Having spent the last few months building up their profile as a wonderfully rich and soaring outfit, Australia's The English Rain are now looking to cement their legacy to date with the release of their debut album 'Echoes Of You'.
With a sound that looks to blend the worlds of indie-pop, alt-country, rock, trip-hop, blues and much more, 'Echoes Of You' makes for a wonderfully bright and diverse introduction to the duo. Filled with captivating hooks, pulsing rhythms, and sweeping lyrics throughout, this new record is definitely one to enjoy after a hard day's work.
So with the album available now, we sat down with them to find out more about their background and what has inspired them most over the years.
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What were the first instruments you fell in love with?
Rickenbacker guitars. They just looked amazing when the Beatles played them, and their sound was like nothing I had heard before.
What has been the most prominent inspiration behind your music so far?
The Beatles made me want to play guitar and the Monkees made me want to be in a band. I think my love of the Beatles stems from the fact that they were amazing song crafters and in the space of seven years were so completely innovative and straddled so many genres. They didn’t seem to be bound by anything other than writing great songs regardless of genre or style.
What kind of music did you love as teenagers?
I loved The Jam, The Smiths, Elvis Costello, The Sunnyboys, The Church, Iron Maiden, Alice Cooper.
What inspires you to make music?
Ultimately it’s about a need firstly to have a creative aspect to my life, but mostly I want to write songs that resonate with people, and that they can identify in a way that makes them feel something and hopefully let’s them know we all experience the same sort of things.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Band of Horses, Ryan Adams, Paul Weller, Tea Party, Todd Rundgren.
How many of your songs have you written about people in your life?
The majority are about people in my life as I find that when you peel back and expose yourself the songs seem more genuine. There are a couple that aren’t as they are songs about life in general or what’s going on with the world. A song like Swamp Girl isn’t about anyone, just some fun lyrics that work together.
What has been the funniest moment in your career so far?
When we were recording the debut album, it was literally one of the most fun times of my life, as the atmosphere was so relaxed and everyone was giving it to each other and we spent so much time laughing.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
I would love to open for Paul Weller.
If you weren’t musicians, what other path do you think you might have taken?
Well we aren’t full time musicians sadly, so I guess I have worked in both the Music and Finance industries and Neil has predominantly worked in IT.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as musicians?
Don’t do it for the money. As long as you play and create music for yourself you won’t be disappointed.
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The English Rain's debut album 'Echoes Of You' is available to stream and download now. Have a listen to it in full via the player below.