I had the catch up with the lovely London four-piece INHEAVEN before their gig at The Brudenell Social Club (02/09/17) in Leeds as they tour for their debut self-titled album. Over the bass sound checking along to the Simpson’s theme we got to chat about their new music video for ‘Stupid Thing’s, the many wonders of vinyl, their work with Nirvana photographer Steve Gullick and what reigns supreme Apple Music or Spotify.
So I know you guys have played at the Brudenell quite a lot know – whenever you’re in Leeds.
CHLOE: I think we were trying to work it out, I think it’s like the sixth time!
Why do you like the venue so much?
JAMES: It’s like a home away from home isn’t it. You just get treated really well and looked after.
CHLOE: And they feed you, the stage is great. It’s just a really great venue. It’s probably our favourite on the whole set.
What so have they provided all those snacks for you?
JAMES: Yeah! And we get dinner.
CHLOE: And we get dinner!
Have you been able to explore Leeds at all since you’ve got here? Or have you been a bit rushed?
JAMES: Well, we’ve been to Leeds quite a few times now so we’ve seen quite a lot of it. But not today now.
CHLOE: Today we were at Radio Yorkshire so we saw that part of town never been there before and then yeah then back here.
I know you guys met at a gig all in different bands so you have all always been into music but has there ever been for you a specific band or gig you ever went to when you were little and you were like ‘wow I need to do music!’?
JAMES: Yeah mines embarrassing though, it’s the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I went to see them and I was like blown away but I was like 15 you’re allowed to be blown away by the Red Hot Chili Peppers when you’re 15.
JOE: Yeah definitely!
ME: There’s definitely cringier bands than that don’t worry
JOE: The first alternative band I went to see was Biffy Clyro and they were playing a tiny little venue in my hometown and they just blew me away. It just completely change how I looked at music as a whole. So for me that we quite defining.
JAMES: Jake?
JAKE: Defining moments hmm, I’m not sure what’s yours Chloe?
CHLOE: I think probably watching you, know like re-runs of Top of the Pops? I think I saw Suzi Quatro on there when I was younger and she plays bass, wearing all leather, I thought she was really cool. That was probably the moment where I thought ‘ah I could find my way into something like that’.
JOE: I’m not sure I might have to pass on that one.
You guys have been releasing music for a while now, has it been since 2015? So has releasing an album always been something you wanted to do?
CHLOE: Yes!
JAMES: Yeah we had the album ready for ages as well so we have been gagging to release it for a long time. It’s more about finding, as a band, a label, you’ve got to do it right don’t you? If you just plop it on Spotify no one is gonna hear it are they. You’ve got to tour, let people know who are you and that takes a few years, especially for a new band.
CHLOE: Yeah I just think we needed to do a lot of gigs as James said we had the record ready for quite a long time but yeah it’s about making sure there’s enough people that knew who we were before we put it out.
So how long has the record been prepared for then?
JAMES: Well, the songs a lot of them were written in like 2014/2015. We recorded the album at the end of 2015. And then we just kinda like been releasing loads of single and mixing different parts of it and things like that. It’s kinda been a long dragged out tiring process!
So have any of the songs change dramatically since when you first recorded them in 2015?
JAMES: I think some of the newer ones, like we have brought in ‘Treats’ and ‘Vultures’ and ‘World on Fire’, they were added a bit later to the album.
CHLOE: Yeah they came in later in like 2016.
JAMES: So yeah I guess we got heavier during that period. And that’s probably just from playing live I think, working out what people like and what they want.
CHLOE: Yeah so from the reaction from the gigs, probably especially in Birmingham actually!
JAMES: Birmingham’s were crazy!
CHLOE: Made us wanna have heavier songs that people can go crazy to.
Yeah I was gonna say, because on the album you’ve got a mix of more slow, pretty songs and more crazier ones. What style do you prefer doing live?
JAMES: Live I think crazier ones. But I think to listen to, I’ve always loved the quiet songs on an album.
CHLOE: I think all of our favourite songs from the album are the quiet ones.
JAMES: I love those songs that you can fall asleep to.
CHLOE: In a good way.
JAMES: Yeah when you can just lie in bed and listen to it, quiet songs are good.
CHLOE: But I think, live I enjoy playing the heavier ones more because the quieter ones we have only just started playing on this tour and it feels a lot more exposing I guess?
JAMES: It’s been really nice because we usually get up there and play like 10 really heavy fast songs and for this tour we’ve been playing some quiet ones and it’s like you get a lot of warmth from the crowd from being a bit more…
CHLOE: I think everyone needs a release as well, so its not like ‘AAAAH’ the whole time!
JAMES: Yeah I think it’s quite a nice little break you know. They’re gone down really well.
CHLOE: Hopefully not go to the bar!
JAMES: Yeah no one has on this tour!
In your album, the debut obviously, you talk quite a lot about love and politics as well. Are these things you see as being interlinked?
