Every Monday we will be bringing you interviews with UK or Ireland artists for Independent Music Monday. Recently we caught up with David from Newcastle upon Tyne based band FAST BLOOD to find out more…
Who is in the band, how did you meet, where are you from and how did you come up with the name?
FAST BLOOD consists of David Hillier (guitars), Kris Brunsden (bass), Abigail Barlow (vocals and lyrics), and Dave Allen (drums). We are based in Newcastle Upon Tyne and, all know each-other through attending DIY gigs in Yorkshire and the North-East England.
We spent ages trying to think of a band name and ended up settling on FAST BLOOD. A song by one of Dave H’s favourite bands, FRIGHTENED RABBIT.
We formed in 2018, and played our first gig in April 2019, our friends MARTHA kindly invited us to open for them at their album launch for ‘Love Keeps Kicking’. Our first batch of songs were released digitally in March 2020, in the form of a four-song EP. Our original drummer at the time, Scott Jeffrey, was still in the band, but soon after decided to leave to concentrate on his other band, PAVE THE JUNGLE.
We decided we wanted to keep going and recruited my mate Dave Allen – a drummer with great punk rock lineage, through time served played in celebrated hardcore bands like VOORHEES and THE HORROR. Davey brought a more aggressive, hardcore punk-leaning sound to the band, which set the precedent for our songwriting going forward. Dave A, and bass player, Kris Brunsden provide an undeniably water-tight foundation which holds everything together. They are the glue of the band.
Who were your musical influences when you were growing up and who are your influences now?
A collective response to this question:
Then: Nirvana, Green Day, Soundgarden, Sepultura, Metallica, Fleetwood Mac, Black Flag, Descendents
Now: White Lung, Mannequin Pussy, Pretty Girls Makes Graves, Hot Snakes, Drive Like Jehu, Cloud Nothings.
How would you describe your sound?
FAST BLOOD’s sound comprises fast-paced, energetic punk rock with a nod to 90’s midwestern indie/emo, hardcore, and garage punk. Abi’s soaring vocals are uplifting, and infectious as she bellows honest, authentic, self-examining lyrics in her proud North-East accent.
What is your latest release called and what was the influence behind it?
Our new release is called ‘Sunny Blunts’. This is our debut album.
I wrote a bunch of songs on guitar in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, to distract myself, and keep sane! FAST BLOOD’s EP had just come out in February 2020, and we all know what happened next – a momentum killer to say the least. I had decided I wanted to write an album anyway, so I saw it an opportunity to create something positive at home with what resources I had. It also afforded me the time and space to experiment a bit. I wanted to put together a bunch of songs that sound quite different from one-another sonically, but still recognisable as a product of the same band.
The title ‘Sunny Blunts’ is the name of a housing estate where Abi grew up. Abs writes her lyrics as a therapeutic exercise – a vehicle for her to vent and shout about her frustrations. We feel the songs on ‘Sunny Blunts’ are varied and diverse, and Abi’s lyrics are no different. Throughout the album, she focuses on a range of different topics, from the personal – such as, working through past experiences, to struggling with mental health difficulties – to the overtly political – like gender-based double standards, or feeling powerless and exhausted living in a modern world on the decline. Abi’s influences, with regards to her singing style and her lyrics are very eclectic and include the likes of: Bill Stevenson (DESCENDENTS), Marisa Debice (MANNEQUIN PUSSY), Jason Beebout (SAMIAM) and STEVIE NICKS. Abi cites the works of MAE MARTIN as hugely inspirational in terms of their honest and open approach to writing.
What’s your local music scene like?
We love it here! We are very lucky to live in the North-East, an area with such rich history and cultural diversity – from Venom to Lindesfarne! There are so many amazing bands and artists here, writing some incredible eclectic music in so many genres and styles. Some of our favourite current local bands include IRKED, ONLOOKER, WEEKEND FAITHFUL, PIT PONY, FASHION TIPS, WILD SPELKS, BENEFITS, BAKER ISLAND, ZILCH PATROL, BIGFATBIG and NATHY SG. Go listen to all of them!
There are some amazing venues here too. One we’d like to mention is THE LUBBER FIEND, an amazing DIY venue in Newcastle city centre, which encapsulates the same DIY punk values and ethics as the 1 IN 12 Club in Bradford, or THE LUGHOLE in Sheffield. Please consider visiting them if you haven’t already. They are more than worthy of your support.
What do you have planned for the next 12 months?
We’re working on the final phases of the vinyl release for the record and are arranging a little tour in July with our friends from London, HONEY JOY.
Aside from all this, we plan to start writing some new music ASAP, and will be looking to visit some new towns and cities in the UK we haven’t managed to get to yet. Please drop us an email, or DM on Instagram, if you would like to book us!
Is there anyone you’d love to collaborate with?
I’m not sure we’re the kind of band that would lend itself to musical collaboration, but it might be cool if some of our friends from other bands may be into sharing some vocals. I could imagine Will from ONLOOKER would sound amazing on some of our stuff, and I really like the idea of him trading lines with Abi. That would be really cool. Musical collaboration aside, we’re considering reaching out to mates’ bands to see if anyone might fancy doing a split release. The aforementioned ONLOOKER would be ace, but we’d be open to working with any number of bands, providing that the vibe is right!
Any funny stories surrounding your live performances?
We played an all-dayer at the (aforementioned) Lubber Fiend last year. We were like the fourth band on or something. During the changeover, we were setting up our gear on stage, and I started panicking as I couldn’t find my guitar. Turns out that it had been left on the pavement outside the venue, in the pouring in rain for over two hours! I was fucking lucky it wasn’t stolen. The case doesn’t even have a lock on it! There was also the time I left my guitar on a National Express coach, but that’s another story…
Oh! There was one time we were on stage and this bloke was handing Abi paper roses made from napkins. Who says romance is dead!?
What is the one thing that you want readers to know about you?
We’re really appreciative of the positive attention we’ve been getting of late. A lot of bands try to play it cool, but we’ve been blown away by the glut of great reviews and praise we’ve had so far this year. Most of this band are over 40 now, and we have been doing this shit for a very long time. It also took a long time to get the band to where it is, with a lot of toil and graft along the way. What we love about our band is that we haven’t just come together musically, we are a super tight unit, and have all become absolute bezzie mates, despite not knowing each other so well (or at all) before FAST BLOOD. So, it’s such a buzz that we’ve pulled the album together, and we’re now starting to see some of the benefits of all that hard work come to fruition.
Oh, also – Abi would like readers to know that the reason she wears sunglasses on stage, as she feels it helps her sing in front of people, as she is very shy – it’s not because she is a wanker.
Upcoming live dates and performances
Saturday 8th June – MIDDLESBROUGH – Chapel – All-dayer, w/ Onlooker, Weekend Faithful, Misfortune Cookie, and more.
You can find out more about FAST BLOOD via Apple Music, Bandcamp, Facebook, Instagram, Linktree, SoundCloud, Spotify, YouTube (channel) or YouTube Music.
You can also read my interview with them about their album “Sunny Blunts” here.
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