Page 8 - Black Velvet Issue 97

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and jazz next!” It’s not just confidence which Skarlett ad- gone away feeling like I can tackle day-to-
“I think we’ve now built a foundation for mits she and the band have not enjoyed in day issues. So that’s definitely one of the
our sound,” offers a more serious Skarlett. the volumes they would have liked in recent main things for my lyrics for me; it’s being
“People are digging that kind of sound, so I times. In ‘Closer’, Skarlett sings, ‘we’re dying able to help other people and to know that
think it makes sense what we are doing right slowing, fading, we need some guidance’. listening to our music is helping other peo-
now. We’re happy with that kind of sound, The lead singer explains to Black Velvet that ple day-to-day, so if I know that, then my job
but looking at the next album there will be this refers to a time where she felt the band is done.”
some more changes, not to an extent of mu- lost its sense of direction, something else we “I think all of us, as individuals, have ex-
sical change, just to make it more fresh are pleased to report that they have more perienced it,” answers the vocalist, on the
again so with each album you have got than rediscovered with ‘Regenerate’. subject of being bullied. “Even being in a
something new and exciting and we’re about She tells us, “It’s kinda written about los- band when you are at school, it’s such a neg-
to start writing again when we get back off ing a sense of direction in the band. Before ative thing from other people and you get
tour.” we wrote ‘Regenerate’ we had a bit of a bullied just for being in a band.”
rough patch for about a year, which is why Skarlett continues, “You kinda get
onsidering the road they have trav- we wrote ‘Regenerate’ as like a brand new looked at as a bit of an outcast, but when you
Celled to get to ‘Regenerate’, the song start for the band. Things didn’t go to plan leave school everyone is ‘Your band is so
‘The Storm’ contains a lyric, ‘we won’t hold really. We released ‘Sentience’ and we lost cool, I want to see you guys play’. When
back no more, ever again’. We ask the pair if our agent and we had this big show booked Luke was younger he was bullied at school,
they feel this is something they may have at the Barfly in London (now the Camden As- I think it’s just a general thing. Even older
been guilty of in the past. “I think the steps sembly). We’d literally sold it out and it got people… I mean my mum got bullied at work
we have taken to get us here have brought cancelled just a few weeks before, so that and this was only about ten years ago, so it’s
us to it,” Skarlett answers. was the year where everything didn’t go right something I feel strongly about. It’s some-
“I don’t think when we released the first for us. So we wrote ‘Regenerate’ to build it thing that I think people should recognise
album we ever thought ‘We should go heav- back up again and those lyrics there are writ- and pick up on more.”
ier but I’m a bit scared to’. I think because we ten about being at your lowest point and Asked if she has any advice for someone
were still finding our feet and our sound as finding a sense of direction to help pick going through a similar situation them-
a band we wrote that album and we were re- yourself back up again and make things pos- selves, she says, “For me, I would shy away
ally happy with it, but looking back now, with itive again, so it was pretty much written from it and I would go quiet and I would let
this new album we’ve matured so much and about that point where we were at our lowest them say things to me, but like my lyrics in
we’ve got a lot better now. But I think you do and about bringing ourselves back up the songs, I would tell people to just hold
need those steps to progress and make again.” your head up high and come out the better
yourself better.” This is something she feels they have person. Let them say their negative things
Speaking of making themselves better, achieved, enthusiastically telling Black Vel- because it will only make you stronger in the
as mentioned, the Skarlett Riot of 2018 com- vet, “We’ve done more touring in these past long run. Try and see it as a positive and turn
pared to Skarlett Riot in 2013/4 when ‘Tear few months than we probably have ever as a a negative into a positive.”
