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‘I can’t even put it into words’:
Blondes talk to us about their upcoming debut at Reading and Leeds Festival.
The somewhat meteoric rise of Nottingham indie darlings Blondes has been spectacular to watch. We first reviewed the band upon the release of the video for their breakthrough hit Coming of Age. Since then, we’ve been able to interview the band about their rise and also review their first release since, Minimum Wage. Now, the four boys from the University of Nottingham will be performing on the Festival Republic stage at Reading and Leeds festivals this year. Ahead of this momentous occasion for the band, we caught up again with the band’s guitarist and songwriter, Alex Davison.
So, it’s been a while since we last spoke, how has life been treating you guys? We hope you finally managed to get to the pub.
We did actually! Quite a few times! Things have been great for us recently, more than anything we are immensely grateful to see the music industry getting back up and running again. For us that has meant playing our first show back in support of Stereophonics. It was nuts, we had never really expected our live return post-restrictions to be something of that scale. Despite that, getting back up on stage really did feel like we were back where we belonged.
Did you grow up going to Reading or Leeds festival? If so, how did they shape your music, and what was your favourite band that you saw there?
I’ve been to Reading festival loads. I went first when I was 15 for the day to see Foo Fighters, then the following year to celebrate getting my GSCE results. That year I managed to see Green Day play their breakthrough record Dookie front to back. 16-year-old me nearly passed out from excitement. Early Green Day had been such a huge influence on me growing up; their DIY approach and rebellious attitude got me into covering their songs as a teenager. I also had the chance to see Red Hot Chili Peppers, The 1975 and Two Door Cinema Club across the years, all of whom were immense.
How excited are you to now be playing Reading and Leeds festival?
I can’t even put it into words. It’s not just the calibre of the festival that makes it so incredible, but growing up watching my favourite bands play there, and now being given the opportunity to share one of the same stages makes it such a surreal and amazing opportunity for us. I’m not sure how much I can say but the slot we’ve been given makes it even more exciting for us.
What can people expect from your set at the festival?
A hell of a good time, that’s for sure. Come along with your best mates and a pint in hand and we’ll get you singing your heart out. Something that has resonated with so many people has clearly been the cinematic grandeur of our songs, so let’s get together and make this one feel like a movie moment.
What have you learned from recent live performances that you can take with you into such a momentous occasion?
So far since the end of restrictions we’ve only played the one show with Stereophonics but the big impression that we’ve got is that everyone is just desperate to get out and have a good time again. So, for us as artists, our job is to make sure we can give everyone that opportunity. It might be an intimidating occasion if you think about it too much, but really all we’ve got to do is walk out there with a big smile and play some tunes that everyone can sing and dance along to. It’s always gonna be about having fun. And that’s a relief since that’s what we’re best at!
Why would you say people should come and see you guys over any other band?
Our tickets will get more expensive once we’re the biggest band in the world. Nah, I’m kidding. All I can say is that we’re gonna put our everything into this show, and we’ll make damn sure that it's a memorable one. It’s gonna be a huge one for everyone so come and celebrate being back at festivals with us. And if you come along wearing a Blondes tee we’ll buy you a pint ...
Better get your Blondes tees off the website ASAP if you’re going to head down to see them over that August weekend. We would highly recommend it; Blondes have to be one of the best up and coming bands in the UK indie scene. There’s a buzz around them for good reason. They are bound to be main stage regulars in a few years, and you’re guaranteed to have a joyous experience at their set. If not, we’ll buy you that pint ourselves.
Catch Blondes on the Festival Republic Stage on 27th August 2021 at 12:00pm (Leeds) or Sunday 29th August at 14:10 (Reading)
Article By Matthew Codd
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