Big in 2013: Shields

Having recently released their luminous and hued debut EP ‘Kaleidoscope’ to considerable affirmation from the blogsphere and ratted up some pretty impressive airplay, they’re currently working on the album which is set to follow next year.

We caught up with them to see how the they're planning on building on 2012’s success, talk sock puppets and find out how they already have a fan in Miss Kylie Minogue.

Ok so, I’m sure you’re sick and tired of answering this question by now but can you give our readers a brief introduction to the band? How did it come about?
The band formed at the start of 2011 and we had our first gig in May 2011. There are five of us – Luke, Richard, John, David and Tom. Between us we play three guitars, bass, two keyboards, drums, and three vocals. We all met each other through being in various bands in Newcastle music scene.

Having listened to your debut EP Kaleidoscope I notice you’ve quite a complex, layered thing going on. How would you best describe your sound?
Well you just used the word we like to use. It’s layered. Most music is layered but we try to do it in interesting ways by using interweaving melodies and harmonies with unusual rhythms and counter rhythms. We make the most of dynamics and try to make it colourful. We also don’t like to stick to a formula, so hopefully it is quite varied.

With new bands cropping up all the time, what do you think Shields offer than no-one else can? What’s your unique selling point?
A lot of bands seem to pick up on something that works well and then re-use it over and over again. We get bored very easily, however, so hopefully we will keep surprising people with our new stuff. I think there are loads of brilliant bands that do this so it’s just a matter of taste.

What would you say have been your highlights as a band so far?
Travelling is always fun. A highlight for me (Luke) was playing Paris in February. It was the first date of a European tour and absolutely brilliant. Hearing our songs being played on Radio One was pretty special for us too.

Recent single ‘Mezzanine’ has the most splendid accompanying video that includes sock puppets, was this your idea?
Nope we can’t take credit for that. The brilliant director Vicky Simmons came up with the idea. We had worked with her before on a different video plus she did the artwork for the EP. When she suggested the idea to us it was a unanimous yes! (which is rare for us as we usually argue or debate everything for weeks before we make a decision).

You hail from Newcastle, a city that has borne many great bands over the years. Did you find any of them influenced you in wanting to start your own band?
I think we have all wanted to be in bands for as long as we can remember but it certainly spurs you on when there so many brilliant artists around you.

You’ve spend the majority of the year touring the UK and Europe, how’s that been for you? Do you think it helped build your confidence and gain experience ready for the EP launch?
Definitely! The gigs in Europe especially helped as we were kind of thrown in at the deep end. We were supporting a band called Dispatch who were selling out 3000 capacity venues where the crowds were very receptive. You can also take a lot of inspiration from seeing loads of live bands that you might not have necessarily seen otherwise.

Your debut EP was released this week and you’ve very kindly made it free to download from your website. Are you happy with the reaction you’ve had so far? I’ve seen lots of positive press!
We have been quite overwhelmed by the response! Even Kylie tweeted about the video! It’s very cool to be featured on so many blogs that we all use ourselves to find new music.

There’s a cover of SBTRKT’s ‘Pharaohs’ on there and you’ve recently done remixes for Bear Cavalry and Maximo Park. Is that something you’re keen to do more of?
Absolutely! Purely because it’s a lot of fun.

As a relatively new band on the scene, can you tell us something that no-one else knows about you yet?
We will be the first band to play on the moon. Fact.

And finally… 2013 is fast approaching, what’s in store for Shields?
More of the same hopefully. We are currently working on material for an album. We also just confirmed a tour around Germany in February plus we will also see you at some festivals over the summer!

facebook.com/behindshields

Interview: Michelle Lloyd

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