JAMES: Yeah, was did that guy in Germany say? What did he say? The best songs are about love and freedom?
EVERYONE: Yeah!
JAMES: And I think that’s kinda true. I think political songs can be quite, what’s the word, making you feel free really. They’re quite empowering, that’s what I’m trying to say. Yeah, I think so. And we are big fans of Smashing Pumpkins and stuff and to have the light and shade within an album I think is really important, as opposed to like 12 songs that sound a bit like the same songs. You know sometimes a band has like 3 singles then the rest of the songs on the album sounds like not as good versions of those singles? We didn’t want to be that, we wanted every song to be it’s own little world.
CHLOE: And I was gonna say what else do young people in this country have to think about at the moment other politics and being in love. They are the most important things, as a young person.
Yeah that links on to what I was gonna say next – ‘World on Fire’ I’m guessing is about Trump right?
CHLOE: Yeah, a bit.
JAMES: It’s supposed to be a breakdown of male ego running the world sort of thing and crashing it down with fire.
Aswell with you guys, it’s pretty sick that you’ve directed all your own music videos and you’ve made zines. So for you guys, it is important to control all your art and visuals yourselves?
JAMES: Yeah, I think we are quite hard to please, so whenever we get anyone else to do the artwork…
CHLOE: Well we never got anyone else to do it but I think we think in our heads we think we won’t like it.
JAMES: We’ve had some treatments and stuff haven’t we before?
CHLOE: I don’t remember.
JAMES: I’m not gonna say who it was, but yeah we’ve had treatments and we didn’t like them. So we’ve just always wound up doing everything ourselves. And also at the beginning we didn’t have anyone else; we didn’t have a label or a manager so we weren’t doing it all ourselves and that just carried on once we got all those other things. I think its how you stand out as a band if you do everything yourself.
ME: I bet its more rewarding as well, doing well and knowing its all your work, it’s just been you the whole time.
JAMES: Yeah!
Treats I think was one of the first tracks I ever heard by you guys, it come up on my Spotify or something.
JAMES: Ah no way!
The music video is quite Nirvana-y – were they a big influence for you guys?
CHLOE: Yeah I think, well that video James said he wanted fire, cheerleaders and what was the other thing? Well something else.
JAMES: We were kinda going for Marilyn Manson ‘Fight Song’ with you know the flames and the Americana thing. And then we ended up getting Steve Gullick who used to take photos of Nirvana and he was the cameraman on the shoot and I just think he bought in that super Nirvana element into the video.
CHLOE: As he did take all their photos.
JAMES: Yeah. And them, erm yeah, and also Carrie the horror film you love…
CHLOE: Yeah that’s the end.
JAMES: Chloe’s favourite film. It’s kinda big melting pot of all those influences.
So what other influences have you guys had, in terms of bands? I’m guessing it’s quite 90s.
JAMES: Yeah. Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Vaselines. A little bit of Led Zep as well, a bit of the 70s rock in there. Black Sabbath.
CHLOE: Pretty much all good bands!
JAMES: Sonic Youth.
Your current single is ‘Stupid Things’ – what made you guys pick that as your new single?
CHLOE: I think we’ve been wanting to put out a…
JAMES: We wanted to put out a softer song for ages, we’ve had so many heavier, angrier ones we just wanted to put out a more sentimental tune and that felt like the best one. I think it just shows a different side to us. And it’s kinda inspired by John Hughes’ movies.
CHLOE: And the video is coming out in 2 days!
Yeah I was gonna ask if you guys have a video for that coming out! Can you give me any spoilers?
CHLOE: It’s lots and lots of different clips put together. It should be, well the idea was to how the song makes you feel emotionally, to try and convey that through images. And I think we succeeded. So I hope people like it.
Is it hard for you guys to pick the singles, do you ever disagree on what to chose?
CHLOE: Now we’ve put out so many there’s only a few left on the record!
JAMES: Yeah we just keep bring out songs, we don’t even care! You get to the point where you have released so much music. I remember the first time we released ‘Regeneration’, I was just so nervous because I was like ‘oh my god people are gonna be judging us!’ and after like the 6th single you literally have no worries about releasing things anymore.
CHLOE: You’re just like if people like it great.
JAMES: I think we are proud of every single song on the album so we kinda would release any song and not be worried about it.
JOE: Yeah I think any of the tracks on the album could be a single.
ME: You could just pick them out of a hat!
JAMES: Yeah exactly!
Aswell with ‘Regeneration’ it’s sick how you got Julian Casablancas’ attention! Do you still have any relationship or contact with him?
JAMES: It was an email relationship, we never actually met him.
ME: Still something though!
CHLOE: What’s that Britney song? ‘Email My Heart’?
JAMES: Internet fan-club. Was it pen-friend?
CHLOE: Pen pal.
JAMES: Pay pal!
What made you guys pick the name INHEAVEN?
JAMES: It’s from Eraserhead.
