Words: Marc Todd
Rising from the depths of South East London, welcome – The Outers.
This band has been making waves from north to south captivating audiences and gaining new fans with their blend of British Pop, post punk and a little bit of electro added on top. A band with a live reputation like no other, this is a band you need to see. What’s in the name and what do they sound like? Lead singer Ade explains “Mirror Maze was a name we picked out of a hat at a rehearsal session. However The Outers kept ringing as a better option. We have changed members a few times and the name has felt very adaptable. We are so diverse and the music is an alternative fusion of different sounds from post punk to brit pop and a bit of electro. The band name communicates who we are.”
“If I can inspire someone in the universe to be authentic to themselves, their art and people around them then that’s a big flex!”
The bands formation was a meeting of creative minds after Ade finished her Uni degree “(I was) looking for a band while between jobs and creative projects and Phil was keen to start a project and was pretty open minded. We first jammed together trying to find the right sound and eventually found a nice blend of ideas we both seemed happy about musically. I enjoy dancing and singing to indie songs, love the riffs Phil creates on the guitar and the drum beats are always fire.” Sounds like a perfect mixture for success. The Outers have a solid musical foundation bending their ears to the modern and the old school. The Outers are like a musical fisherman reeling in inspiration wherever there’s a hook. Phil (guitar) recounts The Outers influences in a musical montage “Echobelly, Blondie, Metric and more recently Grimes and Chvrches are influential bands for us. I grew up with Kate Bush and the Beatles among others…our influences can be really vast, from the post punk bands of the 80’s JD and Cure to their revival, Twins, Editors and Interpol to the more melodic noisy pop of the 90’s to bands of the 2000’s like AM, Bloc Party, The Strokes and The Libertines.”
These influences are blended together in a “no rules” approach to songwriting but as for the general songwriting process Phil explains “Usually the melody comes first. Great ideas can come in the supermarket or waiting for the bus etc.… I used to read French Poetry as a Hobby, nothing too serious or pedantic, but it helped the rhymes to come naturally. Ade used to do some automatic writing, which comes really handy to have someone who can give a variety of random sentences and words that I can adjust into actual pictures to a story for the listener. It always feels like we are making music from the heart.”
Often The Outers will take inspiration from their own experiences and those of their peers, such as on their addicting single “London Wall” Phil explains the origins “Written after a pub crawl in brick lane and Spitalfields following a well recommended free walking tour, ‘London Wall’s’ concept appeared at one of the drunken anachronistic moments when space and time merged into confusion.”
“The ghost of London’s most famous and infamous serial killer kept appearing within party mayhem drawing the reminiscence of what was once the violent East end slum of the Victorian era.”
Ade provides more insight into the heart of the songs meanings ”The Song also highlights how misleading the dating life can be especially in big cities and how isolating and awkward the experience sometimes is.”
Phil adds “Doors are still open to the listener’s self interpretation of the lyrics. We are hoping to take the audience on a journey and have them ask questions about life experiences and relationships.” Ade lingers on the point speaking to their listeners. “We want (listeners) to take away an idea. For me it’s about breaking stereotypes, not being afraid to be yourself. I got told once I do indie rock because I want to be different and want attention..
Instagram: @the_outers
