Recently we were able to have a chat with the Wonder Villains. The band had an incredible year, playing lots of gigs, appearing on tv and even getting their first single ‘Zola’ into the charts. We were interested to find out what 2012 holds for the band, their inspirations and what they get up to in their spare time!
So far you have only released singles and ‘Zola’ is the only one available on iTunes, are you reaching the point where you have enough material for an album or perhaps an EP? Or will fans have to wait a while longer for the debut album?
Yeah we’re working on recordings for the album right now but we have no definite plans for releasing it at the minute. Next for us is our second single ‘Ferrari’ which comes out on 19th February.
How is the band dealing with becoming more famous and playing to bigger crowds? Are you guys more nervous or have you taken it all in your stride?
It’s awesome. It’s really fun getting ‘recognised’ when you’re eating a Subway with your mum, haha. It does make you more nervous before a show though because people keep you know people are looking forward to seeing you play. People have started singing along with us when we’re playing now which is amazing.
Lyrically your current songs seem to have loose themes around tv, film and now with ‘Zola’ footballers. Who tends to write the songs or is it a group effort?
Yeah I write most of the lyrics and I watch a lot of TV! I just want to sing about things that I enjoy – makes it more fun when you get to sing them on-stage.
Are you never tempted to write about more personal issues like love and loss or perhaps is it easier to sing more upbeat catchy indie pop music without reflecting on the bands own issues or relationships?
I would rather write about the problems that my favourite fictional characters have because they have very interesting lives. But, yeah, some of the songs on the album are going to have a bit more to them.
If you could have any band in the world as your support act who would it be and why?
Weezer. They can go on after us but… haha They’re my second favourite band.
On your Facebook page in October you highlighted that ‘Zola’ had entered the chart at number 182. This was a great achievement for the band especially considering the amount of songs available from online services like iTunes. Did you go out and celebrate this magnificent achievement? If not why not?
We wanted to! But we were heading out on tour the next morning! I had some intense packing to do. haha We celebrated enough on the tour though so don’t worry!
Considering you have been on tour with General Fiasco, played at festivals like Tennent’s Vital and Glasgowbury as well as playing many other gigs across Northern Ireland and the UK what has been the stand out show of 2011?
There have been so many unreal shows. The craziest show for me was probably supporting the Human League in Victor St. It was a week before my A-Levels and all my friends (except Cheylene) were like “Aaahh! Study study study” and we were all “Aaaahh! Human League!”. It was the first gig where I really thought ‘this is madness’ and that feeling hasn’t really stopped since!
On 16th December you guys headlined Animal Disco, did you play any new songs that hadn’t been heard before?
Yeah, we played two new brand songs that night which was great. It was the first time in a while that we’ve had a chance to work on some new tunes so we’re pretty excited about that. I’m really sad that Animal Disco is over.
The Northern Irish music scene has certainly flourished lately with bands such as General Fiasco, And So I Watch You From Afar and yourselves gain not just being local recognition but have been hailed nationally and internationally. Is there a band or artist that you believe is the next big thing to come out of NI?
Future Chaser. We live with the lead singer. He’s great.
A recent article speculated the disappearance of CDs from the music industry and for downloading and streaming to fill the void. Do you prefer a physical copy of your music or are you happy just to download?
I enjoy physical copies because I really like reading the inside sleeve on albums and finding out more about how it was made. I would hate it if I never got to hold my own real Wonder Villains album.
What did you make of the MTV EMAs being in Belfast? Did any of you make it to the award ceremony itself or did you have to watch it at home like the rest of us?
We were lucky enough to get some tickets to see Snow Patrol at City Hall. They were amazing! It was a great night to be in Belfast.
Finally when you are not writing, recording or on tour what do you guys get up to?
We all live together in the ‘Wonder Villa’ so we just hang out, make smoothies and dance. (we have a smoothie maker & a strobe light! haha)
Well that was the first of what we hope are many interviews with bands who have played or will be playing at Tennent’s Vital in the future. We would like to thank the Wonder Villains for answering our questions. If you are interested in sampling and hearing their music it is available above from Amazon or here at iTunes.
