After introducing themselves with a wave of rich and riveting releases these last few years, Stoke-On-Trent's Sarcoline are back to their vibrant best once again with their dynamic new single 'Mountain Blue'.
Bringing back more of that broad and euphoric indie-rock aesthetic they have been building for themselves, 'Mountain Blue' makes for a rousing return to form throughout. With its bold and anthemic textures, soaring atmosphere, and mesmerising vocals at every turn, they return to the fold with one of their most captivating cuts to date.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with them to find out more about their origins and what has been inspiring them most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
The first instrument I fell in love with would have to be the guitar. My dad got me my first guitar when I was 7, it was a 1/4 size guitar and I called it little red. I learnt all my first bits of that and really kicked on when I was about 10, where I got my first Fender.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
For me, I grew up on a wide range of music from punk to 50s rock n roll. My dad introduced me to most music early doors, I fell in love with The Beatles (obviously), before that it was Green Day, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly etc. Then as I got older and explored more with music myself, I found myself obsessed with Catfish and the Bottlemen, Kings of Leon and The Strokes. I could go on and on about my favourites.
What was the first album you remember owning?
I had a USB MP3 player you had to plug into the PC to get songs off, that had everything from 50 Cent to Arctic Monkeys on. The first album I remember having would probably be American Idiot, Green Day. I still absolutely love it as well as Dookie and these 2 albums are probably to thank for where I started. I used to dress like Billie Joe Armstrong when I was around 7 and 8, it was also the only situation where my dad would let me swear so that made me enjoy it more!
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
One song I wish I wrote myself, there’s so many I could say! One would definitely be 1979 by The Smashing Pumpkins, I love how it captures that nostalgic feeling of past times, everything about that song is amazing. There are so many others I'd love to have written though like Reptilia, Grace, Don’t Believe a Word, I could go on!
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
No habits that I can put my finger on, the songs just sort of come to me in different ways. Very rarely am I chasing a song, they’re usually written thereabouts within an hour of messing around with them at home.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
My absolute favourite band at the moment would have to be Bad Nerves, they’re incredible. Their songs are punchy, catchy and just really cool, every one I have heard has hooked me in. I’d also say the last Fontaines D.C. record was mint, they’re another band who I really enjoy currently.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
If I could open a show for anyone it would have to be Kings of Leon. I've loved them since I was a kid and every album I have loved, especially the early stuff. The shows would also be massive so that’d be class. However, Catfish and the Bottlemen would be great as they are the band that really spurred me on to be in a band myself so it would be nice going full circle like that. Especially when they let me soundcheck a tune with them when I was 15.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
The most rewarding part about being a musician I would say is when I’ve written a tune at home on my acoustic or just rough into my Mac, then I take it to the lads at the rehearsal room and it forms into a fully fledged number one top song. It’s really cool seeing that progress from being just an idea in my head to something we can put our name on and show to the world.
And what is the most frustrating part?
The most frustrating part would be the fact that we haven’t played Wembley yet.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
The best piece of advice I received as a musician would be to write the music for myself and what I love, that way there’s a better chance of it translating to everybody else as there is a lot more passion behind it than if I was writing to cater to what I think people want to hear. I’ve learnt this over the years and I’m really happy with where we’re at now with our music, there’s so much more feeling and substance.
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Sarcoline's new single 'Mountain Blue' is available to stream now. Listen to it in the player below.