EUROPEAN INVASION

_______ LEAD SINGER JONNY HAMMOND TALKS ABOUT THEIR UPCOMING EUROPEAN TOUR

Q. THIS IS YOUR FIRST TOUR THAT WILL BE OUTSIDE OF THE UK, ARE YOU EXCITED?

A. VERY, IT IS GREAT PLAYING IN FRONT OF OUR HOME CROWD IN THE UK BUT WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF FANS IN OTHER COUNTRIES WHO WOULD LOVE TO SEE US PLAY, WE WANT TO PLEASE ALL OF OUR FANS. WE START THE TOUR IN THE UK SO THAT IS GOING TO GET US PUMPED UP AND EXCITED TO TAKE OUR MUSIC ACROSS EUROPE.

Q. IT WAS A YEAR AGO WHEN YOU PERFORMED YOUR FIRST UK TOUR, DID YOU EXPECT THINGS TO MOVE THIS FAST?

A. IT’S NOT THAT I DIDN’T EXPECT IT, WE HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN AND THE FACT THAT IT HAS HAPPENED SO QUICKLY SHOWS THAT HARD WORK PAYS OFF, NOBODY HAD HEARD OF US A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND NOW WE ARE GOING ON TOUR IN EUROPE, ITS OVERWHELMING.

Q. YOU CERTAINLY HAVE SURPRISED US ALL, IT’S ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE A BAND BREAK THROUGH INTO THE LIMELIGHT.

A. I THINK IT’S THE WAY THAT IT HAPPENS, YOU SPEND ALL OF YEAR TEENAGE YEARS MAKING MUSIC, PLAYING IN PUBS HOPING THAT SOMEONE IS GONNA GIVE YOU A CHANCE.

Q. WHEN WOULD YOU SAY YOU GOT THAT CHANCE AND KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO BECOME BIG?

A. WE MADE AN EP IN 2010, THE WORD GOT OUT AND IT ENDED UP GETTING INTO THE TOP TEN ON THE ALTERNATIVE iTUNES CHART, THAT GOT US SOME ATTENTION AND KICKSTARTED US INTO MAKING AN ALBUM, WE HAD HELP FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE AND THEY SUPPORTED US, THE ALBUM WAS A SUCCESS AND THAT TURNED INTO OUR FIRST UK TOUR. I THINK OUR EP GETTING INTO THE TOP 10 WAS THE MOMENT WE REALISED PEOPLE LIKE OUR MUSIC ENOUGH TO BUY IT AND SUPPORT US, THAT IS WHEN I HAD A FEELING WE COULD MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF THIS.

Q. GOING ON TOUR CAN TAKE A LOT OUT OF SOMEONE, IT MUST HELP THAT YOU ARE DOING IT WITH YOUR BANDMATES

A. BEING AWAY FROM HOME FOR SO LONG CAN GET TO YOU SOMETIMES, BUT I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SOMEONE WHO IS INTERESTED IN TRAVELLING SO I GUESS GOING ON A EUROPEAN TOUR TO PERFORM KILLS TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE. I FORMED THE BAND WITH FRIENDS I KNEW SINCE SCHOOL SO WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CLOSE, ALTHOUGH BEING WITH THEM EVERY DAY CAN GET QUITE ANNOYING, WE ARE LIKE BROTHERS. WE JUST NEED TO FORGET ABOUT HOME FOR A WHILE AND FOCUS ON OUR MUSIC AND HELP EACHOTHER THROUGH EVERYTHING, BEING AWAY FOR SO LONG JUST MAKES IT THAT BIT BETTER WHEN WE ACTUALLY GET TO SEE OUR FAMILIES.

Q. IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR PLACE YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO PERFORMING AT DURING THE TOUR?

A. ON OUR FIRST UK TOUR WE NEVER PERFORMED IN NEWCASTLE, WE ARE OPENING THERE THIS TIME ROUND SO THAT IS VERY EXCITING BECAUSE IT IS MY HOMETOWN, THE O2 HAS A GREAT ATMOSPHERE AND I KNOW IT IS GOING TO ROCK. AS FAR AS EUROPE GOES I DON’T KNOW, I’M JUST EXCITED TO SEE EVERY ONE OF OUR FANS FROM EUROPE AND I CAN’T WAIT TO PERFORM FOR THEM.

Q. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR AFTER THIS TOUR?

A. CONTINUE DOING WHAT WE DO BEST, WE JUST WANT TO FOCUS ON THE TOUR AT THE MINUTE BUT WE CAN NOT WAIT TO GET BACK INTO THE RECORDING STUDIO AND MAKE MORE MUSIC. I THINK THERE IS GOING TO BE A SHORT PERIOD WHERE WE CHILL AND SPEND TIME WITH OUR FAMILIES BECAUSE WE WILL NOT HAVE SEEN THEM FOR A FEW MONTHS BUT AFTER THAT WE ARE GONNA GET STRAIGHT INTO OUR SECOND ALBUM!

Q. WELL WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU COME UP WITH NEXT! THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING WITH US!

A. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME!