Formed from 3 very experienced musicians who have masses of previous band experiences and gigging experience with huge bands. Formed in 2013 and hitting it hard! They are a mix between modern rock/metal, going back to the classics and even throwing in cleans from time to time.
If you;re a fan of 18 Visions, Hoobastank, 3 days grace, Hardcore Superstar, Backyard babies or 3 Doors Down, you're gonna love these guys.
Musicmuso met up with the band and asked them a bunch of questions on topics ranging from Charles Bronson, drunk maggots and abandoned chickens, here's how we got on....
Please introduce the band and your music in one sentence....
We’re a 3 piece modern rock band from Leeds, made up of 2 brothers and a mutual best friend.
You’re called Faith in Violence, how did you decide on this name?
I can’t remember who actually came up with the name. Danny (Lead Vox/Bass) claims it was him! But we liked the fact that it makes people think. It can be interpreted in a variety of different ways. We’re not endorsing violence, nor are we having a go at religion. We wanted people to stop and think. It seems that when humans are pushed, violence is the answer they tend to fall back on. It always has been. We all resort to it at some point, whether we like it or not.
You all have played in a variety of bands, what makes Faith in Violence different to those past bands?
More than anything any of us have done before, this band benefits from the different musical experiences we’ve all had. I think it’s a more mature and focused approach to making a career out of music and doing what we love.
‘Snake in the Grass’ is not for the faint hearted, what is the story behind the track?
The song is really just about those people who like to cause problems. We all know people who just like to make things difficult, who are too self-absorbed, who constantly have a chip on their shoulder, whatever. There are people who just bring negativity to whatever they’re involved in. This song calls them out, highlights their bullshit.
Being an unsigned band how hard is it to get noticed and how has social media aided your music?
It’s exceptionally difficult. Every day we work to achieve that! Yes social media has definitely helped. It’s great to be able to send out tracks to anyone and everyone, to contact potential fans and send them some music. And we’ve been lucky enough to have a fan page set up for us by some of our fans on Twitter, so that’s cool too. It means a lot to see people supporting us online.
How and when did you decide that you wanted to be in a band?
For me (Chris) and Danny, music has always been a very big influence on us, and that’s down to our dad being a fanatical rock fan. We’ve always been around it and Danny was in a band as soon as he was old enough. He actually played drums in a band for a long time, then decided he wanted his own band and he wanted to be a frontman. So he passed me some sticks, pointed to his drumkit and told me to go and learn to play- I was going to be his drummer. That’s how our first band came about. We’ve played together as well as in separate projects from that point forward. Mark (guitar) played from a young age too and was in bands as soon as he was in his teens. We came together as Faith In Violence last year and as I said before, our combined experience has determined the way we write songs and perform as a band.
Give me three words that best describe you as a band?
Exciting, energetic, passionate.
The first guitar riff you heard that, every time you hear it gives you an orgasm?
What a fantastic question! There are certain guitar licks that always seem to remind you why you’re in a band, why this is what you want to do with your life. Many of them are in Guns ‘N’ Roses songs! Let’s be honest, when you hear ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’, if it doesn’t do something to your emotions you’re not human.
Where did you record your EP and what made you choose that studio?
We recorded in York with Joe and Sam from With One Last Breath. We did one track in their studio originally and we were so impressed by the knowledge, professionalism and input from those guys that we never even considered going anywhere else after that. Plus we get on like a house on fire, recording with them is a blast! We’ll be back there later this year to record some new stuff.
In your opinion, what is the BEST album/record ever released?
Answering on behalf of the entire band, I’m gonna say ‘Appetite For Destruction’ by G ‘N’ R. We’d all agree that that’s up there. But since I’m answering, I’m gonna give some of my personal favourites too! My favourite 2 albums ever are ‘Hey Stoopid’ by Alice Cooper and ‘The Wildhearts Must Be Destroyed’, by The Wildhearts.
