The Internet really is useful tool. Whether it’s shopping, chatting to people or discussing bad movies it is definitely the greatest invention since sliced bread.
Many new bands take advantage of the Internet as a starting platform for their music, and why not?
Millions of people surf the web every day, but is the internet becoming an easy way to gain status as a musician? Bandidge caught up with hot new pop sensation Scouting For Girls’ frontman Roy Stride by phone, to ask the pivotal question…
You’ve built up quite a fan base through MySpace and the Internet; is the Internet an easier way to get heard?
“Definitely. We’ve probably spent more time building an Internet fan base for ourselves than we have doing anything else, like recording or touring for people. It’s just a lot easier. For example if we’d just played local gigs then our friends and families would have turned up, watched us, then left. You don’t get outside attention.
Whereas with the Internet, straight away we had 3,000 people sign up to our fan site. It’s just an easier way to get listened to now. So many people can hear your music.”
Do you think it’s then easier to make it in the mainstream?
“When you sign with a major label like we did it’s not just down to one thing. There’s like a crack team of people that work flat out to help you. There’s more money, more time so the Internet isn’t just going to help because there’s so many other factors.
“I still believe in the power of a song and making it happen yourself. When we started with the Internet we’d given up our jobs and worked really hard to get heard within six months.”
Is the internet replacing the good old tradition of touring your arse off in order to get heard?
“I don’t think so. There’s no replacement for that. If you’re playing your music to people who’ve come to listen to you then there’s nothing better than the live experience. Obviously no-one’s going to come and hear you play at a gig if they haven’t heard of you or your music so the Internet is helpful. It goes hand in hand with touring. But there’s no replacement to the live experience.”
Your sound’s very original (Pop styling mixed with childhood innocence and experiences). Does your sound come from being lifelong friends? Is it easier to write music and be in a band, because of going through those experiences together?
“I can’t really imagine being in a band and not being friends. You spend that much time together. It’s a bit cliché but we are like family. No one can get away with anything. If anyone’s down then it’s easier to talk to each other because we’ve known one another for so long. I’ve known the guys for years. It’s just easier that way to write music.”
Does your music fit into any kind of genre in Britain at the minute or can you claim to be something different?
“I think we fit into a really exciting music scene at the minute in Britain. There’s some really good music out now and like a big upsurge of pop artists developing more in to songwriters. The Pigeon Detectives, Kate Nash, Jack Penate are all brilliant.
“They’re like really poppy acts with an edge. Still good old traditional songwriters that still embrace pop music like us. It was like when I was in school and in the early 90’s there was this big music upsurge with Britpop becoming big with Oasis and Blur; it’s a similar thing going on now and it’s great that we’re a part of it.”
Radio 1’s Scott Mills named both your first singles as ‘Singles of the week’ on his show. Has this increased your popularity and opportunities?
“Radio 1 was probably one of the first stations to take notice. But all the radio stations have been brilliant in helping us. I remember when I was just reading my emails and apparently Scott Mills had mentioned on air about our fan site called Wolf Cubs and what they do.
“I remember just clicking ‘refresh’ on my emails and all of a sudden there was like 100 emails from people wanting to join the Wolf Cubs. And we spent like a week hand making badges and membership cards to send out. It was crazy, radio definitely helps and it’s made a massive difference.”
Your sound shows some really obvious pop influences such as Simon and Garfunkel. Are there any other surprising influences in your writing?
“I’ve had like three or four major bands that have influenced me in terms of writing and that have just made a difference with me in general. R.E.M were a major band that initially got me into music. They were like the soundtrack to my life. But I’ve never been a music snob, just listening to one band.
“I can like anything. I just love great pop music. Whether it’s cool American indie/pop music or like manufactured I’m just a fan of good music. If it’s a good tune I’ll listen.”
Both of your first singles It’s Not About You and She’s So Lovely were quite similar light-hearted pop songs. When your album’s released will it show a different side to your music?
“Yeah I hope so. There will be a few ballads on there but there’s gunna be some edgier stuff as well and a few harder songs. Our first two singles were fairly similar but we didn’t even think we’d get on the radio originally, nothing more than a few reviews.”
You’ve had a string of great gigs that musicians would die for; any in particular that were memorable or helped you make a name for yourselves?
“Playing at Maida Vale studios for Huw Stephens was amazing. We did that before we even had any management and we were doing it all ourselves. We just kept sending demos in and he and his producers really like our work so we came in and did a set.
“All radio sessions are great fun. We played XFM and that was a pretty rock ‘n roll day because we played another acoustic set that day, and in between these we were drinking way too much beer, and yet even when we did this acoustic set completely drunk it actually sounded better than the sober XFM one!”
Where would you like to see your music take you?
“I’m not too sure on that. I know I’ll always be writing. I’ve been writing songs ever since I’ve played the guitar. It’s the thing I most enjoy doing. So to do that as a living and get paid for it is brilliant. It’s been such a crazy year for us and it just all started for us. It’s so much more than we ever expected.”
You could argue the toss as to whether the MySpace craze is replacing the good old traditions of touring for years. Maybe it is easier to get yourselves heard these days.
Technology will always progress and new fads come into play. But as long as bands like Scouting For Girls, the real musicians and real fans believe in the good old traditions of writing music and playing good songs, we’ll never lose what being a musician is all about - the music.
