We caught up with Teignmouth Synth-Pop trio TINY FOLDS ahead of the Radio 1 Big Weekend event in Exeter....
TINY FOLDS are a three piece synth-pop band from Teignmouth, yes, the same place that spawned another 3 piece who go by the name MUSE (you may have heard of them...)
We caught up with Jordan from the band to chat about strange tattoos, his secret man crush and the Radio 1 Big Weekend event where they'll be performing on Saturday May 28th alongside other super talented acts picked up by BBC Introducing, here's how we got on....
We know you're called Tiny Folds and that you're from Teignmouth, can you tell us a fascinating fact about any of the band members?
A few random facts.... right. Elliot has a tattoo of his own dog on his arm! Jordan is related to a member of Take That and sometimes likes to channel his inner-boyband as a result. Tom has a genuine obsession with Jurassic Park. One time backstage at a festival we "borrowed" a few beers from a certain Sir Bob Geldof’s rider because we had run out! He was cool about it.. eventually!
You’re playing the BBC Introducing stage at Radio 1’s Big Weekend on Saturday 28th May, how did you feel when you heard?
Sheer disbelief at first! Even more than when we found out our track ‘Arcadia’ was going to be on Radio 1 for an entire week, the Big Weekend announcement was even more unbelievable. We're a bit nervous as we know how important this gig could be and we've got 25 minutes to show everyone that we deserve that slot, because there's so many good bands out there all wanting one! We got our feet back on the ground pretty quickly and concentrated on making sure we are going to be as good as we possibly can be come May 28th
How did it all come about?
Through the ongoing support of the brilliant BBC Introducing in Devon team. James, Fiona, Jake and everyone else are honestly fantastic and the Devon music scene is so much richer for their presence
How have BBC Introducing helped you as a band?
They've helped us more than I think we'll ever really understand! Obviously all the opportunities they've handed us have been incredible and being put on the Radio 1 playlist & Big Weekend epitomises that. But the fact that they've shown so much confidence in us and encouraged us to do what we love, that's how they've really helped us. We don't have a label behind us or any management. So while we are proud of our achievements, we also know that without BBC Introducing, we wouldn't be having half as much fun as we are right now!
How do you guys approach the whole songwriting process?
I (Jordan) write song after song after song in my bedroom. Sometimes I can be locked away for days at a time until I get it sounding how I hear it in my head. Once the idea gets to a certain point, I'll take it to rehearsals with Elliot and Tom. "That bit is great, that bit is terrible, let's change this for this and yeah.. We have a new song”….Okay so I summarised the process a little bit but that's pretty much it!
Your influences include Biffy Clyro and Bastille who are BOTH appearing at the R1BW event, what are you going to say to them should you bump into them backstage?
I honestly think if I bumped into Simon Neil from Biffy Clyro I wouldn't have a clue what to say. He's my man crush.. big time. I'd ask him if I could play one of his strats. Don't ask, you don't get!
It’s a jungle out there, so many bands and acts, what do you do in order to stand out from the rest?
Hard question to answer.. I think we just write music that we really believe in. I guess you can't expect other people to appreciate your music if you don't appreciate it yourself to some degree. That being said we also take some pride in our image and our music videos! It's all one big collection of important parts that we can put out there and hope people are intrigued enough to listen to a song or watch a video.
What advice would you give to an artist or band who is thinking of getting in touch with BBC Introducing?
Do it! Make sure your songs are as good as you can possibly get them. Work with other people on them, they won't be as precious about your song as you are and could suggest changes that could improve your song ten-fold. Stretch your money and time as far as you can. It will be hard but ultimately worth it. Connect with as many other introducing acts and local bands as you can, after all we're all in it together! Most importantly enjoy it and make sure you're doing it for yourself
And finally, please would you give us the name of some BBC Introducing acts that everyone should be checking out?
So many to choose from! If we’re talking Devon then you need to listen to Moriaty! Also Pattern Pusher, Dead.Ground and Datura. There's just too many to name!
We'd like to thank Jordan for taking the time to chat to us and we wish him and the band every success in the future. If you're heading to the Radio 1 Big Weekend over the May Bank Holiday weekend, make sure you pop along to the BBC Introducing and check out Tiny Folds, you can thank me later!
Interview by Steve Muscutt