Essex quartet We Are The Ocean had a pretty spectacular 2012. Not only did they release their new album "Maybe Today, Maybe Tomorrow" [to rave reviews] and play sell out shows in UK and Europe but also played Wembley with You Me At Six.
Back on tour again they are now selling out much larger venues. Est.1987 headed down to catch up with the guys to chat about touring, career highlights and their cure for everything...
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| We Are The Ocean lead singer Liam Cromby on stage in Manchester |
So last time we caught up with you, you
were on a club tour playing smaller venues and the new album had just come out.
Now you’re back, the album’s been out a while and you’re playing bigger shows.
How’s it going?
ALFIE [Scully, guitar]- Oh yeah, it feels good. That was getting the new
material out there and letting everyone live with it for a while, and now it
feels like people have heard the album front to back a good amount of times.
LIAM
[Cromby, vocals]- It’s good to see people singing along to the songs now,
and being in bigger venues you can put on more of a show. It’s exciting.
And in terms of the set list, is there
more of the new album now it’s been out a while?
LIAM- There’s more new songs in there for sure, but we’ve
also kept a couple of the older ones.
ALFIE- It’s new stuff heavy; we want to show that we can
play the songs live but we want it to be a rounded show for people, so old and
new.
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| We Are The Ocean in Manchester at their sold out show |
LIAM- It was incredible. The buzz afterwards was insane,
such a good crowd. I was kind of nervous and then helped myself to a bottle of
Jim Beam which kind of helped out. A couple of GnTs later, feeling invincible,
nothing can stop us now.
ALFIE- It was an amazing atmosphere, such a great venue.
You’re half way through the tour; is it
taking its toll or are you pacing yourselves?
LIAM- It’s just getting started really [laughing].
ALFIE-Normally we do a tour and then straight away head off
to mainland Europe , so this is a shorter run
really. We’re savouring it as it goes, no time for laggers, we’re just going to
get on with it.
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| Alfie Scully on stage at Manchester Academy 3 |
“Young Heart” the new single was added
to the Radio1 A-list alongside acts like Rihanna, Biffy Clyro and Calvin
Harris. Guess that was a really rewarding moment for you guys?
LIAM- Huge. Unbelievable really.
ALFIE- Pretty crazy, massive, unexpected, incredible. It’s
awesome that the guys at the BBC are giving us support and supporting British
rock music. I think we had a lot of ambition for this album, but didn’t really
expect anything like this so we’re just patting ourselves on the back.
LIAM- It’s kind of like just sitting back and being like,
“ok”, taking it in and enjoying it while you can.
It’s just been announced that you’re
back playing Slam Dunk Festival for the fifth time this year are you looking
forward to it?
ALIFE- We were recording last year when Slam Dunk was on so
couldn’t play it and it did feel weird not playing it. People were talking
about it and we were just like “aww man”.
LIAM- We wanted to be there and hang out.
ALFIE- We’re big fans of the Leeds Slam Dunk experience.
It’s exciting to be asked back again and it’s always a good laugh playing it,
and you end up seeing all your mates there.
You had a great year last year- touring,
the new album, Radio1 Rocks ad you played Wembley with You Me At Six. What was
the highlight?
LIAM- Last year was Wembley. It was absolutely insane.
literally just walking in and the room being empty and just being like “what
are we doing here?”.
ALFIE- It was just a pace around the room for four hours,
being like “what do I do, what do I do?” and then someone was just like “have
this” and handed me a beer.
LIAM- It seems to be the cure for everything [laughing].
There were a lot of good things last year, like releasing the album and doing a
headline tour and stuff. But I think Wembley just topped it. I think generally
in our bands career that was a big thing.
ALFIE- To play in such a prestigious venue was just so good.
We actually got to say “Hello Wembley” [laughing].
Liam, you also featured on Rat Attack’s
“Heartbeat”; how did you get involved?
LIAM- Yeah, a couple of the guys in the band live by the
studio where we record and we’ve been there twice now. Last year when we were
there they were doing their new tracks and they just asked would I sing on this
song. I heard it and was just like this is great and was really happy to do it.
It was really fun and I had free reign to do what I wanted on there, so most of
it was just jammed and off the bat. They’re really cool guys, they should be
doing some good stuff.
Last time you were in Manchester
LIAM- Yeah definitely. I mean I think it was inevitable
once the internet came about and there was iTunes. It was kind of this is going
to happen, just when. It’s a shame, but things are changing all the time and
you just have to adapt to it.
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| Front-man Liam Cromby |
So we’re in February; most people have
broken their new year’s resolutions by now. Did you make any and have you kept
them?
LIAM- [laughing] The thing is, it would probably be I’m not
going to drink or I’m not going to smoke…
ALFIE- Things that I enjoy doing, so why would I want to
stop doing them [laughing]
What’s next for We Are The Ocean?
LIAM- Well, we’re going to be going back out to Europe after this tour in a couple of months time then
head back to the studio, can’t be giving too much away there, but we have got
big plans. In the summer try do as many festivals as possible in Europe and the
UK
Another Wembley moment maybe?
LIAM- That’d be nice, Wembley Stadium maybe…
ALFIE- Yeah we go from supporting at Wembley Arena to
headlining Wembley Stadium in just like four months [laughing]
Last time you said on the bus you listen to the Jack Sparrow Lonely Island song, Lord of The Rings and Jurassic Park-
LIAM- Every tour we have a tour song and the Jack Sparrow song was last time. We haven’t actually had one for this tour, have we? We’ve been watching Star Wars.
ALFIE- I’ve started Boardwalk Empire and the music is just really jazzy.
LIAM- No Captain Jack Sparrow this time, ooo I dunno, it might have to make a comeback. One drunken night in the van that’s what it’ll come down to; someone is just going to be like “lads, I’ve got a tune here…and then everyone will loose their s**t”.
Liam and Alfie then break into Lonely Island, Jack Sparrow!
And here's what happened when We Are The Ocean took to the stage...
Pretty
much every show on We Are The Ocean’s tour has been a sell out and it isn’t
hard to see why. The release of the new album “Maybe Today, Maybe Tomorrow”,
arguably their best to date, sparked a new life for the band. 2012 saw them
going from strength to strength, something that 2013 will surely see them build
on (if the response to the tour is anything to go by). The last time we caught
up with the boys they were playing a club tour in more intimate venues. However
this time they have taken things up a notch playing larger venues and owning
the stage.
Although
the set here tonight gets off to a slow start, beginning with the older “Trouble
Is Temporary, Time Is Tonic”, every song remains a hit with the crowd who are
suitably lively from the off. By “Pass Me By” and “
Soaring
hit “The Road” closes the evening on an absolute high. However, urged back on
to the stage and sees Liam on his own performing the stripped back and
effortless “Chin Up, Son”. The entire room joins in. The sold out crowd is
given two more opportunities to get involved; older hit “The Waiting Room”
pitched alongside newest hit single “Young Heart”. Big hitters, they resonate
through the room and no one in the entire venue is able to remain still. We Are
The Ocean thought they were onto something special when they released the
latest album and their hunch wasn’t wrong; is only reaffirmed here tonight. The
final song even incites a spontaneous stage invasion; everyone wants to be a
part of it.
There
is no doubt that We Are The Ocean are stronger than ever and are confidently
able to put on an impressive live show. So catch them at these smaller venues
whilst you still can, because they may have been joking but headlining Wembley
is looking more and more likely.
http://www.wearetheocean.co.uk/
Photo credit: Danny Peart Photography
