Interview: Holding Poison

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

Matt: My family has always been into music - whether it be listening or playing, so from a young age it was around me. and in regards to work - I guess I'd probably be doing what I do currently - it's far from music I can tell you that for free

Jack: There was always music playing in the house when I was growing up so I must have caught the bug from that. God knows what I’d be doing today without music, probably something science related.

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

Matt: with lockdown, it is mainly work, walks and music so with that I've had plenty of time to work on stuff/write and just play.

Jack: my day job involves a lot of travel so I’m always listening to new bands and podcasts (both music/audio related and otherwise and often come up with new ideas based off that.

How long has your band been around?

The band officially started out in Jan 2021 however the EP was all finished by December 2020.

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

We are based between Essex and London (UK). You do get some influences from the local music scene and having both been around the area for so long I’m sure that rubs off on some of the tracks on the EP!

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

We went through so many different band name ideas; I’m not joking in saying it must have been around 60/70 and all had been used by other bands/artists. It was around 1am one night Matt saw a listing for Foo Fighters new album and saw Holding Poison and thought it sounded pretty good for a band name. And the rest is history

Tell me about the best and worst shows you have played.

Well because of lockdown we are yet to play our first show however we have plans, ideas which we will reveal in the next few weeks (via our social media pages)

Tell me about your favourite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you haven't already?

Matt: I played the Junction in Cambridge twice, that was good fun! Id love to play Brixton academy

Jack: it’s not open anymore but The Square in Harlow was where a lot of my best early gigs were. The Forum Hertfordshire was a good one too. I’d love to play the Electric Ballroom.

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

Matt: Biffy Clyro, Rage Against the Machine, Foo Fighters

Jack: Biffy, Royal Blood and Liam Gallagher

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

The main thing, like anything, you just need to enjoy it and keep working it at.

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

Matt: The winning lottery numbers…

Jack: Spend less money on music gear (although I regret nothing)

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

Matt: I’d probably say Curbside, I had the foundations of the song for a while and every stage it just grew.

Jack: it’s hard to pick a favorite as they’re all great in their own ways. By a Thread is great fun to play on guitar though.

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

we’ve only run these a few times as a band setup (due to COVID) but they all sound even better live!

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

Writing usually starts with Matt, he will throw demos together and then once they are in a good/audible place he will send them over to Jack to throw ideas at the wall. Inspiration is one of those things that come and go. Can be anything from a story to political to love to experiences, no limits

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

it depends on the mood/feeling at the time, some songs are about relationships, then some are about the times and our generation - its quite a variety.

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

We are both on the same page, decisions are sorted in a quick message and that’s it. It’s the easiest flowing group we’ve been in.

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

The key thing is to keep an eye on our social media pages (Instagram/Facebook), we have some really exciting things in the pipeline and that’s the best way to make sure you don’t miss out!