UP RIVER interview

Interview by marcs77

UP RIVER, who formed in 2011, are a young and up and coming hardcore outfit hailing from Midlands UK (Brighton) that released their debut 7” “Rough Ground” on Anchors Aweigh records (Break Even, Dead Swans, Lighthouse, November Coming Fire and Revolution Summer among the others). The band's debut follows-up to their demo cassette out last summer on Pinky Swear records.
During their second stint this year here in Europe gotanerve-zine caught up with them to learn everything about their short yet hectic history, their music and musical background, their views about UK hardcore, their fresh impressions about the show they did just play and more.

As I wrote once on the pages of Truesidemusic (it was some years ago) every interviews comes with its own story and this one makes no exceptions. In the first place the interview was meant to be done via email (no sure to be able to attend their show) but since at very last minute things cleared out good I drove to the TNT in Milan to catch their show and after they were done and sweaty I just stepped up to the singer and asked whether they had time for me to spill a bunch of questions. I actually had to make up those questions right on the place but after moving out in the street the guys replied them all (at times talking one over each other -though Harry and Tom did most of the talk) until their tour mates in Rough Hands and the driver picked them up to move to the next venue. So time to say goodbye and thank them for this kinda weird but lots of fun interview.

gan: Please introduce your band.

We hail from west midlands in the UK, I'm Harry and I play bass, I'm Sam and I play drums, I'm Alex I'm the vocals and I'm Tom and I play guitar.

gan: Wanna add something more?

I guess we're kind of hardcore punk rock metallic band. We started about a year and half ago and this is our second European tour. We basically started the band because we just weren't too satisfy with the music around us, you know, we've grown up with a lot of metal. I grew up on kind of a nu-metal thing which is now fading out...we were not satisfy with the actual state of hardcore music in the UK, I mean, I don't know how you other guys feel about it...but...

The music that we play...we get so much of what we play...

Shows in the UK are fun but...bands giving their all, put everything out, you know, on the table, you know, it's so important in this type of music...in the UK there not much passionate bands...they gimmick it, yes...there's a lot sweating but it seems they're not trying to do something new they're all following the same format. We actually wanna write songs and we fuckin spend hours and hours to craft, you know, songs that have a fuckin feeling, a story and are interesting to listen to. I think we stand out a lot from a lot of UK bands. We've found our own sound...I think I've never heard something like this before. I love it because I love to see the reaction of kids at shows.

gan:  And what about tonight? I mean there were just a few guys out...

It was unexpected. We played quite late at night and didn't expect kids to come.

gan:  But that's common in Italy...

Yeah, in England is different...but kids came out and it was really surreal, really cool. Because, again, we're far from home and like seeing people knowing us and singing along to our songs...it's like whoa! is this really happening? It means the world to us...such a good feeling...you know, flogging in a dead horse...when we have people singing to our words we know what we do is relevant. It is important in this kind of scene we come off to get support and kind of that attitude because otherwise it's kind of like...it's really boring.

When you're singing along with five/six people there you get that sense of unity, you know, it's enough, we love to bring out the show.

It's not like this in UK, like big bands helping each other out, promoters helping each others...it's very like dog eat dog. Tonight was a perfect example...there wasn't a hundred of people that came down but the people that came down were really into what we're doing and that's how we feel as well...we play harder we play better it's a great feeling.

gan:  How many gigs did you play on this tour? Is it your first night?

It's our fourth we've got two more Italy shows.

gan:  Where?

Ahh...good question...hehe...

I don't know...we have to ask to the other guys to find it hehehe...but we really look forward to these shows.

gan:  You guys have your first 7” out, do you wanna talk about this?

Yeah...it's out on Anchor Aweigh records, basically it's like two old songs that we had on the demo and two brand new ones. We're stunned to be on Anchor Aweigh records...it's a great label and we can't think anything best. When we got approached by them it was like...ohhh we listened to the bands on that label and we're gonna be on the same roster as these bands...three years ago we were like no happens. They had great bands like Swan, Break Even, a massive influence on us.

gan:  Did you get the chance to meet with Andrè?

No, no yet, we haven't met the man. The man meets the legend hehe...

gan:  And what other expectations you have on the gigs, places you have yet to play?

We have got one day off and we're gonna hung around in that city and do our tourist thing. You know, it's lot of fresh air, it's better than what we do at home...it's better to drive 6 hours to play a show here in Europe than play in a pub in UK every day. In Europe are so much more receptive. When we first came here in Europe in January we didn't expect such big reaction...Europe is the place. Makes you wanna do more.

gan:  Earlier on you were talking about writing songs with a story. Do you have any massage you wanna address through your lyrics?

Basically...we're just...angry, we're young. Individually you can see a lot of stuff like moving around the country, trying to get the band practicing...there's lot of stuff that we hate and we love doing. I mean we all love being in this band as well. Our love is about the fact that...we're playing and enjoying our music, you know, we're not kind like we're not making a fuckin career we have to work we have to do shit jobs to do, you know, this thing we love...I don't know how to say this...it's not mainstream music so...but when you get into this music...we got into this music for the genuine love, you know...we try and evolve with stuff I don't want to do the same song twice. We are all influences by different things, it's not just hardcore we take influences from so many bands and we bring a lot together.

gan: Just to jump onward in time, where do you see your band in a couple of year time?

To make as soon as possible a new release. More and more and more touring definitely, you know, I speak for myself but I'd like to go to states as well (they all agree). Or further out in Europe, like in Spain Portugal you know, stuff like that, there are a lot kids out there who are really into this stuff. That's like. We'll see what happens how this release we just put out gets received.

When we started this band we didn't have really any plans or anything and now we came for the second time in Europe it was like so all this happens really fast hehehe...I'm happy. We'll be still fuckin angry as we are now, as always I say we are the underdogs, (a yeah collectively) specially in the UK, we're not gonna rest on our laurels so trying to be the best band we can I suppose. Play shows and rock the fuck out!

gan: Ever heard about labels joining forces together to release a work in a very DIY fashion. A thing quite strong in Italy HC scene. Do you have anything similar going in UK at the moment?

gan: I don't know...labels, not so sure what's like in UK because UK is still kind of behind...it's still growing there's still a growing scene.

gan: Okay, okay I just don't wanna take you more time also considering I hadn't prepared anything for this interview. Do you wanna add something?

Thank you for your fuckin support, check us out, come to our shows, buy our 7”...it means a lot. We wanna put new music out by the end of this year so after this tour we'll start writing. See you soon.

Check: www.facebook.com/upriverhc

Live pic by TheBird&TheWorm photography