With four albums under their belts and a backing from the likes of Radio One and devoted fans, the band are back and ready to unleash their new tracks during their upcoming tour.
Following the bands recent support tour with friends Lower Than Atlantis, Figure 8 had the chance to speak to lead singer and guitarist, Liam Cromby about ‘ARK’, tour life and what he had been up to during the bands absence from the live scene.
The band is playing a few intimate shows at record stores before embarking on a UK tour. How many of the new tracks will you be playing for fans that come and buy your new CD?
Liam Cromby: I think we’re going to be playing quite a lot of the new stuff. We have been practicing loads since we came out of the studio last year. I think we will be doing about five or six new ones.
Is that just in the record shops or tour as well?
LC: I think it will be across the board.
What can fans expect from you during your tour and festival season, are you doing anything different during your live shows?
LC: We have been away for a while and because we have got a new album out, our live shows tend to differ a bit anyway. Not intentionally, it’s just more of a natural thing. Fans can expect something better and bigger.
What are you most looking forward to about this upcoming UK tour?
LC: I am most looking forward to just going back onto the road again. We have recently come back from tour with Lower Than Atlantis which was really fun. I am really excited for the album to come out on May 11th, that’s only a couple of weeks time. I think because we haven’t played a headline tour for a long time either it will be fun to play a load of new songs with a mixture of old ones as well.
Is there much difference between supporting your friends on tour and doing your own headline tour? Are there any restrictions or do you still get to do what you want to do?
LC: We still get to do what we want to do, there’s no one that tells us what we can’t do. However, on support tours we don’t have as much time to play so it just feels a bit more rushed. There are also some people at the gigs who don’t know our band so you want to make a good impression as well while still doing whatever you want to do. I guess the difference is that it is a bit more relaxed on a support tour because you haven’t got the pressures of being the headline act. They’re both as fun as each other though.
There has been a three year gap and finally your new album ‘ARK’ is due for release on May 11th. Is there a particular theme overall? Can you give much away as to what fans can expect to hear?
LC: I think the theme of the album is the way it was recorded. It is different to how we have done it before. We recorded it pretty much all live in one take for each track. Basically, the drums, bass and a lot of the guitars were all recorded at the same time in the same room. I guess that flows throughout the album. You can hear it quite prominently. We did that because a lot of music these days sounds really clean and pristine. There’s nothing wrong with that, we have no quarm against it but we just wanted to sound a bit different to what everyone else is doing.
It sounds better when it isn’t over produced anyway doesn’t it.
LC: I prefer it that way yes. I like there to be a bit of human in there. There has to be some flaws. We like a lot of old music as well like Led Zeppelin and James Taylor, it was all done live back then. Song wise, there’s quite a lot of variety with styles on there. You can hear old We Are the Ocean sounds and this new stuff we are coming out with. It is quite experimental the way we have gone into writing. Over the course of two years writing we came out wanting to just record the best songs for the album. I think because we recorded in a new way, we just started playing in a new way. I don’t know…it feels like something fresh for us.
You are a band known for exploring different musical avenues across each album. What were the main goals you wanted to achieve when you set out to record ‘ARK’?
LC: We went in there not knowing what was going to happen. We also wanted to push ourselves, do something that no one else is doing and surprise ourselves. I think that is more or less what has happened.
You recorded the album in summer 2014, due for initial release in March. What is the reason you postponed the release until May?
LC: We just signed to a new record deal just before Christmas. We were with Hassle Records and we still but we are with BMG now as well. They asked if we would mind pushing it back a bit just so that they could have a little bit more time to work on it. We figured if we had waited two years we could wait another two months.
You recently released new single ‘Holy Fire’, which was played first by Huw Stephens on Radio One. Can you tell us anything about the songs background and do you feel it is reprehensive of the album overall?
LC: I think it does sum up nicely what the album is about musically because it has a bit of everything in there. I was watching and reading ‘Into The Wild’ as I like those stories of adventure and stuff so the song kind of came from that really.
Are there any particular songs that were difficult to write lyrically?
LC: There was nothing more difficult than the others. It was quite fun writing the lyrics for ‘ARK’ and ‘Holy Fire’ and a lot of the songs on the album because we went through a different avenue where usually it would be quite self-confessional. It was all kind of a bit more abstract which is a lot of fun really. It is fun to be that creative with your music.
How did it go working with Peter Miles again? (Producer of Go Now and Live and Maybe Today,
Maybe Tomorrow.)
LC: It was really good. He has been with us for the last couple of albums so it made sense to go back with him. He was a big part of the album and recording process of ‘ARK.’
Quite a few British bands have broken up recently due to money issues and feeling they have gone as far as they can go as a band. Is that something that worries you in terms of We Are the Ocean’s future?
LC: Well there are a lot of bands and I think a lot of people have this image of them as always having money. That is really not the case. I mean, we are a band that have never really or in fact made any money out of anything but we do it because we love it. Luckily enough each album has pushed us forward into a new place so we have been able to survive it. It is a bit of a killer though, you see bands that can’t carry on anymore, and it is a bit sad.
You can see how many other bands have been influenced from other bands that have broken up now…
LC: I think that is the beauty of it. Those bands have left a legacy and they have inspired other bands to carry on. It is like they have passed on the torch.
How did it go recording a cover of Foo Fighters ‘Pretender’ for Rocksound’s 200th issue? Is it difficult to put your own twist on someone else’s song?
LC: It was quite fun to do that kind of stuff because it was more of an easier process, the song is already written. You just have to do it in your own style. If people enjoy it they do but if they don’t then fair enough. You can’t please everyone. It is just a bit of fun.
What can we expect from you in the future, are there any plans after touring?
LC: I think we will be doing some more touring at the end of the year and right now that is all I know about the future. I don’t know too much, I just know about the now. We have been away for a while so we don’t need any more breaks.
I bet it is a shock after having that much time away from touring.
LC: It is really strange actually. It is a weird feeling… a good feeling but it is strange going back into
it and getting used to playing shows again. It is like learning the trade again.
Is there anything else you want to talk about?
LC: I think I am alright, I can’t think of anything so I might just go and have some breakfast and a cup of tea in a minute.
Thanks for your time
LC: Thank you for the chat, it’s been a pleasure.
We Are the Oceans latest album ‘Ark’ is out now on Hassle/BMG.
The band are playing the following gigs this month.
May 16th Milton Keynes Crauford Arms
May 17th Cambridge The Portland
May 18 Liverpool Arts Club
May 19 Nottingham Red Room
May 20 Plymouth Underground
May 22 London Electric Ballroom
You can read the interview here where you will find other interesting music news http://figure8magazine.co.uk/default/we-are-the-ocean-interview/
