The Song is King ft. Unpeople

Bonus episode Maxwell.

Yes, we all love a bonus. We'll have a little freebie.

We do. Unfortunately, for everyone about to listen to our episode with unpeople, not my best social performance.

I I would say first of all, I'd like to make a um sincere apology to uh Em's mum. Um In fact, both of their parents, I believe.

But uh just I was talking about my parents when I was thinking about what I was saying, and the next minute I was offending her parents, and it just wasn't a good reflection of how I feel about the band.

There's also uh which which a smaller insult which came following the bigger one, which I think maybe got lost in the wash there, uh, where you talk about drummers that can sing and completely skip over Richie, a drummer who sings in this current band. Yeah. Watch a music video, you fucking idiot. But otherwise, it's actually a really fun chat.

We have with Richie and M from Unpeople. Their album dropped just the other day, uh, and this is a really fun chat about kind of the chaos that went into the writing, the recording sessions, um, how they sort of internally have a lot of meaning behind the songs that they don't want to put out because they want people to obviously, you know, kind of interpret themselves, but they'll be happily be told that they're wrong.

Um, and then sort of what it's like being that band that bridges the heavy stuff with the pop stuff with the kind of indie sounds. So yeah, it's kind of a bit of a wide-ranging chat. Uh, where you want to insult the fuck out of some people.

Yeah, so sorry in advance. I do actually like unpeople as people and as a band. Uh it's not my best social interaction ever, but you get that on the big jobs. You certainly do, Sam. Well, over to you to uh kick us off and we start this as friends generously giving up their day off on tour to do press with us, Max.

Crazy. We are joined by Richie and M from Unpeople. Welcome to the show. It's a pleasure to have you guys on. We start the same way with every single guest we talk to, and we just want to understand what you're listening to lately.

Oh I mean, we're currently on tour with a band called Don Broco, so I'm listening to a lot of them at the minute.

Every night?

Yeah, it's great.

You can't get sick of it.

Their new album was probably gonna be very up there in my album of the year anyway, and now I'm getting to hear so much of it live every night, it's just an absolute treat.

How does it hit live? We had Rob on the show not too long ago, and we were this was before we knew Nickelback were on the album and Sam Carter and all that stuff. How does it hit live?

So good, so good, they are such a tight amazing. I mean, they've been playing together as the four of them for like quite a long time now, and it you can tell, like what especially watching it side stage, like they are so tight, and the crowds have been absolutely mental as well. Like when they play pretty, the entire crowd is just one big mosh pit slamming to breathing and breathing.

Yeah, it's like live music is that it brings people together, so to see everyone as one gelling mass. It's great. Yeah, we want that.

Yeah, we're getting that in like a more a small a smaller scale in these shows. Like we played Liverpool a couple of days ago, and honestly, that kind of felt like one of our headline shows. The crowd was tremendous. It was great.

It won't take long. I'm sure it'll be that'll be you guys in no time at all. Before we dive into the album, uh I suppose a bit of a rewind for listeners who maybe aren't fully across the unpeople uh you know story. You guys have all uh come together, you've had other musical projects before you all came together into the band, and there's been a few iterations of the lineup as well.

But I suppose uh between you guys, what what songs, what artists, what albums were kind of the the ones that bonded you guys when you came together as a band?

I think off the top of my head, the bands that we all love, Muse, is up there a lot. I think we're we're all pretty big Muse fans. System of a Down is up there as well. Lincoln Park. Yeah, yeah, that's that's there. Then I don't know because we all like I feel like what I love about being in this band is that like we all have quite different music tastes, but they all gel together.

So that's why you get songs like Clouds where it's like cheesy pop chorus and then goes into a blast beat.

I was gonna say it's chaos are the best of the times, but it feels like bands are doing that more and more. Like the blending of sounds seems to be just perfect for everyone's ADHD, you know what I mean?

Pretty much, yeah. You've got to be unique where you can, but it's not like we're not doing it with the intention of being unique, it's just like it would feel really boring to try and just sound like this other band that you heard. You know what I mean?

Like Yeah, when we make music, that's just kind of what comes out of us. It's like the music that we've consumed before it comes in, and then we all interact and jam and then it jumbles up and cooks in the pot, and then what comes out the other side? It's not that we're trying to make that come out the other side, it's just that well, there that is that's the product of pretty much of our interaction and what we've consumed.

