Liam,
Tom, Matt, Ramsey and James make up Leeds-based band Goldsands whose Facebook
page defines their music as a mixture of “jazz harmony, pop melodies,
atmospheric synths, vocal harmonies, hooky guitar riffs and emotional intimacy”.
We caught up with the guys as they enjoyed their tour of the UK, fuelled by
chocolate fingers passed around during the interview, to ask them about their
atmospheric new single ‘A Place Far Away’, which was described by Matt from the
band.
“Musically
it starts off slow and intimate then builds up and then there’s a section right
at the end where everyone can sing-a-long. It’s quite cinematic. It’s written
about a film, and inspired by that, which is why it’s cinematic.”
Inspired
by ‘Lost In Translation’, the movie with Bill Murray and Scarlet Johannsen, we
inquired further about why that film inspired this song. “My brother recommended
the film. I was watching it very late at night and I was very tired and usually
I would fall asleep but the story just captured my imagination, and it came out
pretty quickly the next day when I decided to write a song about it.”
The
band confessed that such sources are big inspiration for them as songwriters. “I’ve
written songs about Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Drive, Interstellar; I like writing
songs about something really powerful. When you watch a film you can hear music
with things, and I feel like it’s all connected, and that’s why sometimes it’s
easy to write music to films, especially when you see a great story and it’s
inspiring.”
But
would they take up the opportunity to make music for a film if they could? “If
they offered it to us I don’t think we’d turn it down! We’ve really enjoyed
doing that kind of thing!”
‘A
Place Far Away’ was initially self-produced by the band. We asked them if this helped
keep the record true to what they wanted it to sound like. “Looking back on it
a producer might have held us back in a way as we’ve each got such a clear
vision of what we want to sound like, and we all work together to create that,
and I think it shows in the end product. We spent so much time on it; we spent
nine days recording it, mixing it and making it perfect, agonising over the
smallest detail as we wanted it to be so perfect.
“Personally
I was sceptical going into it without a producer as a lot of time it’s good to
get someone in there to hone your thoughts but I felt like it gave us more
freedom to experiment and nothing was holding us back with production; it all
worked really well and we enjoyed it.”
Goldsands
are in the middle of a tour which started in London last Thursday and has so
far included Birmingham where they got a great turnout, and was also a headline
slot. In fact the only issue is the band not having a van. “We’ve been squished
into the back of a tiny car! But it’s part and parcel of being in a band!”
With
the members so close on the travel we asked if they got on in such close
proximity. “We get on most of the time. I mean we bicker, but James and Ramsey
are like a married couple!
“We
get on with it considering how much time we spend together. When we recorded
the single we literally were together 24-hours a day, but it made us stronger
as friends and connect with the music better.”
The
band described their live sound, which you can see on their current tour, as
full of energy. “Our tunes are really immersive on the recording so we try and
replicate that live. We tend to pick up the dynamics and make it more exciting
for a live show. We try to be really animated on stage, and dramatise it, as it
is quite dramatic and cinematic music.
“We
try to leave no gaps in terms of sound in our set. We just want it to be almost
like one big piece of music!”
A
video is lined up for their new single and is due out early November, and will
capture the cinematic feel of the band. “It’s being filmed at Left Bank Church in
Leeds and there will be contemporary dancers doing a choreographed dance to
[the song]. We’re really looking forward to that and getting it out there!”
Looking
ahead, the band are hoping to record an EP in January at the same location,
which they had a great time at, and again will be self-produced. “We want to
experiment with a couple of things; maybe get people in,” they said about it,
with hopes for it to be out in February alongside more live dates.
Before
our time was up with the band we caught up about their visual identity and the
light-house on their logo. “It’s a pretty literal connection but we thought it
was a lovely little emblem, and something you can associate with us. Most great
bands have something you can associate with them: The Rolling Stones have the
tongue, the Stone Roses have the lemons, and we wanted to make something for us
like that.”
Finally
what are the band’s dreams for the future? “We want to get into regular
festival slots. An ideal goals for us would be Reading and Leeds and more
ambitious would be Glastonbury. If we set the bar high it makes you work hard
and we’ll get something out of it.
“We’re
gigging at the end of this year and next year as well, to let people hear our
music and see what we’re about, and develop a fanbase, and go from there,
taking every day as it comes.”
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