Interview: Faded shades

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

Luckily, we’ve always been surrounded by musical friends and family. If it wasn’t for music, I think we’d be crypto millionaires!

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

When we’re not playing music with each other we can often be found having a beer in the local watering hole and playing pub sports like pool and darts, watching football and sticking tunes on the jukebox!

How long has your band been around?

We have been Faded Shades since 2018 when we recorded and released our debut album “It Gets Heavy” which you can listen to on all major streaming services. It was recorded grass roots style in a spare bedroom, we have moved to professional studios since.

Where are you based and how did that influence your music?

We are currently based out of Bromley which has an exciting and growing local music scene based around the buzzing open mic nights at venues such as Carved Dive, Railway Tavern, and the Barrel & Horn. If you are a musician or band we highly recommend you pop down to showcase your talents!

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

The band name was born from a Small Faces lyric “rest my eyes in shades of green”, we had all coined the idea of nicknaming ourselves the Shades and needed Faded as a bolt on word to make it unique. We always get complemented on our name!

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

We played a very good show at O2 Academy Islington with some other great artists and an electric crowd!

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

Carved Dive is a brilliant small venue in Bromley where we always get a buzzing reception! It’s a local spot for music lovers and has a special vibe. Check our socials via the handle @fadedshadesband to be info of when we are playing live!

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

We would play at the Oasis reunion alongside Kula Shaker as the support! Ideally on the whole world tour for good measure.

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

Go big or go home and don’t bite off more than you can chew! You need to invest a couple of thousand pound in your best song, get it professionally recorded and produced, mastered, and set it up for release in a few months’ time to give you a chance to direct some care and effort into marketing plan. Get a professional music video made, professional photo shoot for promo and single cover. Make your band name memorable and unique and set up all your social media handles to match and flood it from day one with everything you are up too. There are no medals for DIY, grassroots or doing it the right way in order to avoid “selling out”.

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

Exactly what we just said above!

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

Ain’t For Me has a special place in all our hearts, it brings back memories of the early days in the band, we still play it live and it still makes us happy! We often roll out a popular acoustic version of it and it’s a fan favorite. Give it a stream, it’s the first song on our first album!

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

What I’m On About! Its an open G chord banger inspired by Rolling Stones style and has an epic music video available to watch on YouTube.

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

The band usually jams to create new songs, either just in the spur of the moment or around an acoustic skeleton that Joe brings to the table. Creating music as a band gives a unique approach to making a soundscape, we would have a very different sound if it wasn’t for bouncing off each other.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

Heartache, hangovers, and the occasional triumph. Some songs are literal, some are open to interpretation. Ultimately whatever you take from one of our songs is welcome.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

Yes, we do have disagreements and each of us can be abrasive when we want to be. We usually resolve it over a beer and a laugh because ultimately without each other there would be no band.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

We have singles releasing this year! The first is the brilliant “Waiting On Tomorrow” out of 13th May! It’s the first of three singles to be released alongside Animal Farm music. Our future plans include a UK tour and some festival appearances.