Best Friends are a garage band who formed in Sheffield. I spoke to Lewis, the singer/guitarist from the band.
How did the band meet and how long have you known each other?
"In a pretty boring way really, we started late 2010 after meeting when we all went to uni in Sheffield. I knew Tom a little bit from Norwich as we're both from close to there, Tom lived in a flat with Ed in halls and I met Jack through skateboarding and he was on the same course as Ed. Jack left to travel the world last year so Jonny slotted in on drums nicely. Or maybe we were put together in secret on the X factor after going to Brit school. I find it hard to remember now."
"In a pretty boring way really, we started late 2010 after meeting when we all went to uni in Sheffield. I knew Tom a little bit from Norwich as we're both from close to there, Tom lived in a flat with Ed in halls and I met Jack through skateboarding and he was on the same course as Ed. Jack left to travel the world last year so Jonny slotted in on drums nicely. Or maybe we were put together in secret on the X factor after going to Brit school. I find it hard to remember now."
What is the music scene like in Sheffield at the moment?
"From day one other bands in Sheffield helped us out with recording and helping us learn how to play shows and put things out there. We started out knowing fuck all about anything. It truly is a community of people helping each other out cause its fun. Last year Ed and our friends in other Sheffield bands built Delicious Clam studios, and now we can give back in the same way we were helped out. Delicious Clam is a collective, and its a way of being able to record each other, our friends and put them out there. Its really important when you're starting out to have that. Studio time is expensive. If we can use our little bit of success to point them in the direction of the Clam and help our friends along, its a really great thing. Listen to Long Limbs, Thee Mightees, Thumbuster, Nai Harvest, Avida Dollars, Radical Boy, Pet Rock and Fruitbomb. Toot toot!"
"From day one other bands in Sheffield helped us out with recording and helping us learn how to play shows and put things out there. We started out knowing fuck all about anything. It truly is a community of people helping each other out cause its fun. Last year Ed and our friends in other Sheffield bands built Delicious Clam studios, and now we can give back in the same way we were helped out. Delicious Clam is a collective, and its a way of being able to record each other, our friends and put them out there. Its really important when you're starting out to have that. Studio time is expensive. If we can use our little bit of success to point them in the direction of the Clam and help our friends along, its a really great thing. Listen to Long Limbs, Thee Mightees, Thumbuster, Nai Harvest, Avida Dollars, Radical Boy, Pet Rock and Fruitbomb. Toot toot!"
Do you get inspired by other bands from Sheffield who have made it big?
"It was never really about getting big for us, which is always what people say, but for me it's my first band and I just wanted to be part of the Sheff scene. I genuinely never thought it would go further than that, but when we realised we had something that could go beyond that, obviously we were going to take it as far as we could. We've never seen this as a long term 'career', but if you can see the world playing your music, its something to take seriously. I feel as though we're part of and contributing to a really great community of people beyond Sheffield. Its a great position to be in, because I feel like we've already made it. We're not going anywhere anytime soon, there's a huge amount we want to do, but I don't feel like there will ever be any 'what ifs' if it all ended tomorrow. Obviously Sheffield has created some massive very talented musicians, but that world is completely detached to ours. Maybe its because I didn't grow up in Sheff but I've never felt inspired or nostalgia for the bands from the 'good old days', when A&R men filled pubs in Sheff and even shit bands got deals you would kill for nowadays. If anything its been a fucking nightmare getting people to forget about them and making them realise there's a load of new and exciting stuff happening under their noses, but I think we're winning."
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| Hot. Reckless. Totally Insane. |
What's been your favorite venue to play at?
"The Kazimier in Liverpool was/is an amazing venue, we played there with The Mystery Jets and then with one of my favorite bands Thee Oh Sees. I'm not sure if it's happened yet but they're tearing it down and replacing it with flats. It makes me sad that we'll never be able to headline there."
"The Kazimier in Liverpool was/is an amazing venue, we played there with The Mystery Jets and then with one of my favorite bands Thee Oh Sees. I'm not sure if it's happened yet but they're tearing it down and replacing it with flats. It makes me sad that we'll never be able to headline there."
Do you have any advice for people who want to form their own band?
"So you've decided to start a band. Congratulations. You're entering a polygamous marriage, where you will experience intense bliss and some sorrow, while trying to maintain some kind of balance between dream and reality. In my experience problems arise when you get the balance between these states wrong. You can take things as far as you want to and you will ultimately, as the classic cliche says, get out what you put in. Just don't allow it to take over your life. Like any good marriage, communication is the secret. You will be great together, but also an asshole to each other at times unintentionally or through necessity whether you like it or not. It's important to remember its all in the interest of the love you have for each other and the kids (aka the music). Your music will not be good if you play what you want people to hear. But, if you really wanna make it don't bother with music school. Do a waste of time BA of your choice so you're in an environment with a load of different creative people. Then you just do enough work so they don't kick you out, while writing and playing as much as you can. You'll have had 3 years to crack it, 4 if you stretch it to a masters, and then you'll have to decide if you wanna carry on. If not hopefully you've learned enough to get a real job as a passive aggressive, bitter and jealous A&R man at a major label. But, overall, you'll be having fun all the time and if you're not you need to change something."
"So you've decided to start a band. Congratulations. You're entering a polygamous marriage, where you will experience intense bliss and some sorrow, while trying to maintain some kind of balance between dream and reality. In my experience problems arise when you get the balance between these states wrong. You can take things as far as you want to and you will ultimately, as the classic cliche says, get out what you put in. Just don't allow it to take over your life. Like any good marriage, communication is the secret. You will be great together, but also an asshole to each other at times unintentionally or through necessity whether you like it or not. It's important to remember its all in the interest of the love you have for each other and the kids (aka the music). Your music will not be good if you play what you want people to hear. But, if you really wanna make it don't bother with music school. Do a waste of time BA of your choice so you're in an environment with a load of different creative people. Then you just do enough work so they don't kick you out, while writing and playing as much as you can. You'll have had 3 years to crack it, 4 if you stretch it to a masters, and then you'll have to decide if you wanna carry on. If not hopefully you've learned enough to get a real job as a passive aggressive, bitter and jealous A&R man at a major label. But, overall, you'll be having fun all the time and if you're not you need to change something."
Check them out live on their upcoming October dates:
Saturday 17th - Manchester - Soup Kitchen - A Carefully Planned Festival
Tuesday 20th - Leeds - Beacons Metro Festival
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