Interview: Brighton Based Rock Band Ragweed
Ragweed is a Brighton, UK based rock band who recently released a visual and three song EP entitled "Silver Spoon". We connected with the guys (Reg, Tom, Matt) to discuss the new video and release, find out how their city is reflected in their music, and much more.
After reading our exclusive interview with Ragweed, be sure to follow them on social media and catch them performing live across the UK from late June into July.
How would you describe the music scene in Brighton? Are the locals supportive of music not coming from larger centers such as Manchester and London?
REG: With BIMM there are a lot of bands in town, a product of that is all the students support each other, even if they aren't from Brighton originally.
TOM: It's very much made by the students, and the students/ex-students support it.
REG: Also with the local DIY punk scenes are very supportive of each other.
Is the scenic, laid back vibe of Brighton's beachfront reflected in your music at all? Or would you say that your sound is the total antithesis?
TOM: It's much more reflective of Brighton when the sun goes down, and people are throwing up on the back streets, rather than chilling on the beach.
MATT: Yeah, still the parties and the fun but just by night.
TOM: Ooo and thank you for teaching us a new word; Antithesis! Matt and I had to look it up.
Tell us about your new visual "Silver Spoon" featuring the burlesque dancer Coco Deville. How did you guys get her to appear in the video?
TOM: She's an old friend of mine, and so I just asked her if she would like to star in our video and she was all over it. Avocado Baby Media, who made the video, is a friend as well. Him and I came up with this idea for the video. It went through a few drafts actually, but the look and feel to the whole video was Sam, from ABM, he did a great job, so did Coco and Reg. Interesting fact - at the start when the stage curtains close, am the one closing them!!!
What are you enjoying the most about your current tour? Any crazy tour stories you can tell?
TOM: So far it's just nice to be gigging so much again. The best tour story we have, so far, is from last November.
MATT: Yeah, we thought Tom was going to end up in prison that night. We got to Oxford early to spend the day there, didn't realise that the car park we used shut early. So the van had got locked in, we couldn't get it out to go to the venue, or even drive home that night. Tom said that he was going to break it out of the car park, which was closed by these two huge gates and padlocked. Reg and I said it was a bad idea cos the police would be called. Tom agreed and said we should split up and go to see if any hostels had free beds for us to have somewhere to stay, Reg and I knew he was going to try and break it out though. No where had any space, so Reg and I gave up and went and got some food all the while expecting a call from the cops saying Tom had been arrested.
REG: Haha yeah then when we got to the venue Tom was already there loading in the gear when we arrived, was the best show of the tour too!
Do you guys have a favorite song to perform live?
REG: Performances wise Up n Under from our first single.
MATT: The heavy one,
TOM: Oh yeah, that one doesn't have a name yet, haha
MATT: Yeah someone said the snare rolls in that sounded like a helicopter going round and round the venue.
TOM: I know saying all of them sounds lame, so I won't do that. Probably the Punk one.
REG: Yeah that one doesn't have a name yet either.
TOM: Soon I get some proper lyrics it will, when ever that happens haha.
Ragweed Tour Dates:
June
29th - The Lab, Northampton
July
1st - Sonder Fest, Manchester
2nd - Vault, Leicester
7th - Spice of Life, London
8th - Purple Turtle, Oxford
9th - Louisiana, Bristol
14th - The Cavendish Arms, London