12:20pm Friday 25th June 2010
By Rachel Wakefield
With a name that sounds like something you’d find on the side-menu of a Mr Whippy van, Ice Black Birds will be performing their blues-inspired rock at Shoreditch’s Old Blue Last on Monday, June 28.
This Brighton-based indie outfit have just signed a record deal with Laissez Faire Club Records to release their single last week called As Birds We’d Be Fine. It has subtle string arrangements, an epic chorus, intricate guitar plucking alongside catchy rhythmic riffs and singer Sam Denniston’s vocal deliveries – calling to mind early Kings of Leon.
I caught up with Sam as the band prepare for their London gig.
Who’s who in the band and what do they play?
Sam Denniston, vocals and rhythm guitar, George Grinling, lead Guitar, Harry Bohay-Nowell, bass, guitar and backing vocals and Ollie Liddiard, drums and backing vocals>
What’s the story behind the band’s name?
We were all having a drink in Spain and a small blackbird flew into the freezer at a bar where we happened to be drinking. It instantly froze, but in the last second of its life it gave us a wink
and bang we had our band name. (Actually, the truth of it is, I thought of the name on a train from Brighton to Salisbury but feel free to run with the other story.)
What is Ice Black Bird’s sound?
We have always been really into our '60s and '70s rock'n'roll, so that's clearly what we were going to sound like. However, we are also very current with our taste and so have tried to combine the
old with the new. People have referred to the music we create as "Dance Blues". We try and get two or three songs into one as people don’t want to hear the same thing for three-and-a-half minutes.
It’s good to chop and change, keeps it fresh for the audience and for us as musicians.
Who inspired you to become a musician?
I think it wasn’t so much who as what. I would always see people up on stage and want to be that person. I wanted experience that thrill. One day I got up on stage, and it was the best feeling in
the world. It’s like a drug, and you get hooked. I have to play live or I get ratty! I suppose with who it was always people like Mick Jagger, Robert Plant, Roger Daltrey, Jim Morrison. The greats.
How do you write your songs?
It will always start with a guitar riff or a jam. That will always grow into a song and then the lyrics and melody will come last. The sound and feel of the song will always dictate what the melody
sounds like and what the lyrics are about.
Tell me about your festival performances you have coming up?
We played Secret Garden Party last year, and it was amazing. Really great atmosphere and it was the first festival we played as a band. The sun was out for the whole festival, and we played to a
packed tent so I am really looking forward to that. There is a girl called Lissie who is playing at that this year who I really want to see. She is tipped to be the next Stevie Nicks, and after
listening to her music I would agree. Farm Fest is a great festival, really DIY and has a great lo-fi feel. We played that last year and had a ball. This year I am looking forward to seeing a band
called Wild Palms when we play there again. Redfest we haven’t played before, but I am sure it will be great as it is a younger crowd with loads of teenagers there who are always up for live music.
There is a cool bluesy band playing there called Kill It Kid that I am looking forward to seeing there. Festivals are always great fun and that bit more comfortable as an artist. It’s always nice
to be fed and watered.
What’s your current favourite Ice Black Bird song you like to perform live?
I am much more excited about the stuff we are currently writing. It’s always great to get new songs in the set. We have been touring the current set for a long time, and I want to freshen it up a
bit. Doors is our current favourite one to play live. It always gets people dancing.
Do you have an album coming out soon; can you tell me about it?
There are still a lot of new ideas that are taking shape that I would like to include, but I think there will be an album out early next year. I can’t say too much about it yet because many things
need to be sorted before hand. I am really looking forward to putting out a whole body of work, though, so people can see the depth of our music which you can’t always get across with a single.
Does art play a part in the band’s image: for example the Mondrian theme in Ears To The Ground video and the chequered boards in the publicity for your latest
As Birds We’d Be Fine single?
Yeah. I think art always has a part in music, and we are all art fans. I really like Mondrian and always have done. The chequered boards were the creation of George's mum who is an artist in her
own right. It’s always cool to have a still visual aid to the music. An amazing album cover can go down in history so it’s always a good idea to think about the images you want your music to be
associated with.
What criterion for you makes a good tune?
I really enjoy a song that is cleverly structured and catches you out. Vocals that are moving are a plus!
What have you learnt most about being a musician?
It is incredibly tiring but also incredibly rewarding.
Has the band achieved what you hoped?
I think it is a constantly changing goal, and each time you get to where you want to be, the goal posts shift. However, I am very happy with what the band has achieved thus far.
What was the first guitar you bought?
I first brought an Epiphone Sheraton which I still have and use. I now play a Fender Jazzmaster.
Is music your full time profession or do you have to work another job to make ends meet?
Some of us are finishing off at university, and the rest have jobs as well.
Tell me about your fans, what are they like?
We are still accumulating them, but it’s just always nice to have people who are enjoying what you are creating. They’re generally young, fun and enjoy dancing around like loonies to the more
upbeat tunes we play live.
How do you deal with nerves before a performance?
We have all been playing live now for so long that we don’t really get too nervous. We just usually warm up and then go for it!
Any embarrassing moments on stage you wish to share with our readers?
I think we have all fallen over a few times but nothing much apart from that.
How would you describe Ice Black Bird’s music in three words?
Fun, Loud, Explosive
What’s on Ice Black Bird’s rider?
Nothing outlandish, beer, crisps and water
What’s the best ever gig you’ve ever attended – apart from your own?
Devendra Banhart - Shepherds Bush Empire
What was the first album you ever bought?
Can’t really remember but at a guess I would say something like Californication by The Red Hot Chili Peppers.
What’s on your iPod at the moment?
Beach House, Django Django, Tame Implala, The Black Keys and The Beatles
What electrical item could you not live without?
Very boring but my laptop I suppose.
Who’s your favourite author or painter?
Author: Roald Dahl Painter: Jackson Pollock or Rothko.
Where are you most happy?
In the sea.
What was your favourite lesson at school?
Biology or Chemistry
What did you learn at school outside the classroom?
How to climb trees
What’s next for Ice Black Birds?
An album and a string of European dates.
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