Interview with Marples

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

I’d say our families are what got us into music. We have all been surrounded by music from a very young age and our tastes come from the tastes of our families. If it wasn’t for music, we would probably just be working our day jobs every week.

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

If we aren’t playing music, we are either listening to it or going to gigs to see it live. Listening to as wide a range of artists/bands as possible really helps creatively as you can take influence from an array of styles and genres.

How long has your band been around?

We started Marples in August 2021 with Nev, Tom and Joe. Luke joined in July 2022 after our original drummer left the band.

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

We are a Sheffield band based which is a city with a rich musical history. It is the home of bands such as Arctic Monkeys, Def Leppard and Pulp and our dream is to one day be seen as one of Sheffield’s biggest musical exports!

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

Our name was chosen by our lead singer, Joseph Neville. ‘The Marples’ was a pub in the centre of Sheffield which was bombed during the Sheffield Blitz of World War Two. He wanted a name which represented the city we are from which is how Marples was chosen.

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

One of our most memorable gigs will forever of course be our first one at the Sportsman Inn pub in Sheffield. The place was absolutely packed and it was a surreal experience. Our gig at The Park after the final game of Sheffield Wednesday’s season in 2022 was another special performance as we were there to celebrate Wednesday reaching the play-offs with everyone in high spirits. 

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

One of our favourite venues is Sidney & Matilda in Sheffield city centre. We have played their countless times now and have some really memorable nights there. We of course want to play as many venues in and out of Sheffield as possible but in terms of the city, the big one would obviously be The Leadmill. Leadmill is a vital piece of the culture of Sheffield, which is why it would be devastating for it to close, and I think playing there would really cement us as a popular upcoming group in the city. 

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

If we could each choose one band for the ticket each, the lineup would be The Beatles, Blossoms, The Killers and Oasis.

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?

For those just starting out, get a good social media presence and interact with as many people and bands as possible. Open mic nights are good place to play your first performances as will get people to know your name and is a great way to get yourself gigs. For my younger self, I would say start learning to play much sooner and back my abilities more.

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

Probably to take more time when developing songs and try not to rush the final outcome and when performing live, don’t let mistakes bug you, just keep going because it’s likely that most people watching didn’t even notice the mistake.

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

Misled is probably the song that means the most as it was the first ever song we finished together and was the first song written by Nev. Once More is very important to us as it was the first song Tom wrote. 

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

Of all our songs, the fan favourite is probably One For Their Own and it is definitely the one that gets requested most. However First Kiss and Misled are both also very popular with our fans.

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

I wouldn’t say we have a set creative process. Sometimes someone will come in with an idea and share it with the group but sometimes an idea can come out of nothing while we’re playing together and it comes together to make a song.

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

We really just want to have personality in our music. We want songs that mean something and aren’t bland. 

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

As a band we all get on really well and I wouldn’t say we have too many disagreements but we all feel comfortable talking to one another to solve any problems that do arise.

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

We are hoping to be recording a new single in the near future so keep your eyes on our social media for that as well any announcements for gigs we have coming up. At the moment we don’t have a headline gig planned but we will be supporting a lot of bands in the coming weeks so make sure to check that out on our social media and come and see us if you can!