FUTURE TALENT #7- Talk To Angels

We have already tipped Bradford based “When Giants Collide” for big things [ HERE ] and now we have another Bradford based treat in store for you. Meet “Talk To Angels”, an alternative rock quartet who only formed in 2007, but wasted no time in taking their talents across the pond, playing a 6 week U.S tour the following year. Having already wowed new music giants CMJ, the band has played a host of festivals such as Leeds, Wireless and SXSW.

Back at the end of last year Talk To Angels invited 30 lucky fans to Soundworks Studios in Leeds for a filmed live acoustic session with a strings accompaniment. As well as playing tracks from their forthcoming album they treated fans to a few cover versions including Biffy Clyro’s “The Captain”. We caught up with Talk To Angels to chat….

You’ve recently released some videos of a live acoustic session that you did at Soundworks Studios; did you enjoy that experience in the studio and filming it all?

Lee [Waud, bass]: The whole process was lots of fun. We spent a lot of time going through our own songs and trying new things, some worked and others didn't. The audience was great, they gave the room a great atmosphere and that shows on the footage. Watching it back makes me feel really proud of what we did. 

You worked with a strings accompaniment and had 30 competition winners watching; did you feel under pressure at all or just enjoyed it?

This Broken Home the forthcoming album 

Mickey [Dale, keys, guitar]: I felt under intense pressure! A good friend of ours came up with the idea of doing a more "unplugged" type event, with invited fans, friends, journalists, and gradually, as things tend to in Talk To Angels, the concept grew to include a string quartet. And it was my job to write the string parts, which is such amazing fun! But to write 10 arrangements in two weeks in the evenings, due to other day time commitments was hardcore! But I am so thrilled and proud of the results. The best of that session is yet to come. The string quartet were amazing too. We only had a couple of hours to rehearse on the day of the filming, so yeah, I was pacing around, biting nails and drinking way too much coffee!

You did a brilliant cover of Biffy Clyro’s “The Captain”. Would you say that Biffy are a musical influence and you can relate to their music, or do you just love that song?

Craig [Kaye, vocals, guitar]: I first heard Biffy around the ‘Questions and Answers’ period and I loved that song. I like Biffy; they are so clever and inventive! But more than anything I admire them for how hard they have worked before getting the rewards after so many years of plugging away. They are living proof that you should never give up.

What’s the music scene like in Bradford where you guys are from?

Danny [Cookson, drums]: It's pretty quiet to be honest. There are some fantastic bands around Bradford that I personally don't feel are given their chance to shine. There are a select few venues around the city which seem to favour local bands, but other than those it's a quiet scene. Bradford can't compete with the likes of The Cockpit & O2 Academy in Leeds. 

You released E.P “Enemies Closer” in 2010 and your debut album is out this year; how has the band developed in that time and what can we expect from the album?

Mickey: So much has happened in the time since we released the EP. We have two new band members, and we have finished our debut album with James Kenosha [Pulled Apart By Horses, Club Smith, Dinosaur Pile Up] at the controls. Most of the album was recorded in my little studio, and he brought the sounds together in a way we always heard in our heads but struggled to get on our own. We have also become much better writers I think, and we're already ploughing on now with LP2 ideas. Much like the E.P, the album has a lot of diversity on it. I don't feel like we have one song that represents our sound or our style. Some of it is so densely layered with guitars and drums; some of it is almost orchestral and very melancholy. We all love different bands, and the best thing is fitting all those influences together to make our own, hopefully unique, thing. 

Talk To Angels

You’ve played big festivals like Leeds, Wireless and SXSW as well as more intimate venues; which do you prefer and do you feel you adapt your set and performance to each?

Craig: It's hard to compare the two really. In an intimate venue you can see the audience, read the emotions; it feels like they are a part of the band up on stage with us! But the big audience in a big venue you can feel the energy, hear people sing your songs back and there’s no better feeling than hearing someone sing your song.

And finally, what do you guys have planned as a band for this next year?

Lee: We can’t wait for the album launch this summer. And after that we're all really excited about getting out on the road and playing gigs with great bands at great venues with great audiences. We're also demoing new songs. 


Thanks guys!


For more on Talk To Angels and to see all the latest tour dates - 
http://www.talktoangels.co.uk/
http://www.facebook.com/TalkToAngels