Silver Souvenirs first sprang to my attention earlier this year when they released their foot-tappingingly addictive single ‘Russia’. Complete with highly stylised party montage video. Yet they have been a strong presence on the music scene since 2009, relentlessly playing a myriad of venues; pubs, clubs and the legendary Rainbow Warehouse in Digbeth, Birmingham (a rite of passage for any decent musician in the Midlands) . Their hard work, sensitivity to the needs of the music industry and obvious talent paid dividends in 2011, when they supported The Twang on their UK tour. After such a successful year, I caught up with their incredibly busy lead vocalist, Stephen Hutton, for a lovely chat on all things musical.
For those that may not know of you, yet, could you introduce the entire band?
There’s myself as lead singer, and I also play the synth, Sam Hart our lead guitarist, Gary Geerlings our Rhythm guitarist and Karl Faulkner on bass. Last, but certainly not least, Jeremy Hatton on Drums and backing vocals.
Souvenirs’ sound has been described and somewhat pigeonholed as ‘upbeat indie rock.’ Is this a description you’d particuarly embrace?
We really enjoy writing songs that people can dance and sing to, so we don’t keep in mind a particular genre to fit into when we’re writing our songs. I guess we all have different musical backgrounds and influences but song writing is a team effort for us. We want the end product to be something we’re all happy with. Our music should be something we can all enjoy and other people can enjoy too. I think there’s something wrong if you strive to summate your sound in three words or by a particular genre.
You’re currently doing your masters in Music Industries. Has becoming aware of the theoretical side of the industry affected the progression of your sound?
I’m really enjoying the Masters, it’s hard work but I think it’s helping me to appreciate the industry from a wider perspective and is incredibly useful in how we can approach what we do. Of course most of the time I would rather be writing or playing but I think what I’m doing is important.
Knowing music is a cut-throat industry, at which moment did you think: “Yeah, i want to be doing this as a possible career?”
I started playing bass when I was fifteen and I think from that moment on I wanted to perform to people. It wasn’t until I left school that I was lucky enough to find like-minded people who shared the same dreams, and luckily these were the guys that now make up the Silver Souvenirs. Up until that point I thought I was a bit crazy, but you have to keep playing and searching until you find those people who share the same thing. I think in part it was the song writing process too that really captivated me, especially lyrical writing which is a cathartic process for me. I like to write the lyrics cryptically at times but they’re pretty much always autobiographical, a snapshot of how I’m feeling about something or someone at one moment in my life. Some people write about what they read in a novel or newspaper but we’re all different.
With only 3 songs from any sub-genre of rock in last years top 100 songs do you think you can break this pattern?
We simply enjoy making the music that we enjoy writing and playing and, seemingly, that our audience enjoys too. There are bands we’re similar to, but I think that’s the same with 99% of bands. I think it all comes down to having the commitment to keep going, writing and working at ‘our sound’, and that only comes with hard work and time .
With that in mind, what would your steps for success be?
Keep playing, keep writing and enjoy it.
And advice for other students who are playing in bands alongside their degrees?
Just keep playing, writing and enjoy it. I studied ancient history at university so it doesn’t matter what you’re studying, if music’s what you love, keep going and gig any time and any place as you never know what’s around the corner.
On to the matter of gigging, you’ve supported both The Twang and Dutch Uncles recently. Who would your dream support slot be with?
It would have to be at a festival I guess because there’s so many bands that we’d all love to play with, but just in terms of my own influences, I’d say The Maccabees, Friendly Fires, Bloc Party & Foals. I’m also a big fan of bands like The Cure and the Police. The list is endless.
How was touring with The Twang?
The tour was amazing, it was such a good learning experience for us playing our first shows around the country; each city has its own unique and wonderful crowd. We also learned how to cut loose a bit more too, sometimes a bit too much as we left some of our gear in Northampton…
What sounds are you currently listening to?
I saw Friendly Fires at the 02 Academy recently touring their new album. I’ve always loved their music but as a live band, they completely blew me away. I realized, f*ck, I’ve got so much to learn to be that good. I’m always listening to something new though. *scrolls through recently added playlist on ipod* – Julio Bashmore, M83, Four Tet & Ghostpoet are just some of the names that crop up.
There’s a lot of electronic producers there. Is this a hint that there may be a solo project on the side?
I’m really getting into the producing side of things but it’s a job in itself, and a complex one at that. I really enjoy music by producers like Jamie XX and Aaron Jerome (SBTKRT). Their music is original but I suppose you could describe it as bass music. So that’s what I’m into at the moment… in addition to prancing round stages singing songs.
Bands are starting to more regularly engage with DJ appearances and you’ve Dj-ed before. Is this a sign of things to come for bands?
That’s another reason why I’ve got into the [electronic] music I’ve just mentioned. There’s definitely a DJ culture now, or at least it’s something I was very unaware of a few years ago. Anyone who knows about ‘The Boiler room’ will know what I mean. If it’s a ‘Silver Souvenirs DJ set’ it provides the opportunity to share with crowds the music you are influenced by and connect with people through a different medium. So in a word…yes.
Future plans for the band?
We’re recording at the moment so we have something new to give people after our Autumn tour. We should be releasing three new songs over the course of the next few months so keep your eyes peeled! Its something we’re doing all by ourselves so we’re excited to have full control this time round, but at the same time it’s a steep learning curve and a time consuming process. It’ll be worth it though!
You can check out the Silver Souvenirs’ tour dates, blog and new music at www.silversouvenirs.co.uk.