Well, I mean, we are on people is the debut record, and for listeners, it's out now when by the time they hear this, which you know. So, congratulations, fantastic uh to hear it. We got it, we got a little sneak peek uh before it dropped, and as you mentioned, it's kind of at some times super catchy, pop chorus kind of sound, and then other times it's just like punch you in the teeth shit.

I suppose was there like the pull of gravity throughout the recording process that pulled you one way or the other, and and did you have to fight that back to make sure that each song had a little bit of each, or did it just as you said, like did it just come out that way?

I think it was it was pretty natural to be honest. Like with clouds, it was just like, wouldn't it be really funny if it just went to a blast beat right now and then it's just like you jam it and you're like, yeah, that's perfect.

So yeah, it's it's like the sections are there because they feel really good to us. And so there's a level of quality control which I love with this album, where nothing went on the record that wasn't approved by everyone's taste. So we do a lot where we'll write in the room and then we'll cut you know play around with ideas and then we'll we'll go and jam it on our instruments and then go back into the studio and play around with structures and things like that.

So nothing goes in just for the hell of it, it's there because it helps the song, and like the song is is king, like that's ultimately what we're striving for. It's not box ticking and being like, oh, we should do this, or you know.

Yeah, there isn't much like writing to a brief. It's kind of just like if this feels right, we'll do it. Aside from like there's little bits like um the song As You Were. We were like, we want an epic closer.

Yeah, we want everyone to cry now.

Yeah, so that's like a little bit of a brief, but then it's not a brief in terms of like it has to have this sound, it's like we want that emotion in ourselves to come out when we're writing it.

It did we noticed that pretty early on, didn't we? Yeah, it was sort of like in an early iteration, we're like, Well, this is an album closer, yeah. And so sort of lent into it, but it wasn't like okay, we should write an album closer now. Yeah.

I mean, on the songs, I'd love to ask you about look up because it blends this sort of industrial sound with a bit of thrash at times. Like when you're in the studio creating that song, how did that all come together? Did it start as one genre and then evolve, or was it a deliberate thing?

The ending of that song was the one thing on the whole album where Emma was like, nah, it was not clear.

Stop it.

Come on, then come on, Emma. Wait, wait, listen though, listen out for a minute.

And now and now I'm like, yeah, this is wicked. I'm so happy this went on.

Yeah.

That's that was an example of like um the guys like threw a demo together, and then I came and listened to it, and I was like, How the fuck do I play that? It's really technical and it's really hard, but I've got it now. It's all good.

You do that. Because when M was recording bass for that, I I watched you improving at recording bass in real time.

Oh, thanks, man.

Because at the start, she's meant, you know, there were times where she's like, that's quite a lot. Like, how are we gonna do that? And then you just meant but you you way overcame it. It was amazing. Yeah, everyone did a really good job on this album.

Learning on the job and as you go. I mean, when you're in the studio, are there any ideas that you float around that you're like shit? Okay, I need to we need to dial this back because that's just too much. Like, where do you draw the line?

There's no line.

Alright, for the song, there is no line. Yeah. Like, if it's just there for the sake of it, that's kind of the line, I think. Yeah. But we've always got ideas. It's more about closing doors than it is trying to come up with ideas. Yeah. Like we've got an abundance of ideas and tangents at every second of the day.

Yeah. It's trying not to indulge certain ones, which is our difficulty.

Yeah, we're living in a crazy maze of doors.

Yeah, yeah. Like, what's in here? Whoa! Like just little doors all over the place when we're writing and recording.

Does that mean that a lot of the time uh you know you've got the the production team who are in there with you sort of going, okay, let's leave some of these doors unopened? This is us.

This is why it sounds like us, is because it's just us. So we record uh my studio, um, but we also write there as well. So we do the demos there, come up with a finished song, and then we go and track and record that to the best of our abilities, and it then improves and steps up again, which is is really great, and just go through every job and one at a time.

But it means no one is there to tell us not to. It's like the substitute teacher has walked out of the classroom and left her laptop open, and then we're like, here we go.

I I pulled my shoulder yesterday and just doing that in the fun of the moment.

Oh no. Oh no. On the day off, too. That's not the way you want to start it. I'll be fine.

We we can't go physically injuring people during interviews. We need to we need to pull it back. Our insurance does not cover this, I'm sorry.

That that'd be a new territory for us, I think.

It's interesting that you mentioned as you were, which is the the record closer. Throughout the the the whole album, you there's this kind of very um cynical, almost like outside looking in approach, like thematically throughout the record. Like a lot of the emotional core of it is that kind of uh you know, that approach, especially you think of a song like Friends, which is kind of a love song, but in like a very flipped, in inside out kind of way.

