30 Août Interview – The Amazons talk football, beer, charity, Reading and what’s next

After 2017 and 2019, here’s our third meeting with the now trio.

Version française à retrouver par ici.

Sound of Brit: Yesterday you were in Leeds, today at Rock en Seine, tomorrow at Reading, and yet you still accepted interview requests despite all this madness! Isn’t that a fine illustration of your generosity?

The Amazons: We’re very generous, yes. We’ll play wherever we can. We don’t mind. In fact, we don’t care. We’ve always wanted to play rock. Ever since we heard about Rock en Seine, when we were just starting out as a band in 2010, 2012. We’ve always wanted to play. In fact, We’ve always wanted to do it this weekend. So many of our friends are doing it. And now we travel with the bus, we do it, it’s fun.

SOB: In September we will be celebrating the first anniversary of your third album, which has been an amazing project. What’s next for you? Album number 4 coming soon?

The Amazons: Album number four, yes! Even more, a real journey. A trilogy of albums. Four, five, six. A big project. So we did three albums with our drummer, Jeff. Now he’s gone. And now we’re going to do a trilogy. Darker, more focused on the essence of rock.

SOB: Rock and English football go hand in hand. After the Libertines and Jake Bugg, you’ve just announced a partnership with Reading FC! How did you come up with this crazy project?

The Amazons: We’ve always loved Reading and there’s a link with gig culture, it’s a way of connecting us to our hometown. Reading has always been in the shadow of London, so it was important for us to collaborate with what makes Reading special. There’s also a brewery called Renegade Brewery that we made a beer with, Bloodrush Beer IPA. Reading has a very illustrious and rich history that isn’t fully appreciated. That’s why we’re taking every opportunity to showcase our home town to the world.

SOB: Speaking of Reading, you must be so excited about tomorrow. Why is the Reading Festival one of the climaxes of your tour?

The Amazons: The whole Reading FC football team will be there tomorrow. Yeah, it’s going to be a massive thing for us. All the family and friends will be there. We’ve got acquaintances from our secondary school who we haven’t spoken to for 12 years and who are only getting back in touch for the occasion!

SOB: Can you tell us a bit about your participation in the latest Merch For Good project?

The Amazons: I [Chris] do a lot of illustration and graphic design in my spare time, mainly for the band but also for other artists. In fact, they contacted us and asked if we had anything to offer them. We were working on a T-shirt. It was a great project.

SOB: Do you have any pre-stage rituals?

The Amazons: Drinking, of course. But it helps! Also, we’re working with a new drummer now and he’s got us doing a little ritual with our fingers all together like rock stars. And then after that you have to give it your all.

SOB: A little Bloodrush beer perhaps? Tell us about this funny project!

The Amazons: Renegade Brewery, a local brewery in Reading, made it possible. My very first job [Matt] was in a pub, pumping beer. So we wanted to collaborate with them and create our own beer. Fans can drink and come to our gigs and we always sign the cans. So it was an interesting way of telling the story of the album. And this song, Bloodrush, is about letting go, being in the moment and getting drunk. We’ve made that a reality, but it’s a struggle. It’s a fun thing to do. But yeah, everything we do is because it’s fun. They showed us around, showed us how each beer was made and pressed, and we had to taste over and over again before we got to the final product. And they were very grateful to have guys doing this. But yes, it’s a project we’ll certainly be exploring again in the future. Another area perhaps? I want to make coffee, that would be great.

Read the report on The Amazons concert at Rock en Seine here.