W: Eloise Apple I: Wictoria Wolny

Amongst the Wolfie's Whiskey and Appletiser, Wolfie's delivered an electric opening event at The Hawley Arms. A microcosm of the new sound, buzzing with up and coming acts, the event felt like a snapshot of where grassroots music is headed.

Wolfie's opening night saw the room tightly packed and already buzzing before the first set began. A mix of familiar faces fed into the emerging grassroots feel of the event, creating a clear sense of momentum, a room full of people eager to create and make something happen.

Throughout the night there was a wider sense of the indie scene present in the room, with bands such as Lock In and Stereo Cupid in attendance supporting Wolfie's. The night leaned into the chaos that defines both Wolfie's and ASBO, in a way that felt raw, honest and unforced.

Fortunately I attended this event not just as a guest but also as a journalist, meeting the bands SAME. and ALICE., who performed on the night. Their interviews are below SAME. are a London based Indie pop band fronted by two brothers Harry and Jimmy, currently building momentum on the UK live circuit Pulling their sound from inspiration like The Cure, James and The Cars, alongside formative influences from their youth such as Green Day, Nirvana, The Clash and more. Their “same. wavelength tour” is built around connection, between band-mates, and between band and crowd

The band are built off what they describe as “reverse engineering nepotism”, which began when their Dad documented himself online dancing daily to promote the brothers music, His viral campaign of support for his sons became a form of promotion which helped draw attention to the band across social media.
Even so at times, the attention has extended beyond the grassroots scene, including an unexpected Instagram follow from Julia Roberts. The band joked that they “make up 2.7% of Julia Roberts’ following” on Instagram.

Same would describe their sound as constantly evolving, which feels slightly ironic considering their name, their direction depends on what they are into at the time. At times their sound will lean towards being funkier and more bass driven, at other times it shifts towards guitar led riffs.

Even in a live setting, SAME. are open to all sounds. On occasion they’ve allowed collaborators to reinterpret their music in entirely different genres, including a rave style remix from a childhood friend Smile Elliot during their performance.

SAME. don't want to lock themselves into a fixed sound and instead remain fluid, shaping their music through instinct rather than defining themselves down to one genre. aiming their performances to feel like a party, full of connection with the people you'd least expect.

ALICE. is a UK based band who focus on modern life, exploring relationships in the digital age, and the tension people feel between their online selves and who they really are. The band, started by Alice and joined by John and Marc, work around themes such as ghosting, gender dynamics and identity, particularly within online spaces.

ALICE’s songs stem from observing how people behave in today's society in an age of technological presence. Their work explores the microcosm which people create of themselves on social media profiles and how identity is constructed and perceived online.

The band are interested in the way relationships nowadays form digitally and how quickly they can shift or even disappear, something that feels increasingly universal in the modern age. Their songwriting is both personal and observational with Alice stating:

“Some of it comes from real experiences, but a lot of it is also about observation. I’ll notice how people talk, how they avoid direct communication, or how differently they present themselves depending on who they’re speaking to.”

When asked about influences the band highlighted that much of the project originates from Alice’s own perspective and approach. Marc and John told us that “Even before joining the band they had connected with what Alice was doing.” Alice wasn't necessarily inspired by any sound, but more by attitude and authenticity in song writing , referencing artists like Shane MacGowan stating “she needs to write about something real which she feels about, even when singing covers it needs to convey her truth.”

Remaining raw and realistic, ALICE filters real life dilemmas into songwriting which captures
the reality of modern identity and connection.