Circa Waves are set to become huge in the next year; they have just released their new single Fossils and the dates for their next tour. It seems as if this band can only go up. We went to see them at Bodega a few weeks ago and after an incredible gig Her Campus Nottingham was able to sit down with their bassist Sam Rourke and have a good chat about all things music.
So, you were with a couple of other bands before Circa Waves and you thought you might give it [music] up?
Yeah, this was kind of my last hurrah, so to speak. About a year and a half ago the last band I was in sort of caved in and I met Kieran about 2 weeks later. He had some great songs and I just thought this is the one.”
And that was at the Liverpool Sound City Festival?
Yeah, it was about a year and a half ago that we met and now here we are
It’s crazy that you only met a year and a half ago but you’ve come so far in that time!
Yeah, I can’t believe it. There are days when you sort of have to pinch yourself and go ‘Yeah I am actually doing this!’ Like a couple of weeks ago we were in America and now we are doing a big headline tour and it’s just amazing.
Was that when you were supporting for The Libertines?
Yeah we did 5 shows with them. We did Ali Pali [Alexander Palace] and went into Europe and did a few rounds there. They are massive heroes of ours so to get to support them and to warm up their crowd was just amazing.”
I bet it was amazing to meet your heroes as well
Yeah, when we were first hanging out in the dressing room, I sort of looked over and the red jackets were just hung up and I had a moment when I thought, “F*ck, this is really happening!” It was really good to do that, because I’ve loved that band for about 10 years now. And they are still as good as they ever were.
If you could tour with any other band, who would it be? Living or dead?
I know Kieran really wants to tour with the Foo Fighters. Dave Grohl is one of his favourite songwriters ever. I’ll answer on his behalf and say Foo Fighters.
So that’s it then! Next year – Foo Fighters?
Hmm, well fingers crossed. If you’re out there Dave…
Well, he obviously reads Her Campus Nottingham!
Yes, I believe he does. Religiously. [laughs]
Are you guys working on any new material at the moment or are you just touring around?
Both, actually. After this tour we have a couple of songs to record. We thought the album was finished but it turns out we have a couple more songs so we have to go back and get them down. So, as soon as we finish this tour we’ll go back into the studio. And that will take us to about December and after that maybe have a couple of days off.
You’re going to have only a week off before the next tour?
Yeah maybe, although I get bored with time off. After about a day I go “Oh, I’m so bored!” I need to do this or I just sit on the couch all day.
How was it playing at Glastonbury and T in the Park this summer?
Everything you would imagine. T in the Park, Scottish crowds are always a bit mental. In a good way. I don’t know what it is but we were on really early and everyone was just going for it so hard. I don’t know how they kept it up all day. The thing is the day before that we were in Belgium. We did the gig in Belgium and then drove to Scotland straight away. After the gig I actually sort of collapsed afterwards. I came off stage and then just fell over straight away and had about a minute on the floor.”
What dates have you played before Nottingham on this tour?
We started in Glasgow, came down to Manchester and that was the nearest place to my home town so all my family were there. That was amazing. Then we did Leeds, had a day off, and then to here in Nottingham.”
Well, thank you very much for the interview! Is there anything else you want to say to the fans?
Thanks for supporting us, thanks for coming down to the shows. We have the best fans in the world it seems!
Yeah, I saw them mosh pitting earlier, and I thought – It’s only the third song!
I kept thinking, ‘You’re not going to be able to keep doing this!’ And by the end of the show it just got better and better. I nearly dove in to protect people – people were going down. Someone broke their foot at a show the other day. So, I thought I don’t want that to happen again – I don’t want it to be like a series of broken feet!
At one point during the set you even asked everyone to care of each other!
Yeah, I mean I think people were [taking care of each other], so that’s always good to see. You’ve got to look after each other, especially because there were a few young girls in the front, and you don’t want to see them get hurt. But as long as every goes mental and has a good time and no one get hurt then I’m happy.
I feel like people develop a concert mentality, sort of like “I don’t know you, but we are both seeing the same band that we love so we will just get on.”
Yes, I mean there is something very collective about the whole thing and I love that. And I remember going to one of my first shows and I fell down and just this sea of hands pick you up and it feels good to have that sort of “We’re all together” thing.
Tell us about the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Ooh, I saw Radiohead at Manchester cricket ground. They are one of my favourite bands ever, and they played for like 3 hours. And it was the first time I saw them. And yeah they were just unbelievable, just impeccable. So, that was probably one of my favourite gigs ever.
Image source:
http://www.tenementtv.com/tracks/circa-waves-stuck-teeth/
Edited by Harriet Dunlea