NEW EP INITIATION 8th October
1.Who is ‘ Sleuth Gang ’
Lewis, Sam & Jeremy – Vocals. Kris & Lennon – Guitar. Dan – Bass Guitar. Brodie – Drums
2. For Someone That Is Yet To Discover You, How Would You Describe Your Music?
Gritty northern punk infused with hip-hop, but to be honest it’s a mix of all sorts. If you listen carefully there’s so many reference points within the music itself and I feel that depending on what music individuals have been exposed to, they’ll pick up on different things.
3. What inspired you as an artist?
With seven of us in the band, we’re a melting pot of influences, from Cindy Lauper to Kraftwerk.
Personally, I’ve been writing songs since I was 8 years old. I was brought up in a household where my dad spent most of his days singing traditional folk music. When I was 21 my dad sadly passed away but it sort of unleashed another beast in me and completely changed my songwriting. I guess life experiences taint how we see the world somewhat.
Between the 7 of us we all have different perspectives on life, different life experiences and different things we want to convey through our music, but I think what drives us more than anything is that we all want to write music with a purpose. We want to shine a light on overlooked perspectives, we want to promote change and provoke important conversations.
4. What is your process for preparing to perform live? Do you have any Diva demands?
We don’t have any diva demands but you can usually catch Dan and Lennon sinking the rider. Lennon is a sucker for a cheap stubby and like any true Yorkshireman, if it’s free it’s going in his pocket.
5. Where do you feel you fit into the music ?
Musically we always struggle to place ourselves. We are a rowdy 7-piece band that combines hip hop, punk with touches of hardcore and dance music influences. If anything, we’re a pain for any sound tech but we can always guarantee you’ll have a good time.
6: What are your favourite musical genres, and are there any you dislike?
There’s no genre that any of us really dislike. Personally, I don’t actively listen to classical but that’s not saying Vivaldi doesn’t write a banger.
7. Is there a story behind the new EP ‘ Initiation ’ ?
Initiation is an introduction to Sleuth Gang. We have released the first 2 singles from it – Pity Party and Sleuth Season. The 3rd, Headshot is about the hypocrisy of violence and how as a society we have forgotten about the most basic forms of communication when trying to overcome our own personal conflicts.
8. What would you say is your greatest strength as an artist?
There’s 7 of us. In all honesty, it’s that with so many of us there are so many realms to explore. It could be sexuality, race, upbringing, none of us are the same, we are each so different in our own right as an artist, yet we come together to make Sleuth Gang.
9. What would you say is your greatest weakness as an artist?
There’s 7 of us. Having that many opinions can be very overwhelming.
10. What can fans expect from your new EP ‘ Initiation’ ?
It’s high energy, it’s DIY, it’s your initiation into the gang. Can you tell by now I find it hard to describe our music?
11. What music artist would you say has influenced your work?
Don’t even get me started, there’s all sorts in there. Lennon loves Gallows, Jeremy loves Lil’ Wayne, Sam loves Turnstile, Brodie loves Tame Impala, Kris loves Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Dan loves anything Jack Black has referenced, in fact I think he knows all the words to School of Rock
For me personally, growing up I loved The Streets. A lot of what I started off doing was spoken word poetry and Mike Skinner made me realise that there was a space for it within the music industry. I was also really into dance music for a long time, having been apart of a club night in Leeds called Vision State. I spent most of my late teens and early 20’s off my face listening to dubstep and drum and bass. Beyond that, me and Sam saw Idles at Glastonbury in 2022 and they made us understand the music we had been making previously, showing us what could be achieved writing rap music that had a heavier twist. It almost felt like finding your home as it gave us a ceiling, if that makes sense
12. Who would you most like to collaborate with artistically?
Personally, I would like to collaborate with Rick Rubin. He has worked with some of the biggest artists of our time, and I absolutely love Beastie Boys and the stripped back production Rick offers.
Either that, or Frank Carter, he could do a sick feature on a Sleuth Gang track or Run The Jewels.
There’s just too many.
13. What was your worst performance?
Before there were 7 of us, the 3 of us (Lewis, Sam and Jeremy) played a tiny venue in Leeds and some geared up bouncer stormed the stage because he thought we were being offensive during our song Quids in.
The song is literally about equal rights for everyone regardless of race, class, gender or sexual orientation.
He thought it was the prime opportunity to try to stop our set because he misheard a lyric. It was embarrassing for everyone involved. The venue was pretty much empty anyway, but the promoter handled it all pretty badly, I would hate to relive that moment, we won’t be going back there for sure. Losers the lot of them.
14: What was the most difficult obstacle you have ever faced and how did you overcome it?
Recently, Jeremy was considering going back to Bermuda and it caused a bit of a stir in the group. He’s a crucial part of the family and his talent is unmatched. It feels pretty shit having someone you care about choose between 2 things that are important to him, never mind one of them being his home.
15: What is your creative process when making music. Do you work with others or is there just you?
The entire EP was recorded and mixed in a tiny box room at Kris’. Usually we start with an idea, it could be a hook or a sound we want to capture. We all write our individual verses and see where we end up. That’s kind of what makes the band special as although we are writing about the same topic, often we are writing from our own perspectives. We have 7 minds to drag inspiration from so there are always plenty of ideas floating around.
16: Where do you see your musical career in 10 years?
I am one of the older members of the band so personally, I see myself knackered, doing my 5th tour around Europe, eating croissants in the back of a minivan begging for respite. Loving every moment of it of course.
17: The UK seems to have gone into meltdown regarding the Oasis Reunion, are bothered by It?
I don’t really care to be honest; I saw them when I was 12 at the Noise and Confusion festival in Cardiff and that was enough for me. Lennon’s parents are gassed though. He was named after Liam’s son after all.
