Page 38 - Black Velvet Issue 101

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sometimes the lyrics might not always be accepting of everyone and everything that when I'm not, I get to go home to that. We
happy but the music is." they are, and I'm completely happy with the spend a lot of time in crazy, loud cities, tour-
And these songs have certainly forged a way it's gone. I love the fact that everyone ing all around and then when I go home it's
connection with fans of the band. It's some- loves everyone for who and how they are. It completely different."
thing the pair are clearly delighted to have is probably still there a little bit, but as you Stevie adds, "We get the best of both
achieved and when asked if this is the case grow up you stop caring, the whole point is worlds because we get time away from
their smiles become even broader as they re- everyone is accepted." home. When we are away it makes you ap-
flect on how their talents have been em- And this is something they believe they preciate what you have back home much
braced by others. So eager to share his can see not just at a Bad Touch gig but also more and we're very lucky, we get to experi-
thoughts, Seeks actually interrupts the lead throughout music as a whole. "The best ence city life when we are out playing with
singer to tell us, "Certainly from friends and thing is when you do a festival," Seeks tells the band and country life when we come
family, the close-knit people we have. The us. "Not just a mainstream festival or a rock back home."
song 'Bury Me', a lot of people have spoken one, we've done shows which have been in Having mentioned his touching Face-
about that one, even though we don't play it the middle of a town and there are all kinds book performance dedicated to people hav-
live much. That's quite a bold statement, I of music being played and after the show ing a tough day we also ask Stevie if he has
think, in that song. One of the best things you get all sorts of people, old people who his own personal ways of handling times like
about the new album is there doesn't seem are into jazz maybe and young people who those. After a short pause he tells us with a
to be a clear favourite. Everyone I speak to are into whatever is number one in the big grin, "Go down the pub! I'm a fairly so-
has a different favourite song and I like that." charts at the minute and they come up and ciable bloke. I like to see my friends and
Stevie adds, "Every now and again you'll
get someone come up to you and shake your
hand because a song has hit them or really
resonates with them and, as a musician, I
mean, we are just five guys from a little place
in Norfolk, so to have someone say that to
you, you have no idea what that means to all
of us, to think we actually matter to some-
body. It's a really lovely feeling, it's great."
But aside from helping others, some-
times their own songs even hit a spot with
themselves – at a later date.
Seeks tells Black Velvet, "It's about tim-
ing sometimes. We have had songs which
we might not have played for years and your
feelings change and the meaning behind it
changes for yourself."
Clearly on the same page, Stevie contin-
ues, "You can have something really naff
happen in your life and all of a sudden a
song from years ago means something dif-
ferent in that situation and that is a big help
and that has definitely happened."

hen touring the UK, the band get
Wtheir fair share of head turns. Their
song 'Dressed To Kill' includes the lyric ‘I got
feathers in my hair like I just don't care what
anybody thinks of me’. Seeks tells Black Vel-
vet, "The second half of the song in particu-
lar is more about the band as a whole,
because, doing what you do, a typical day in
the life of the band, we'll turn up at the
venue, roll in, do our soundcheck and then
find the nearest Wetherspoons because of
the cheap food and drink and we walk in and
it's like a scene out of a Western movie. You
walk in through the door and it feels like
everyone is turning around to stare at you
and we're like ‘Have you never seen a guy
with long hair before?’ You are who you are,
but you do get funny looks all the time.
"But it's not really negative. I mean, back
when we were teenagers we might have got say they thought we were amazing." hang out, I'm very fortunate to not only have
the odd comment from someone to tell us to "We're ultimately all one big family, aren't the guys in the band who look after me, but
go and get our hair cut. There was one time we? That's what it's all about," Stevie adds. I also have a very strong family who love
in Basildon where we didn't stay in the pub everything we do and support me very well
we were in for very long, but nowadays you Belong' is a song written by Seeks so hanging out with them is more than
might get the odd person look but no-one 'Iabout the place where he grew up, enough for me."
says anything anymore. People don't cause which includes the mention of a winding
trouble or anything, the most likely thing is road that helps to calm his heart. He says he aving briefly mentioned 'Bury Me',
you'll get some old geezer come up and start loves being out in the countryside. "I like to Hthe concluding track of the album,
chatting to you simply because you look a go for a walk", Seeks tells us. "The place it's for a band which prides itself on its feel good
little different or ask if we're in a band. We've written about is a tiny little village in the mid- nature, it is perhaps a somewhat surprising
never been in a confrontation or trouble be- dle of nowhere. There is a lot of green and a choice of album closer, as while it is without
cause of the way we look." lot of fields and I like to go out there and do question one of the highlights of 'Shake A
Offering a small spin on things, Stevie that kind of thing, but that song in particular Leg', it is also one of the most subdued, and
tells us, "And it's part of why we dress like is very real. None of it is made up; it's gen- even sober track, on the record as Stevie
we do, because we want people to turn uine. sings about the ways people would like to be
round and notice. But things have changed "I love where I come from and that is a celebrated when they are no longer around.
now, and now the social norm is to be very great benefit from doing all of this, because The lead singer explains, "We always say
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