Highlives - Interview
In this new occasion we have the great opportunity to interview the Pop Punk band Highlives from UK, here we will let you their FACEBOOK PAGE to give them a like and follow them. We have nothing more to say, so enjoy this interview!
1.Where did you get the idea for the band name, you planned it or came out just like that?
Mark: The band name came along when I was discussing starting a pop punk band with our now ex-guitarist, we wanted something that we thought would sound cool, so I came up with the name Highlives.
2.Why did you want to play this genre?
Mark: Liam, our ex-guitarist and I were already in a metal core band, Hayley is A Hitman and we found it very stressful, we all loved pop punk and one night I was watching the video of 'History is bunk' by Gnarwolves and thought I want to be in a band playing music and be having as much fun as them, so I messaged out ex-guitarist and Liam. We started playing pop punk cause we loved it and it was fun to play.
Liam: At the time when I was asked to start the band, it was the kind of music I was listening to. It still is. I've gotten into many different kinds of music over the years, but pop punk is one genre I've never completely strayed away from. It was also the genre that lead me away from only listening to typical chart music. In primary school my friend burned Good Charlotte's - The Young and the Hopeless onto a CD for me. I think I felt pretty rebellious listening to it at the time. From that, I think I started to discover a rang of other bands. I remember buying a CD called 'Supercharged' when I was younger. I'm pretty sure my cousin had it too and we were obsessed with it. It had bands like Blink 182, Bowling For Soup, and Sum 41 on it. It's the only reason I know the song 'Do This Do That' by Freefaller.
Ben: I love all kinds of music and have gotten heavily into loads of genres over the years, but pop punk is the one genre I always come back to no matter what!
Steve: I’ve listened to this genre ever since I was about eight years old, this was also when I started playing the drums. I used to listen to bands such as Sum 41, The Offspring, and Blink 182.
3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?
Ben: I was working at Primark and knew Mark, who mentioned that Highlives needed a guitarist and that I should come to a recording session that they were doing to meet everyone.
Mark: I had met Liam through a friend at college. The first conversation I remember having with him was when we were drunk at 5am at my friends house, after we had went out for my 18th birthday. He amazed me by the fact that he lived in Wales but went to college in Bristol. Three years on we now live with each other!
4. Each band member favourite band?
Ben: Blink 182 have been my favourite band since I was small as hell!
Mark: My favourite bands are Stick To Your Guns, Blink 182, Simple Plan, Anti-Flag, Goldfinger, Mest, and Neck Deep.
Steve: I’d say that my all time favourite is most probably Blink 182!
Liam: My favourite band for the past few years has been The Wonder Years. That sounds very typical coming from someone in a pop punk band, I know. But honestly, I just think they're great songwriters and they definitely deserve the recognition that they have.
5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?
Liam: A lot of the time our lyrics are inspired by situations I’ve struggled with myself, or the people around me. I often feel the most inspired to write lyrics late at night or on long journeys, when I get to spend the most time by myself. I have a habit of being very nostalgic in my writing, which comes from reflecting a lot on the past. Writing is often my way of venting my emotions and allowing myself to move on from things. Seeing other bands doing the same thing so confidently and gaining success from it is also very inspiring, especially when they are bands that you idolise yourself.
Ben: The inspiration for my part of the writing process often comes from Liam sending me lyrics. I then try to incorporate the emotions that are portrayed through the lyrics, into music.
Steve: Well I guess my drum parts are very often inspired by bands such as Blink 182, Bring Me The Horizon, The Story So Far, System Of A Down, and Jimmy Eat World.
6. Where was your last gig?
Liam: Our last gig was at The O2 Academy Sheffield. We supported a band called Heaven 17, who it turns out our parents are big fans of. It was a weird line up for us to be on, as we were the only pop punk band playing. We still managed to draw a crowd though which was great!
7. Where would you like to act?
Ben: I would love to tour outside of the UK. I've been to Australia before and it's amazing! I'd love to play a few shows there!
Mark: I'd love to act on Broadway! In all seriousness, I've always had a dream of playing in America!
Steve: I think I speak for us all when I say it would be absolutely incredible to play the main stage at Reading Festival!
8. Whom would you like to feature with?
Steve: It would be amazing to feature with Neck Deep, The Wonder Years, or The Story So Far!
Mark: I think every pop punk band would love to play with Blink 182 or New Found Glory, so a tour with those bands would be sweet! Or even One Direction actually! They're a solid band and when they come back in 2017 it's going to be crazy!
Ben: I would love to play a full gig with Neck Deep! We opened for them at their acoustic show in Wrexham in September last year, and that was amazing! So playing with them as a whole band would be on a whole other level!
9. Whom not?
Liam: We tend to take up nearly every gig opportunity that we have, so I can’t personally think of anyone we wouldn’t want to play with!
10. Any of you has ever suffered from stage fright? Any tip for beginners on how to beat that?
Ben: I used to get stage fright, but it was so long ago and I don't remember how I used to deal with it. These days I try and keep busy watching other bands and warming up before we play, to keep my mind off any nerves that I have.
Steve: Nerves yes, I’ve certainly had those! Stage fright, not so much. Some tips I’d give a band starting out would be to make sure your set is well rehearsed and to make sure that you don't over think things beforehand. I find the moment that you start thinking about what you need to play next, is when you’re most likely to forget.
Liam: As Steve said, I think worrying about what you need to be doing next on stage is a real danger zone. If you relax and have faith in yourself, it’ll come to you.
11. What bands have inspired you the most?
The bands that really inspired me to start playing music were Blink 182 and Simple Plan. I remember watching the bonus DVD from Simple Plan’s album 'Still Not Getting Any’, where they were in Japan, and running into my brother’s room, whom I was in a band with at the time, saying "we need to carry on playing! We need to play in Japan!”.
Ben: Blink 182, A Day To Remember, Biffy Clyro, and Neck Deep are all at the top of the lost for me!
12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?
Ben: I still find it weird, yet awesome that a girl wanted a photo with me after we played with As It Is!
Liam: As Ben also mentioned, I always find it quite unusual when someone asks for a photograph with us, takes our setlist, or anything like that. Don't get me wrong, it's cool as hell! It's just a little surreal as we're just a bunch of normal guys in a band, still trying to get our name out there.
13. What do you think of your fans?
Liam: We couldn't be more thankful towards anybody who takes the time to listen to our music!
14. What do you think of our site?
Mark: I think you're site is great! It’s cool how you’re introducing people to new music!
15. Something to add?
Steve: I have a lucky rubber duck that I carry around with my drum gear. It sits on the kick drum during all gigs and video shoots!
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