Page 23 - Black Velvet Rock Magazine Issue 102

BV102 pg22-23 Like Giants_BV102 pg23 02/10/2019 19:44 Page 2

BlackVelvetMagazine.Com - 23
STress Relievers
STress Relievers

t’s not often that a band that have only been together for 2-3 months gets the chance
Ito play a show on the main stage at O2 Academy Birmingham – but Midlands-based
pop-punkers Like Giants won that chance when they entered the Fireball Fuelling The
Fire local band opener competition. But Like Giants is a long time in the making, with
the members being friends and mates in previous bands for years, and their dedication
to their craft made them an easy choice as winners.

eing on that stage, it’s a dream come to them. any tension I’ll put it down on paper. I’ll create a
“Btrue straightaway,” says vocalist “At the time that I started penning it, one of story. I like to express what I’m feeling. I don’t
Daniel Kai – who goes by just Kai. “We’ve been us in particular was having a very, very, very, have any thoughts back, any negativity. It’s just
to so many shows there, watching Bowling For very bad time, to the point where it almost took all out, like stress relief... I’ve been cheated on
Soup and obviously Less Than Jake them- their lives, and it was at that point where we in the past and building that up, that killed. So I
selves, and it’s always been one of those bucket needed an outlet. Within this industry, we have found that writing lyrics, I’m getting my emotions
list venues for us.” people DMing us, especially teenagers, with the and thoughts out at that time.”
Kai says he found out they’d won the com- struggles that they go through, their parents not
petition to open up the Fireball Fuelling The Fire understanding them, or breakups that they’re nother important song on their ‘Sover-
tour in Birmingham while he was away at having, because they’re at such a vulnerable Aeign’ EP is ‘Beauty Queen’, which Kai
FriendsFest in Manchester. “As soon as I got age of growing up. The depression and anxiety says is about one of their fans who used to get
that email through, yeah, it was just literally starts getting overwhelming for them, so we get bullied a lot in school. “She was getting bullied
mind-blowing. We’ve only been a band for about messages through saying ‘I’m going to hurt my- by a unit of people who obviously, they watch
2-3 months now, so for us to play such a big self, I’m going to harm, I’m going to cut,’ even ‘I the Kardashians or these famous people who
stage so early into our career, we weren’t ex- want to take my life,’ and it’s really, really stress- spend so much money on their appearance, but
pecting it and obviously you get the butterflies, ing to read that kind of stuff. We’re adults, but yet she was getting bullied by these same peo-
but we’re all in that frame of mind that we just yet everyone takes it in such different ways. I ple ‘Oh, you’re not naturally beautiful,’ and ‘I
want to perform and as you can tell with our en- personally wanted to get our emotions across can’t understand your style, so I’m just going to
ergetic performance, I feel like that stage was into the song just to use it as a therapy for our- bully you,’ but yet, she’d spend four hours in the
the perfect size for us.” selves, but, at the same time, trying to let people mirror trying to make herself someone that she
know that ‘Look, you ain’t on your own. There isn’t, but then inflicting pain on someone else for
he band released their debut four-track are people that are going through this. It doesn’t being naturally beautiful. For us, at least for me,
TEP, ‘Sovereign’, on September 27th, matter what walk of life. If you’ve got loads of when I read the DM that came through, that was
with an EP launch show in Stoke-on-Trent a money, if you haven’t, if you’re poor, every single really heartbreaking because my sister was at a
couple of nights later. The four-track includes person gets affected by anxiety or mental similar age as her and I can just imagine my sis-
first single ‘Cut And Run’, released prior to the health’. And we just kind of wanted to make it ter going through something similar. So I wanted
EP release, plus ‘Right In The Childhood’, ‘The more aware to people that what you’re feeling to write a song with a massive middle finger up
Poet’ and ‘Beauty Queen’. In ‘Right In The Child- isn’t bad, it’s perfectly normal, and there are to the people who spend four or five hours in the
hood’ Kai sings ‘My friends mean everything to people that you can talk to and stuff.” mirror trying to put a different face on to feel