If you had a chance to put together your own ‘super group’, who would be in it? (Only living members please)
That’s hard. Nicko McBrain from Iron Maiden on drums. Or Mikkey Dee from Motorhead. I think Axl Rose would have to be singing. On bass, maybe Flea from the Chilli Peppers. Or Tim Commerford from Rage Against The Machine. And guitar…… there’s so many. Slash? Mark Tremonti? Yngwie Malmsteen?
Who designed the artwork for your EP Snake in the Grass?
There’s a practice studio fairly local to us and the guy who runs it has recently gone into designing artwork and album covers, logo design, stuff like that. So we had a word with him and he came up with the cover, which we love!
Is there something you would like to tell each of the band members that you haven’t told them before?
Nothing which can be printed! One thing about being so close for so many years is that we literally know everything about each other, and we know how each member functions, their flaws and their strengths as people not just as musicians. I think that really does a lot for the way we work together as a band. The only thing I could tell the guys that they don’t already know, is what time rehearsals are this week!!
What classic song would you have liked to have recorded and why?
‘How You Remind Me’ by Nickelback. It’s the perfect catchy mainstream rock song. And we’d be rich!
First gig you ever went to?
Me and Mark went to see Incubus when we were about 13, although I think I saw Muse earlier that year. Danny was into some shit at that age, so if I had to guess I’d say he saw the Spice Girls.
You guys are inked up, where do you get the work done?
All over the place. We like to go to different places for tattoos. Between us we’ve had stuff done in Leeds, Castleford, Morley, Nottingham, York.
Name three people (alive, dead or fictional) that you would like as party guests?
Ozzy Osbourne, Charlie Sheen…….. Charles Bronson. Wouldn’t that be fun?!
There are many good bands and musicians out there, who would you ask the readers of musicmuso to look out for?
Our good friends Jupiter Falls. They’ve just released their debut album. And a band we played with recently called A Mouthful Of Matches. Really good!
Do you think maggots get drunk, when they bury alcoholics?
It’d be impossible to tell. When Danny gets pissed he rolls around on the floor and tries to eat everything in sight, edible or otherwise. And shits on the floor. Isn’t that what maggots do sober?
If you could describe your music in the form of a fictional character, who would it be?
James Bond. Because he's British, and cool as fuck.
Do you think we can ever live in a world where a chicken can cross the road without having its motives questioned?
I think the question that needs answering is, who’s leaving all these fucking chickens hanging around on the pavement?
What are your plans for the remainder of 2014?
We’re going to be recording a music video in the next couple of months, then we’ll be back in the studio towards the end of the year. We’re currently booking a ton of live shows for the period in between!
Generic Quickfire questions....
Coffee or Tea? Coffee. We have a habit in this band, whoever makes coffee spikes everybody else’s drink. Most people have sugar in their coffee. We have flour, paprika, soap, whatever’s hanging around.
Prior to parting company with the band, we threw in a few quick fire questions....
Coke or Pepsi? Coke. And we drink Pepsi.
Drum machine or the real deal? Are you kidding me?! Drum machines should be made illegal.
Mac or PC? PC
Fry up or Sunday roast? What do you mean, ‘or’? One for breakfast, one for dinner.
Lemmy (Motorhead) or Ozzy (Black Sabbath)? Ozzy. Lemmy’s on his way out anyway. Ozzy will live forever.
CD or Vinyl? CD
Car or Motorbike? Car. Purely because we can’t get our gear onto a motorbike.
Acoustic or electric? Both, depending on the song.
Spice Girls or Girls Aloud? Put them together, steal their clothes, give them 3 bottles of whipped cream and get out your camera.
Shower or Bath? For sex or washing?
Tattoos or Piercings? Tattoos
Robert De Niro or Al Pacino? Pacino is Tony Montana, so he wins every time
God or Google? Can’t there be both?!
Interview by Mark Wincott