But as you were as you were like at the end, you mentioned like feels like this big, epic, triumphant closer, but at the same time as a real like fuck you to society. Is there a like that kind of thematic sonic irony that is the secret source at the at the core of all of the young people tracks?

I think I mean Jake is the main lyricist of the band, and I think from what he's told us, it's been a really fun journey for him trying to write lyrics that are a bit more like he has a definite meaning of what it is, but trying to keep it quite open-ended so everyone can have their own interpretations of the lyrics and take what they want out of it.

Like, there's definitely been songs on the album that I thought was about something, and then Jake's like, Whoop, you're wrong.

So it's not like here's what we think, you should think this, it's more like have you thought about this? And then you go away and maybe you're having a shower and you think about some things. Um, and it's sort of whatever it means to you, which is different for each person, which I really love about these lyrics.

But yeah, I feel like thematically there is a a coherency, and also like, yeah, on this one a nice disparity. Uh yeah.

I mean, I want to talk genre matching because it like you guys said, it's something that comes quite naturally, but from a production side, you're doing it all in-house, and how does that what does that process look like? Is there ever sort of uh a jigsaw puzzle that you have to really sort of accurately put together in the production side?

Because I can imagine when you're blending all these different sounds, it could have I guess the You'd have to approach it trepidatiously, maybe, in case it becomes muddy. Like, how do you polish it?

It's sort of like you've got a jigsaw puzzle, but there isn't really a finished picture on it. So you can make the picture be whatever you want it to be.

You've just gotta like suspend the individual pieces a little bit.

Yeah, it's sort of like Lego, where you can make it be whatever you want it to be.

I like that analogy actually. That hasn't been the Lego analogy, is it not? I don't think so. I'm a part of that.

Just cut a few corners off, it'll fit.

Yeah.

Each song has multiple puzzle times, so there'll be like um like a harmony section where Luke might sit there for a second and just like move some notes around for quite a long time, and then he's like, Oh, there it is! I don't touch it, and then you know, we'll have that multiple times throughout the song, or we'll try different band fills together, and you know, does one person do this while another person does this?

And just trying all of the variables out. In fact, one of the the sort of mantras from this album has been no stone left unturned, which is really fun to say now, but at the time it means when you say trying every option. We're like, yeah, that's definitely the best option. I know because we tried the other 99.

That's a lot of stone turning, it's a lot of time spent turning.

And it's always funny when when you come back to the first stone.

Oh, that's the worst part about it, isn't it? With any with any project. Right now we know. Now we know. You guys as a band have been described both as the heaviest band to be on indie lineups, and when you're at a heavy show, you're the the lightest poppyest band. Do you find that that kind of disparity is uh uh you know a a trouble?

Do you have to carve a niche for yourselves, Blazer Trail, or do you find that it's more like there's this curiosity and people want to come and find out what the fuck's going on here?

I love it. Yeah, it's like you know, we could we could support Weezer, we could support System of a Down, maybe we could support Slipknot in some mad world. But it's like a one- Only with masks. Yeah, oh, yeah. It was um before I joined the band, you guys played Kendall Calling Festival in the UK, which is a bit more on like the pop indie side.

So it always, you know. We love that. And we we noticed that everyone loves to have a good time, and that's what we love doing. It's like when we meet all of the crew, all of the audiences, all of the line-ups, no matter what genres people are into, everyone loves having a good time. Yeah, so we just come and spread that joy.

And there's like at least one part of the song in terms of like the sonic sound of it that someone would like. Like my mum, for instance, loves Smother, but cannot will not listen to Kangarooben because it's too screamy. It's that screamo stuff, that death metal stuff. Not quite into that stuff yet, but I'll, you know, I'll be in this band for a lot more years and eventually she'll just have to like it.

You gotta give them you gotta give the old timers a gateway in, you know. Slow and steady, they'll get there. Yeah, yeah. I call my parents sorry, sorry. Ice cold, Sam. Ice cold. Sorry. I call my parents old timers.

If I just text her out of the blue, it's barely enveloped third year old.

I'm off to a flyer tonight. Oh my god, Janine's gonna get a making mates here, yeah. Yeah. Gee whiz. Um, no, I was gonna say, you guys are obviously on tour with Don Broker, who famously, you know, the the genre mashes of the UK, like what's it been like touring with them and you know, seeing just how the you know the pros bring it to life and I feel like they've got a mantra, they don't give a fuck, they're just gonna do whatever they want and play whatever they want.

