Tyneside-based Fossway share new single ‘No Heart in the Heart of the City’ and talk to Lost In The Manor about their influences and ambitions
Interview by Chris Sharpe
Discovered via http://musosoup.com
Chris) What's been happening over the past six months?
Fossway) We’ve had a great but busy time working with Pillar Artists since we signed our artist development deal with them. They have enabled us to grow through releasing more studio-recorded singles. We’ve completed two tours playing York, Dunfermline, Wakefield and Leeds, and now released our third single ‘No Heart in the Heart of the City’. We’ve had a lot of reviews saying great things about the single and good radio coverage too; the work is never-ending but it’s great fun.
Where are you from and what’s the music scene like there?
We are based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, although three of us are from Gateshead and the other from Wakefield. Newcastle is not only a great city; the music scene is great here too. There is never any unhealthy competition between bands and everyone is very supportive of each other; it’s a big community.
Is there a story behind ‘No Heart In The Heart Of The City’?
The song is our most ambitious yet and it is our attempt of proving our capability. The music itself is furthering our goal – trying to find a unique sound, experimenting with our musicianship but also making it listenable and commercial. In terms of meaning or story, the song demonstrates our views of the music industry and creative industries alike, focusing on the difficulty creative people face in pushing their art. The song also highlights how saturated the music scene has become where songs with very limited musicality and lyrics seem to be the most successful.
How long have you guys been making music?
We’ve been making music as Fossway since early 2018. We are always improving and pushing ourselves and we now have a strong portfolio of originals.
Is there any advice you can offer new bands out there to help them on their way?
For bands (especially new bands) there are so many learning curves that you experience. Our best advice to new bands is to be nice, work hard and enjoy what you do. You never know who you will meet going up or down the ladder so kindness and hard work is key. Enjoy performing music regardless of your place in the industry.
Who is the driving force behind your songwriting and how does it start; any producers/writers involved?
In most cases, our lead guitarist and vocalist, Dan, will have the original musical idea. I may be biased but he is an extremely talented and gifted musician, as are the rest of the lads. The idea is brought to the table and if it resonates with us all we will then work at it as a band in our respective musical departments, developing and upgrading the bass lines, the grooves and the riffs. We always do this at rehearsal when we all have our instruments and over the course of anything from a few days to a few weeks the next new song is born.
Do you have any gigs in the pipeline?
Right now we’re looking forward to festival season as we’re playing some really cool festivals including the Long Division Festival (29 May – 2 June, Wakefield) alongside artists such as Peter Hook & the Light, We Are Scientists, Asian Dub Foundation, False Advertising, Dead Naked Hippies and Tranqua Lite (who we actually had play with us in Newcastle for our single launch). We have another festival in Wakefield called Hook & Gun lined up too and are working on some shows for later in the year.
What would be your dream venue to play and who else would be on the bill?
We have always joked about playing Glastonbury or Leeds Festival at any stage and in front of any crowd. We have also dreamed about sharing the stage with Radiohead, Muse and Boney M.
What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
Support other bands by going to their gigs, making friends and supporting live music and the venues. It’s all about who you meet and having fun.
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