You’ll probably be aware that we are running Q&A features with bands that are going to be performing at this year’s BURN IT DOWN FESTIVAL that takes place in Torquay on August 31st.

We caught up with HOPS, a South West based Math-Rock-Pop band who don’t sing songs to help you with your times-tables to chat about the festival, which of the other acts they’re looking forward to catching and new music, here’s how we got on….

You’re playing at the Burn It Down Festival in Torquay on August 31st, tell us a bit about your band and why people should come and see you play…

Well we’re still in our first year of being an active band, and launched our second single ‘Teeth’ in early April. We kind of dub ourselves ‘math-pop’, trying to blend indie music with elements of math-rock in a more accessible way. We’ve played some shows in the past with other bands on this stacked Burn It Down line-up, such as Milo Gore and fellow Cornish dudes Hypophora, so if you appreciate the twinkles and riffs you might find in one of their set lists, you should come down for ours!

Burn it Down is a festival but not in the traditional sense, you WON’T be stood in a muddy field somewhere getting rained on, did this thought cross your mind when you agreed to be a part of it?

It did - it’s a nice compromise to the country’s notoriously unpredictable weather!

Could you describe a typical live show (if there is such a thing?) what can the audience expect from you?

Technical riffs and disco beats seasoned with a sprinkle of smooth vocals, served with chicken-head bops and sometimes a Macarena!

The festival is taking place in Torquay which is also referred to as ‘The English Riviera’, have you ever played in Torquay before?

Yeah, we played here for International Women’s Day earlier in the year and returned for Parrotfest the following month. Both gigs were at The Apple and Parrot.

There are some AMAZING bands performing at the festival, which ones are you looking forward to checking out whilst you’re there?

Loathe are definitely at the top of the list for some of us! Obviously it’s gonna be sick to see Basement, and to see PhoxJaw again. I’ve (Stan) always wanted to see Drifted too so that’ll be awesome.

Have you any new music due out soon?  

All being well, we’ll be dropping a third single during the summer months, but we can definitely say we’ll be releasing more music before the end of the year!

There are MILLIONS of bands out there, name 3 that we should be checking out in 2019

FES are some of the most creative and talented guys we’ve ever met and you should 100% keep an eye out for them. Maybe I’m biased because these last two are from Falmouth like us, but BAGGS are keeping grunge alive with some of the coolest vocals you’ve ever heard, and Bonetired are constantly inspiring and innovative musicians doing some really cool things.

Where can keep up to date with you?

Facebook

Instagram

Spotify

We’d like to thank HOPS for sparing the time to chat to us and we wish them every success in the future and will try our best to be at BURN IT DOWN for when they perform.