Me Down’ was released and toured with is band and things are going good so hopefully
very different. A large factor to this is the en- it will continue that way. We’re planning espite her acceptance in the band,
hanced confidence the band displays, espe- things as we go along.” An enthusiastic but Dit’s clear from the discussion about
cially in the case of Skarlett, whose understandably tight-lipped Luke adds, bullying that the band have been through
performances from a few years ago would “There is stuff in the works but we can’t say their trials during their lives and inspired by
sometimes see her talented voice overpow- because it’s not confirmed yet but we’ve got the title of the new album’s opening song
ered by the band and their music. Fast for- an idea and then there is another idea and ‘Break’ as well as its concluding track ‘War-
ward to 2018 and this is certainly not the then there is something else we want to toy rior’ we ask if they consider themselves to
case and all fans of the band are likely to be with, so we are just seeing where the last few be tough characters. Luke tells us, “Yeah,
delighted to hear her vocals just as power- months of this year and the first few months we’re good. I think we are tough people indi-
fully as the instruments which surround her. of next year take us.” vidually, I think you’ve got to be. We tour the
When asked if entire length of the country and do every-
her confidence “You have to be tough because s t r o n g thing ourselves. There is no crew, ever. It’s
has grown, “defi- Atheme of just us four and you have to be such a tight-
nitely” is her im- in the music industry, you can’t ‘Regenerate’ is of knit unit, and we are, and we all get on really
mediate reply. not be. You have to be able to put conflict and put- well and you have to be tough because in the
She explains, “I ting up a fight, a music industry, you can’t not be. You have to
think I did lose up with the shit that you get and topic which is be able to put up with the shit that you get
my confidence a just bounce off it. And we do, raised numerous and just bounce off it. And we do, every day.
couple of years times throughout You just roll it off.”
back and it’s every day.” - Luke Oglesby the album with Having mentioned being a tight-knit unit
taken a while for lines such as it’s a timely opportunity to bring up just how
me to rebuild it ‘throw me to the much this is the case with Skarlett Riot, the
again. Since we did the tour with Santa Cruz wolves, why don’t you beat me black and band’s guitarist Danny being Luke’s brother
and before that we toured with Toseland, I blue’ in opening track ‘Break’, and ‘they tear and Danny and Skarlett are friends from
think the extensive touring has given me that my skin, they pull me down, break me apart’ school, having known each other since they
confidence back to go ‘Yeah, I can do this’. from ‘Closer’. Yet, despite all this tough talk were about 15 and Skarlett has known Luke
I’ve managed to get through this massive the pair are quick to concede that creating for the same length of time and they remain
long tour with Sumo Cyco and I’ve not lost ‘Regenerate’ wasn’t too much of a struggle original members of the band since its incep-
my voice so far and I feel we’ve smashed it at all. Skarlett says, “I think it did come to- tion. While bassist Martin Shepherd is a
every night, so I think it has taken the tours gether quite naturally. I mean, the writing newer addition to the ranks, he is very much
to get my confidence back.” process for us takes a long time because it a firm part of the Riot family.
Of course it’s not just touring that has takes us a while to be happy with what we’ve Luke tells us, “It’s like a family, isn’t it?
helped with this renewed confidence, but the got. We’re always going back and forth, Because we have known each other for so
support of the band as a whole is a massive rewriting choruses. I guess we’re perfection- long, we aren’t just a tight-knit unit, we are a
factor too. She tells Black Velvet, “I think it ists. In terms of the lyrics, a lot of them were family. It helps with everything. I mean, you
takes your mind off things as well. If I’m wor- written about being bullied at school, things do argue, obviously. We all argue, but it’s
rying about a gig and you’ve got your banter like that; the whole putting up a fight and usually because we are passionate about
and your laughs going off with the band being stronger than you were before and what we are arguing about, which is the main
members or you’re not feeling too well and braver. I wrote that for anyone who is being thing. But it does help you to come up with
one of your bandmates knows about it and bullied. You don’t just have to be at school. stuff because you’ve worked together for so
they make sure you’ve got everything you In workplaces you see it all the time. long. You are on the same wavelength.”
need and you’re taking it easy and helping “I’ve had a lot of people message me and Another plus point of having great band-
each other out. I think you need that.” say they’ve listened to your song and it’s mates by your side is that they can help you
made me feel a stronger person and I’ve overcome any weaknesses you have and
SKARLETT RIOT