100%. I mean, they're one of the most hardworking bands I know. Like they've been a unit for I think over 15 years at this point. It's been such a long time, but they are just the nicest dudes ever, put on an amazing show, really care about what they do, and it shows, and all of their crew is lovely as well.

Like it's just been a really great experience overall, like so far.

Everything seems to be leaning towards sustainability. There's like every interaction, every part of what they do with their day leading up to the show, it's just like they could just keep doing that again and again, they keep delivering, uh always giving 100%. Yeah, it's inspiring. I love this.

And I mean, a drummer who can sing that well at the same time, insulting. Oh my goodness! How did I not know this? Max, I didn't do my research properly. Oh mate. Apparently.

We've gone good cop, bad cop in this interview, and Sam's gone real bad cop.

I've been gassing up the wrong person. I should be gassing up Richie at this stage.

Matt is amazing as well. One thing I've learned about Matt is that he has the most incredible posture when he drums.

He's yeah, it's really great. And he does vocal warm downs after every show.

See, oh that's a good thing.

Yeah, so he does the warm-ups, and we started doing the bit of yoga together as well. So we're getting a little pre-show, post-show um routine, which is gonna be really nice. But his I really like his upper register as well. It's really open.

Yeah.

And so I find that uh quite inspiring. Watching inside the stage. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, he does a lot of singing.

Oh, he's great.

It's just neti pots backstage, just neti pots galore. Everyone's cleaning them cleaning themselves out. Beautiful.

What's a n a neti pot?

A neti pot, it's like uh it's one of those they're they're kind of gross. It's like a little thing of water, and you like pour it through your nose and like runs through your sinuses and cleans it all out. And then a lot of apparently it's Mark Hoppers' big thing, is he does it before every show, he does a big neti pot thing, and uh that's his that's his apparently a secret.

Oh, pass. Yeah, I'm good. Yeah.

Okay, we'll pass that on to Mark next time we're chatting.

He made me go like, oh gods, no, that sounds way too amazing.

We go into a straw into a bottle, and then we do a vocal warm-up together, which is nice. We do that, and then we do a little whoa, whoa, whoa, hey, hey, hey, which is fun. That's pretty good, yeah. Then we uh go into the show.

Yeah.

That sounds way better than nettie pots, yeah. Fuck the naddy pots. Uh before we let you go, we know obviously with the tour with the album dropping and you guys being on tour, 2027 is already looking pretty chockers, but we'd be very rude to not ask. Is there a chance that we might see you guys down under uh touring in in sometime next year?

I would love nothing more because I still have this voice in my head that says Australia isn't a real place. I love it. I I love Australia so much. The idea of Australia sounds great to me, but I need to see it with my own eyes and I need to cuddle a one bat really badly.

As paid actors, it's really hard to do the accent all the time. Like, it's so difficult to really just do this and have this whole persona. It's really fucked.

Can we come and stay with you? Because if we have somewhere to stay, we'll come.

It's expensive. If you can pay for uplights and like the visa and everything, then easy.

I'll tell you what, spare spare rooms ready to go.

Yeah. Max will do a com, I'll do the visas, and then we'll talk to the wombat. I don't like I don't I haven't heard too many people say they want to cuddle a wombat. Usually it's the koala that gets the love.

Yeah, I mean koalas are great as well, but my Instagram Explore page, as soon as you open it, it's just full of wombats or quokers. We've got wombat.

Yeah, very cute.

Do we? I think so. If we do, tours off. I'm gonna be the little kangaroos. No, that's a wombat. Uh wombat Which one's a wombat?

You're you're thinking of uh wallaby?

Wallaby Yeah, we have them here. We have them.

Really?

Wombat is sort of like a table.

Wombat's sort of like a small, like a dog a dog's about a dog size, like a small dog. They kind of look like a bear, but they're like they walk on four legs and they're just really cute little like fluff balls.

I'll show you my Instagram later. It's full. Yeah.

Yeah. I've never had to describe a wombat, and I was like, oh fuck, how do I do this?

You guys rock out. So yeah, we'll be down. We'll be down. First opportunity we can, we're there, we're there.

Beautiful. Well, we are unpeople is the debut record from Unpeople. It's landing on October 9th, so make sure to get it wherever you get your music. Catch them live across the UK and Ireland in January next year before they hop across the continent for it shows all across Europe in February. Richie and M, thanks so much for taking the time to chat to us today.

Thank you so much.

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