me’. He tells us about his friendship with his Kai says that talking to bandmate Sam something that they’re not necessarily meant to
bandmates, Sam Price, Ben Caddy and Billy helps him. “Now, Sam’s the type of person, he feel and belittling other people for being naturally
Clapham. “We’ve all been through severe stuff, doesn’t answer the phone, he doesn’t call peo- beautiful or thinking that they’re ugly.”
even within the past three months. The lads are ple. He’d much rather talk via Messenger. But I
straightaway the first people that I’d go to if I’m could tell he was extremely worried about me ight In The Childhood’ is a nostalgic
having problems or issues. Exactly the same for when he actually called me constantly through- ‘Rsong, while ‘The Poet’ is a relation-
those guys as well. We have a group chat in out the week, and he would stay on the phone ship-based song. In ‘The Poet’ Kai sings ‘you
Whatsapp and we literally converse every single with me and that’s a big thing. So, to get through gave me hope’, so we ask what hopes he has
day. There’s not one day that we don’t talk to it, I found that it’s not the most easy thing to talk for the band.
each other or try to sort band stuff out and some- about. People think that if you talk about it then “Obviously we’re unsigned and we haven’t
times it’s really difficult to get a really close you’re weak, but it’s the polar opposite. It’s the got anybody really pushing us. We’re currently
friendship with people that aren’t necessarily in- overall beginning of you breaking down those trying to find booking agents at the moment, so
side that industry, so it’s really difficult to find barriers, and it’s the first time that you feel vul- I would hope that we can find something like
people that understand what you’re trying to go nerable emotionally. So I think that’s why people that. That everyone’s happy within themselves.
through. Yeah, the lads have been really close think that they’re weak, whereas in fact, it’s the That’s the hardest thing about being in the band.
friends of mine. They always help me personally complete opposite. It’s one of the best ways for I really hope that we continue to do what we do,
to at least get through all of the struggles and you to get out and get that stress and pressure we’ll keep writing some more music, and that the
stress that we have. They are like brothers to that’s overtaking you day to day. You’d have fans stay with us and keep believing. We would
me, to be fair.” panic attacks over everything. I felt that talking love to go out on bigger tours and potentially get
He tells us that drummer Ben lived two to the lads, they were definitely like, and even signed eventually and play some festivals next
streets behind him, but he didn’t realize that until my family as well, I’m fortunate to have a very year.”
a few years back. “If I knew that before, when strong family base, and they’re very supportive And what would they most like to be known
we were in college, we’d have hung out even of everything that I personally have to go for? “I think we’d just love to be known as the
longer. Billy and Sam have always been friends. through. Some of the other lads don’t necessar- down-to-earth band that are really good live.
They used to work together. I met Sam a few ily have that backup, so for me personally it was We’ve got a little bit more work to do for us to
years back, again through music as well, and we speaking to my friends and family and talking get to that stage where we’re all 100% happy.
just one day thought, ‘Well, Billy plays bass, I do about my issues. It was the whole unit talking to Yeah, and hopefully a band that people can con-
vocals, so why don’t we try and write some stuff us about it, that’s what really got us through, just nect with. There’s a lot of disconnection with
together and actually see how it goes?’ and trying to keep our minds off and try and also do some bands. Hopefully people get what we’re
yeah, that’s when Like Giants was born, really.” things fun and just take your mind off it a little trying to say. Yeah. Come watch us!”
bit. Sometimes the stresses of life can get over Visit www.facebook.com/likegiantsuk for
he band released ‘Cut And Run’ as a the top and if you don’t relieve that stress… more info.
Tsingle and video at the start of August. yeah, some people don’t know how to move for- Words By Shari Black Velvet
The video includes a statistic relating to anxiety ward.”
and depression, a subject that is very important He says writing lyrics helped him. “If I’ve got Photo By Becca Arnold
LIKE GIANTS