of a van window aggressively. That's not true.
O: I don't have pickup lines, I'm really bad at them things.


Where do you see yourselves in 3 years time? Headlining this festival I hope!
R: Working in a bank, depressed.
J: I'm going to go with... hopefully doing well!
C: Writing a second album.
O: In a recording studio surrounded by incense sticks and get all spiritual.


Thanks for chatting to me today!
All: That's alright, it was nice to meet you!

_____________________


Go and give Marsicans a follow on Instagram and Twitter!

I've also noticed it's Rob's birthday as I post this, so if you're reading this - Happy Birthday x

Until next time...





Have you read my last post?
110 Above: The Best Festival of the Year

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Comments

  1. You've got this great style of keepibg the life of a conversation blossom. This is totally good. #WeLoveYourWork

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