Interview: Vulgarithm

[gallery type="slideshow" link="none" size="full" ids="121529"]

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

I had been surrounded by music in a variety of forms as a child, I started learning piano aged 6, but seeing someone play the guitar with their teeth in a low budget musical, hearing oasis for the first time and learning to play/write music on the guitar all at the age of 10 had a big impact on me. I was fixated on music and nothing else.

If I never had got into music, then I’d honestly be in a go nowhere job just watching TV, as music was the only thing I was good at AND enjoyed at school.

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

Right now, trying to sleep. I don’t have any other hobbies and I teach guitar for a living, so my life revolves around music. I listen to music, I watch TV, play some games, cook and any other normal thing a person would do. Sometimes the outside world or something I see or hear will spark something creative, intentionally or unintentionally. (I’ve written a song based around an alarm on a fire door)

How long has your band been around?

1 year officially, that was when I released my first EP. It’s a very young musical outfit.

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

Based in the East Midlands of England, in a small market town called Market Deeping. Whilst most big cities are a 1 or 2 hour drive away, the country is quite condensed, so not a lot goes on in this part of the country. Any bands in the area will most likely write songs based on frustration because of it.

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

It sounded cool, rolls off the tongue and can be broken down to describe the music. Vulgar rhythm algorithms.

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

As this “band” started during the COVID pandemic, it hasn’t performed live yet. However the best gigs I’ve played haven’t been with the best bands or the biggest stage, it is when a group of 20 to 30 people are packed in a room and treat you like a god all set!

The worst gigs are always to no one, a long way from home, finish late and sound terrible. I’ve had many of those in other bands.

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

Best venue I played at was the Roadhouse in Northampton, UK. No one was there for my band at the time but the sound was impeccable, never heard anything like it since. I would at some point like to tour academy venues, that’s the dream.

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

Nine Inch Nails, Tool, Rage Against the Machine. So many to choose from but these 3 influenced me the most.

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

Don’t gig straight away, what you think might be a good sounding song may not be finished until 6 months later. When writing for myself, I make sure I have a finished product before showing anyone. When in a band and you get a bit excited writing together, eagerness can get in the way of quality.

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

Go to Music Technology module at Uni. I know it’s Tuesday morning, I know it’s earlier then any other thing there and I know it’s the morning after £1 a drink night at the union. Trust me, this is vital information that you’ve only now caught up with.

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

I’ve written many songs with other bands before, and Vulgarithm isn’t very old. The Vulgarithm song that stands out the most is “Still have doubts”. It’s an instrumental at the end of the 1st EP, and I wrote it in a dark bedroom feeling really really shit about myself. It lends an air of hope in what is an already dreary world.

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

I’ve done a couple of online shows, and the song that gets mostly asked for (and also mainly played some radio stations) is “Sex Riff”. It has a big far riff which you can’t stop nodding your head to.

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

Life and sounds, simple as that. Anything can inspire me and I try not to force it, it should come naturally.

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

Laugh at the world, it’s not perfect and full of flaws but it is also where we live, so why not make fun of it.

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

It’s just me in the band, so yes. I talk to myself like a crazy person. We’re cool now.

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

2nd EP “Share if you disagree” is out Nov 20th, and a 3rd EP is still currently in the works, out sometime in 2021.