Interview: Insolace

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

Music is just the language that makes the most sense to us all; I don’t think there’s any feasible way any person in this band could have ended up not doing music. In fact I doubt there’s anything that will ever stop any member of this band from making music.

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

We all have multiple interests and hobbies; Onyi is a videographer/photographer and also is an amazing rollerblader, Sam is a fitness fanatic, plays football and also loves hiking and bush-craft, Millie works as a chef and is quite the cook, Conor has his sights set dead on music; he lives, breathes and bleeds it. I think each of our different hobbies is our own muse for writing, so we get into the creative process and find influence in different places!

How long has your band been around?

Not even a year yet! It’s crazy how much has happened in such a short time - We’ve already grown so close as friends above anything else, which has certainly impacted our writing and our chemistry live; I can’t wait to see where we’ll be 6 months from now.

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

We’re largely a South London based band. Some of us have grown up in council houses and we’ve all lived in and around working class areas, which I think has influenced the lyrical content of our songs. Our latest single 'Jaded' is really based around the mundanity of grinding through life and work just trying to keep your head above the water.

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

We went through so many ideas just trying to all agree on a name that could sum up our music in one word, for ages we couldn’t agree on anything. I think it was just after we recorded our first single, we were all drunk sitting in a circle on the floor of a living room in some distant land way outside of the M25. Someone just sandwiched the words 'in' and 'solace' together and it just clicked instantly.

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

It’d be extremely hard to pinpoint the best show we’ve ever played as every show at the time has been the best so far! Worst? I won’t name and shame but there was one show we played where the sound guy was so drunk he could barely sit straight, that was a corker...

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

For me (Regan) I’ve always wanted to play ‘Upstairs at The Garage’ (now known as The Grace) ever since I saw my first real gig there. It was Roam supported by Light You Up, As it is and Trash Boat. We played at The Grace on the 26th of November in support of Sun Arcana alongside the amazing Josh Carter of Chapter and Verse.

The night was a dream come true for me and I’d just love to do our own headline show there one day. If you could play any show with any lineup who would be on the ticket?

Hmmmmm, Vukovi, Bôa, Yonaka and Paramore would have to be on the list!

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

Just get out there and start writing songs with other musicians, in whatever capacity you can. It doesn’t even matter if you suck, everyone sucks at the start - music success isn’t solely about technical ability. Joining Insolace changed my life - I’ve done music before, but never like this, I’ve learnt and grown so much as a musician. Just go out there and join a band, it’s the most fun you’ll ever have, you’ll make great friends and memories along the way!

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

1. Join a band asap

2. Don’t waste too much time on feeling sad, look on the brighter side

3. Don’t smoke

4. Banana’s are an excellent source of potassium 

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

This is probably the most difficult question. I’d have to say that it’s a currently unreleased song we’ll call Hold On for now. I love the chemistry between the band when we play it; it’s just like a representation of us maturing as a band.Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

I think Calm is probably my favorite to play live - luckily it’s still our most requested to play as well.

It’s a hell of a lot of fun to let your hair down to and rock out at a show or in your bedroom!

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

We’re inspired by our day to day lives. All our music is influenced by the experiences we’ve had and the way we’ve felt in moments throughout our lives. Inspiration is everywhere, it’s just knowing where to find it.

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

We’d really like to offer some sort of relatable voice to anyone who feels low, sad, disconnected or lost. We just want to connect with people who’ve struggled and let them know that they aren’t alone. That someone else has felt the same pain and gotten through it, and that they can too.

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

Disagreements always come up in life. What defines you isn’t how many you have; but how you work through them. We’ve overcome some pretty big disagreements as a band and only come out stronger for it. It’s that mix of perspectives that make us who we are!

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

We’ve just released our second single Jaded and we’re still going to be promoting that for a little while yet. But I can promise that no one will be waiting long for more INSOLACE shows or more new music!