CHLOE: Yeah, the David Lynch film. I don’t know if you know but for the first few months of our existence we were called Blossom before there was an unknown band from Stockport who were about to become massive so yeah we decided to change our name. We were like ‘errr what should we do?’ and it was just one that become obvious. And the fact that no one had that name, it’s really hard to find band names that haven’t been taken!
JAMES: Yeah, band names, it was a nightmare and when we finally thought of INHEAVEN it was just like ‘eurgh finally!’ like you never have to think about it again, you get what I mean. Unless you’re starting a new band!
CHLOE: The first few months I was like ‘it feels weird, it feels weird’ but now I couldn’t imagine being called anything else.
Did you have any other potential names?
JAMES: Oh some terrible names. Wonder but then there was Oh Wonder.
CHLOE: I did not like that one!
JAMES: And then there was A Paler Shade of White, remember that? After that famous 60s song. What was the other one? Team Crush!
CHLOE: There’s were all James’ ideas, none of these were mine! I’m not putting my name by any of them!
JAMES: But yeah they were all terrible so.
You stuck with a good one! I thoughts its sick that you guys have even released your music on cassette. So what are your favourite ways of listening to music yourselves?
EVERYONE: Vinyl.
CHLOE: There’s nothing better than to put on a record at home but…
JAMES: You know what, there’s nothing better than putting on a new record, wacking up your laptop speakers and just listening to that lovely tinny sound! I’m joking that’s like the worst way. I find that I do that so much cause its quick and easy but it sounds so bad.
JOE: It’s quite a fun experience though putting a record on…
CHLOE: You have to change the side.
JOE: Yeah exactly, and putting the needle on you know.
ME: You’ve literally got to protect it as well you can’t let it get scratched.
JAMES: Yeah! It’s annoying when you’ve only got 6 songs though and that always drives me crazy thinking ‘oh bloody hell gotta go and turn it over’. But you can stack them can’t you?
CHLOE: Yeah, not on our one though. My dad said the other day he had about 50 records, I don’t know if they were moving or had just put them in the back of the car, and they melted.
JAMES: Really? Shit.
CHLOE: You can’t have them in direct sunlight. They were in a box in the back of the car and they all warped, the plastic had gone all bent.
ME: That’s so sad!
CHLOE: I know!
JOE: Also, you can actually make cool… At my house we have these old records that weren’t worth anything and if you microwave…
CHLOE: You melt them?
JOE: Yeah and if you melt them down in the microwave you can make them into bowls to put things in like ornaments and stuff.
JAMES: What like out of vinyl?
JOE: Yeah! It’s really cool. They melt like that, round, and do this, so they’re like containers.
JAMES: Oh I see now!
JOE: Yeah, so if you have one on your dining room table or something you can put your keys in it or something or whatever.
CHLOE: So basically if no-one buys the album we will turn them into gold and start an Etsy business!
JOE: Yeah!
I remember when we had to do that at school, melt stuff like that! So what have you guys been listening to on tour? Any bands in particular?
JAMES: The new Wolf Alice album, the new Alvvays album and erm…
CHLOE: I listened to the new Miley Cyrus album, but I didn’t like it but I did download it.
JAMES: What else? Is that is?
CHLOE: Fazerdaze. I listened to the new Japanese Breakfast record, also very good.
ME: Loads of good stuff has come out.
CHLOE: Yeah there’s a lot of new stuff.
JAMES: LCD Soundsystem.
CHLOE: Oh yeah that record is really good as well.
JAMES: There’s loads of good stuff out.
JOE: The Horrors new record.
JAMES: Oh yeah The Horrors as well!
ME: You’ve toured at a good time!
JAMES: Yeah there’s lots of good albums.
CHLOE: And I’ve just kinda had Apple Music for ages and I guess weren’t many good records out…
JAMES: There were no new albums coming out were there.
CHLOE: So I was just listening to the same old crap everyday and now I’ve fell back in love with it, got my headphones and my all new albums.
I was gonna say are you guys more Apple Music or Spotify?
CHLOE: Well…
JAKE: We’ve got free Apple Music.
JOE: I get free Apple Music with EE.
JAMES: Don’t get him started on this! But it’s not very good, it’s not very good.
CHLOE: Spotify is probably better.
JOE: Yeah for playlists and things like that you know.
CHLOE: I think Spotify is probably better on a laptop but if you have an iPhone Apple Music is probably better.
ME: Spotify is just so good for finding bands.
JOE: Yeah, exactly its better for finding bands.
CHLOE: If you know what you want Apple Music just looks nicer.
Obviously your debut has only just come out but will you be releasing anymore new music?
JAMES: We’re gonna be releasing a live EP at the end of the year, and then hopefully start releasing new material next year probably.
Where are you going to be recording the live album?
JAMES: At Scala, our hometown show.
Is that going to be the biggest show you’ve done headlining?
JAMES: Yeah headlining its gonna be our biggest one!
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