Blossoms interview: We've brewed the perfect storm

Image: Blossoms 

Driving through Stockport after Blossoms could've filled the tent they were playing at Y Not festival three times over, a huge billboard advertising their soon to come debut album is visible beside the train station.

It wasn't always like this for the band though. They've always looked and sounded sharp as hell, but that didn't come without trawling the country in a tour van in search of exposure and airplay. 

Groovy pop numbers, airtight songwriting and a blood knuckled work ethic has always been their formula; social media points out that being a bunch of Stockport lads who enjoy a pint together also adds greatly to that. 

Indeed working class roots have helped churn some of Britain's greatest bands and pointers suggest Blossoms are next in line. They've already followed some of their heroes in supporting The Stone Roses recently at City's Etihad Stadium. Yet still they remain firmly grounded. 

They launch their debut at midnight on Thursday (4th August) at Stockport Plaza and follow up with a run of sold out shows. When frontman Tom Ogden and drummer Joe Donovan set out to form the band in high school, you'd imagine this was how they wanted it to happen.

And with the addition of Josh, Myles and Charlie they've made it a reality. Not bad for a bunch of lads from "Costa Del Stockport", ey? 

Ahead of the album launch and a prime-time slot at Festival No. 6 in September, our live music editor Ben Smith sat down with Tom Ogden to talk about their almighty rise. 

Hey mate, how's it going? 

Cool man, we're just signing some vinyl, posters and cassettes. We've got a good routine going so we're smashing through them. 

I seen you guys at Y Not Festival on Sunday night, bit full wasn't it... 

Oh mate, it was probably the best gig we've done all summer that. [They could have moved you to the main stage] I liked it, I think that tent was just right for the point where we're at just before the album.

It's good to get a great vibe in a place like that. If you put us on the main stage, it might get bit lost. (It erupted for 'Charlemagne' listen below)

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I remember seeing you guys at Night and Day Cafe, it's been an amazing journey. Do you often pinch yourselves? 

It's one of them we keep saying if you're in the eye out of it you don't realise it's going on around you. Sometimes on stage we all just look at each other and laugh, it's the only way to put it into words. There is them moments which you can't put into words, if you'd have snapshotted them three years ago we'd have went what! 

It's all came gradually and we feel like we've work for it. We've done the tours up and down the country and released alot of music and gained the right. We've brewed the perfect storm leading into the new album, which is what we wanted to do the whole time. We wanted to drop the album when it would have a big impact.

If we're talking three years ago, did you get the band together as five mates making music or with the intention to get to where you are now? 

It was never a career choice. It was just getting together as mates, but immediately when we felt like we had some good tunes and we clicked and we gelled and we got on. We never aimed small, we always said we wanted to be a big band.

Alot of our heroes have had that attitude, played them sort of gigs and got to them stages so it's all we know really. Like I say it was never a career choice, but once we got going we've never had any reservations about wanting to be a big band. 

When you speak of your heroes, who are they? 

You know, the usual ones: Arctic Monkeys, Oasis, Stone Roses, ABBA (watch them cover ABBA below). 

So obviously playing at the Etihad with The Stone Roses was a massive gig for you? 

Definitely. Me and Joe the drummer are City fans, we have a season ticket. To play with one of your favourite bands at the Etihad is a dream come true. It was a special thing to be part of, we're very thankful that they invited us on. 

Looking towards the album, has it all been smooth running or were there any difficulties that came with it? 

Yeah totally, it was an enjoyable experience. The whole writing process and recording was dead enjoyable and we've been sat on it since January. Obviously we didn't want to rush releasing it. We feel like we've waited for the perfect time to release it.

We've just done what we've always done and worked hard; played all our gigs, done the interviews and there's no reason for us to stop working as hard as we did three years ago. 

People who've worked with us have said that has been infectious: the work ethic we bring to the table. Some bands might not have had that, people who aren't delivering on every level. We just want to give people something to believe in. 

To get to this point where you are, what have you gained from it personally rather than collectively as part of the band? 

I'd say I'm the same as I was three years ago, I've just seen more places and tried more weird food. I guess I wear white jeans on stage now. We're all very close, we've got a lot of people round us and we stay grounded. There's no reason for us to change drastically. 

Do you think the fact you stay grounded is that you're just five lads from Stockport making music? 

We're all just working class lads from a really normal place. The fact that we have done it the old fashion way of gigging up and down the country. We haven't just went on the X-Factor and blew up overnight and blown our own minds.

We've slept in the van and we know how shit real jobs are. Whereas we know this could all be over one day and we're loving every minute of it. We want to be around for a long time, that's the best attitude to have. 

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So what's it like to be launching your album at Stockport Plaza on Thursday at midnight? 

It's going to be a special moment for us that. We grew up going to pantomimes there, going past it all the time. It's probably the coolest looking building in Stockport and the only really big venue like that.

No other bands have ever done a gig there that we know properly, especially in recent years. To play there on the night of our album launch, it will be a very special moment. 

I always wonder driving through Stockport, is there any link between you guys and the Blossoms pub?   

That's what we're named after. [Is that were the 'Honey Sweet' video was filmed?] That was in London for Vevo. It's a cosy pub, it's less Phoenix Nights than that. You should go in for a pint of Charlemagne on Friday. 

Is it actually happening?  

They're doing a special beer. If you go in with a record on Friday you get a free pint of Charlemagne!

There's Friday sorted! And after the album launches you're off to Festival Number 6 on the same bill as Noel Gallagher... 

It's an honour to be on the same bill as Noel, probably my all time hero! Haven't met him yet so hopefully Festival Number 6 will be the one. We were there last year and it really is a beautiful place! Not quite Costa Del Stockport though...

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Blossoms self-titled debut is released Friday 5th August via Virgin EMI. They play Festival No.6 in Portmeirion on Saturday 3rd September. 

Like this? Read our Y Not Festival 2016 review