An Interview With: Roam

While at 2000 Trees Festival, we had a little chat with the guys from Roam about the new album, touring, and crayons. 

With your release of ‘Backbone’ last year, how are you guys finding it now that touring the album is coming to an end?
It is, it’s coming to an end, which means it won’t be long until the next album is out now. So, it’s been good.

The last 18 months have flown by. It’s been a year since, nearly a year and a half since we’ve been back in the studio

I was going to ask if you had anything up and coming.

Well yeah, so we’ve got an album coming out later this year, at some point. We’re not entirely sure when yet. 

With your release of ‘Backbone’ last year, how are you guys finding it now that touring the album is coming to an end? 

It is, it’s coming to an end, which means it won’t be long until the next album is out now. So, it’s been good. 

The last 18 months have flown by. It’s been a year since, nearly a year and a half since we’ve been back in the studio 

I was going to ask if you had anything up and coming.

Well yeah, so we’ve got an album coming out later this year, at some point. We’re not entirely sure when yet. 

We spent the whole of April recording it. 

Yeah, we’re just waiting to get the final product back to us ourselves. 

Are you guys excited for the new album? 

Very, very excited. 

Any hints on tracks that fans will be looking forward to? 

Not really sure, I think so. 

I’m guessing you guys had a lot of fun being back in the studio? 

Yeah, it was very good. 

Is the newest album a different style to backbone? 

I don’t know, I feel like we’ve found our sound quite a bit more, like I think when we were writing this album it wasn’t a case of ‘oh we want to write a song that sounds like this band’ or we want to write a song that sounds like that band’. 

It’s nice to have your own style, and have something that makes you guys stand out more as a band rather than sounding similar to other bands in the genre

I mean theres something to that, you do kind of have to find your feet a bit, but like I say, I think with this album we’re more finding our sound, and it feels like we’ve got a cohesive collection of songs on this album as well. So it feels like, one piece of it. 

Going back to the topic of the backbone era, what were your highlights of playing the album over the last 18 months? 

We’re lucky enough to have done Warped Tour, we did Japan last year, Australia, Reading and Leeds, Slamdunk. 

A bit of a hectic year and a half for yourselves as a band? 

It’s like bucket list things that we’ve done. 

It sounds like the last 18 months have been crazy for you guys? 

The last 18 months have flown by. It’s been a year since, nearly a year and a half since we’ve been back in the studio. 

On the topic of touring, have you guys got any tour stories you’d like to share? 

I always find it quite hard to summarise really, like we were away a few months ago, where we were away for like 11 weeks in a row. Then you come back home, and people are like ‘so how was it?’ And I just find it really hard to summarise 11 weeks of my life.

Any stand out moments really? 

What did we do? 

I honestly can’t remember….

We’re a bit boring. 

When we went to Japan with, With Confidence, we let off a fire extinguisher in the hotel and destroyed it.

I’d say that’s the only Rockstar thing we’ve done, but I feel like we need to do something else like this soon, instead of us just thriving of that one story.

So you’ve got a bit of break after festival season and just before you start your tour with New Found Glory, have you got any plans for the in-between? 

I think we’ll just be at home and kind of waiting for the album to drop and yeah, it’s a bit of a waiting period.

We’ve been discussing with the new album coming out, like a few ways that we could step it up live. So I feel like, at some point towards the end of that time we’ll have to start rehearsing, and try to figure out how we’re gonna make the songs better live. 

I’m guessing that you’ll be adding a few teasers of the new album while you’re on tour? 

Yeah, we haven’t actually got a timeline. Specifically planned out yet, but definitely later on this year, is when it will all start happening. 

I honestly have no idea how you guys manage to tour nonstop.

You kind of get into the zone with it and you just keep carrying on.

You do what you love and that’s the way it should be. 

What happens to be your worst festival experience? 

Hmm. 

I think I’ve definitely had a few over the years. 

I’ve only really been to one festival where I’ve stayed in a tent.

I went to Hevy Fest quite a few years ago, when I was younger. There was like a really, really ruined up guy. You know when you pitch your tents up in a circle, so you have a space in the middle to hang out. This one guy, that no one knew as he wasn’t part of our ‘group’ just passed out in the middle and I think someone ended up tethering him to a few different points. So that when he ended up, tryingg to get up, it just didn’t work.

I’ve got some mates that have told me stories that have put me off for life. 

Who did you first see in concert? 

Unfortunately, I think mine was Lost prophets, so we won’t talk about that. 

I was into a lot of heavy music growing up, I used to go and watch Architects and stuff when I was 14/15.  I’ve not seen them in years, but I think it was at least 3/4 times, and they absolutely killed it.
I spent most of my time going to heavy music shows, but I think that’s what got me into the alternative scene. 

Although what I have noticed about this whole alternative scene is that, I feel it’s  quite closely linked than I first imagined, it’s not like you’ve got the segregation of any bands that never converse. You end up meeting a lot of different people from a lot of different genres which is pretty cool. 

Have you guys got any influences that encouraged you guys to start making your music? 

Wait, as in band wise or?

In general, although I’m sure you’ve both got bands or musicians that made you go ‘ooh I want to be like that when I’m older’ 

I think we all collectively love Sum 41 when we were growing up. 

I feel like Blink 182. 

Sounds like the big punk bands of the 90’s had an influence on you all growing up. 

Do you guys have one band that you’ve always wanted to go on tour with? 

I think Blink 182.

We’ve played with Sum 41 and some other sick bands, we’ve supported Good Charlotte, Simple Plan and now we’re going on tour with New Found Glory. So the big names when we were growing up, but I think Blink 182 and Green Day would be the last ones left for me. 

Before we start wrapping up the interview, I thought it would be fun to ask a few less serious questions. 

If you were the latest addition to a crayon pack, what colour would you be and why? 

Wow.

To a crayon box? 

I’m a big fan of pastel colours, like clothes wise. Pastel colours are sick, so a pastel blue or pink

Why? Because you like colours? 

Nah, I’m not that vibrant am I? And a bit pale 

What colour would I be? Gosh, it’s a shame that Alex isn’t here, I feel like he’d have some good answers 

Who’s the best cook? 

I’d say probably Sam.

Yeah, me.

He Cooks the most, and he’s into his food. 

Yeah I like cooking, it’s a big pastime of mine actually. 

It must be nice to get back in the kitchen when you aren’t touring 

I did Salmon taco’s last night.

I saw a picture of that actually, it looked pretty good.

Is there any advice that you would like to give to the up and coming bands that are just entering the music scene? 

Hmmm…..quite a good question. It sounds quite basic but, just like, be nice to people, be sociable. 

Yeah talking to people 

Because networking is a huge part of anything to do with music. If you’re just nice to people, talk to people and you’re hard working then people with recognise that. Then people will think, ‘hey, we want to take that band on tour’ they play good, and are really nice people so, we wanna hang out with them. 

Thank you for having us! 

It’s an absolute pleasure 

Interview by Heather Lowe and Joe Dick