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I recently sat down for a chat with Stand Alone’s vocalist…
Firstly, thank you for taking the time to talk to us here at Devils Gate Media!
Just to get the ball rolling, obviously, I know who you are, but for the benefit of the tape… please introduce yourself?
“Hey, I’m Steve, vocalist for the band Stand Alone. We’re a five piece melodic hardcore band, all living in and around London.”
How did Stand Alone become the band it is today? Has it been a smooth journey?
“Mostly we met online, apart from Joe (bass and clean vocals), we are pals from high school. The rest of us found each other on a forum helping musicians come together. It’s been a pretty smooth journey, considering 80% of the band were complete strangers! The relationship has always been relatively professional, but it’s safe to say we’re all good mates now who love what we do.”
The self-titled EP was released last month. What were the main inspirations behind the songs?
“A good majority of the songs stem from a dark, angst ridden part of our personalities. Music has always been a release for us, so being separated from a creative environment for too long left a lot of room for us to explore the frustrations we had been harbouring as individuals, and bring it together in quite an uplifting way.”
Which one of the songs on the EP would you say is the “define me” moment?
“Collectively, I think we’d all agree that ‘Lumberjacked’ was our defining song. It was the first song we worked on and demoed, left it, and revisited it. By the time we were happy to say the song was completed, it had taken on a life of its own, compared to the way we had first envisioned it. It has turned into this big energetic song that we all individually got to be involved with vocally to help bring it’s message to life.”
You had your release show at The Black Heart in London. That must’ve been a good night? Any particularly memorable moments you’d like to share?
“The overall experience was beautiful, especially being able to step back and watch it come together so smoothly. All the bands that played were amazingly helpful, keen, and friendly. Despite all three support bands coming from different genres, they really helped unify the solidarity of what music can do, and that’s bring people together. Being able to share our music to a large and supportive audience, and to our new friends in Oceans, The Dead Life and The Hyena Kill was rewarding enough. Nick of Burning Pics Photography manged to film three of our songs from the night, which you can find on YouTube.”
Are there any other upcoming shows/tours we should be watching out for?
“We had a last minute show at 12 Bar, London on Friday (29th Jan). We’re also headlining The Cricketers in Kingston, on 19th Feb, and the Fuel in Cardiff on 2nd March… with a lot more left to confirm.”
What’s the next step for Stand Alone? Is there a master plan, or a wish list?
“At the moment we’re demoing our second EP and writing new material. We have four songs with vocals demoed (two that feature in our set now), and another four we’re still drafting vocals for. We’re keen to get on the road as much as possible, to meet new people and showcase what we have to offer, with hopes of playing in Europe by summer.”
What has been your stand alone moment (see what I did there?) in the band? Greatest highlight so far?
“Haha, smooth. I think just the positive experience of watching this all come together in itself has been beautiful and rewarding. Being able to spin our name and music in to an ever-expanding family is more than we could have asked for, which makes the journey ahead incredibly exciting.”
Okay, hypothetical question… You’ve been approached to have your music used as a game soundtrack. Which game would be and why?
“I think if they were to make a classic-styled Tony Hawk Pro Skater game, that would be amazing. Growing up, I was introduced to so many bands by playing that game relentlessly. I think our music would fit quite nicely into the rhythm of the game play… or failing that, maybe Crazy Taxi.”
Do you have any final words you’d like to say to the DGM readers before we go?
“Thanks for taking the time to check us out, keep supporting live music, your local scenes, and keep the communities alive.”
Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. Good luck with the EP. I loved it!
Interview: Carol Black
Stand Alone’d Self titled EP is available now
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