FESTIVAL SEASON WITH FARAH
In the spirit of the festival season, highlights from Glastonbury weekend and the first day of Summer, we caught up with a selection of artists at Neighbourhood Festival and Liverpool Sound City, kitted out in Farah apparel and footwear prior to their live performance.
THE Ks
First up the K’s, an underground success story in rock & roll and Neighbourhood Festival main stage opener. With over 90,000 Spotify monthly listeners, streaming in the millions and a sell out recent tour, they shared with us an overview of their recent gigs, known to be a guaranteed riot.
How are you feeling about getting on that stage?
Yeah we’re buzzing, we’ve just finished our tour where every venue sold out. Honestly it was massive, it was quite overwhelming actually with all these big cities. We’re from Earlestown us, in the middle of nowhere so yeah.
Looking at the video you did for Chancer, you can see the community you’ve built and all of those people singing it back. How did you feel when that one went out as the response was absolutely massive?
It was class wasn’t it? It was all over the radio, straight after ‘Hoping Maybe’ which did exactly the same…so we’re obviously buzzing. We were close to reaching number 1 on the itunes chart behind Miley Cyrus but she wasn’t budging. We were close though, I heard it was close!
THE K’s SPOTIFY PROFILE
98,500 monthly listeners
REIGNMAKER
A 5 piece up and coming band Native to Liverpool, known for their Indie sound and energy. We caught up with the band at both Liverpool Sound City and Neighbourhood Festival to find out more about their recent movements.
You guys are carving your own paths with two very strong singles this year with 'Find My Own Way’ and 'Stay Behind’. How has it been received?
It seems to be really good in this city especially, everyone seems to be talking about it and saying good things. Reignmaker has been a thing for so long and finally we’re not kids playing Oasis in Zanzibar anymore so it’s been great.
The Liverpool scene is such a rife place for music. Are there any artists that you cite as influences for you and your music?
'There’s loads. Night Cafe, Jamie Webster, Connell Delage, everyone really.’
REIGNMAKER SPOTIFY PROFILE
1659 monthly listeners
MALADY
With such a unique sound, London based band Malady take inspiration from their surroundings, particularly from their debut single back in 2020 ‘London, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down’. Check out their pre-performance interview below describing their inspiration and music approach.
We love the sounds you bring to your music, a little bit of Indie, a little bit of Dubstep and a touch of early 90s rave sprinkled in there. Is it nice to have that between you all and have that mix of genres in there?
Yeah we grew up on Indie and then got into dance more recently and hip hop as well and we each bring different things to the band.
Does that come quite naturally in the writing process when you’re together in a room?
I think so. We all listen to a load of different stuff so it’s just a case of taking different things in and then it’s all going to come out in some way, shape or form. Us, as well as a lot of other people, don’t go by genre in terms of what we listen to.
All your tracks take you on a different journey. Do you write and record yourselves or within a studio to lay those beats down?
Most of it starts in my room producing most of it there…all the details, the songs and the electronic elements are done there and then we go to the studio at the end to co-produce the final bits and add the instruments.
Do the tracks ever go in different directions from what you expected?
Yeah, like Black dog for instance was written years and years ago but it’s only recently that we’ve been able to finish it and there’s a few other songs that have started off completely different and ended up in a different lane.
MALADY SPOTIFY PROFILE
19,462 monthly listeners
THE COVASSETTES
Manchester based band, The Covasettes, combine a mix of Indie and Rock genres to bring the ultimate performance. Releasing their debut single 'This Feeling’ back in 2017, the guys have since accumulated a number of top singles, with their most recent 'Be Mine’ reaching over a million streams on Spotify. Upon catching up with the band, they discussed their recent Manchester based gig, consisting of their biggest capacity so far…
You’ve had a great year already at Gorilla, that sold out for you guys and was a big monumental moment. How did it feel being on stage for that?
It was the best gig ever, wasn’t it? It was what we’ve wanted to do all in one room and the atmosphere was so good. Also what I liked was that there was a whole range of people there. Sometimes I think it’s all going to be young people but everyone you can imagine was there, absolutely loving it.
Amongst ourselves we all said that every single one of us has a little bit of a moment wondering are we actually going to cry on stage right now? It was a really emotional gig for us and such a huge moment.
THE COVASETTES SPOTIFY PROFILE
81,967 monthly listeners
RIANNE DOWNEY
Leaving Scotland behind to move to Liverpool, singer / songwriter Rianne Downey’s success is growing by the day. Boasting support slots with Paolo Nutini, The Snuts and the Coral using projecting words of reassurance and encouragement to others allows her to effortlessly rise to bigger stages.
You’ve played Liverpool Sound City a few times haven’t you?
Yes this is my third year here at Sound City and it’s lovely to get to hear everyone else play as well. This venue is proper iconic, bucket list stuff.
When you were growing up, what kind of music did you play in your household?
What’s weird is I didn’t grow up around a lot of country music but I loved Johnny Cash when I was growing up, Ring of Fire was the first tune I ever had on my phone.
'Come What May’ and 'Beautiful Body Attracts’ are such beautiful songs and they seem to have gone down really well.
Yes it’s been so positive. Everyone seems to have really taken to the songs and got really into them and with every release the fan base is growing as well which is so nice.
When I was on tour in March I was looking at a sold out crowd singing your songs back to you, I can’t explain that feeling.
Your song 'Songbird’, the visuals you’ve got with it and the way it flows is absolutely beautiful.
Thank you so much. It’s one of those ones where it literally fell out of me in about 10 minutes because it was just pure emotion. I was getting ready for a gig in Manchester running late with 10 minutes before the van was going to be outside and trying to pick an outfit. I then picked up my guitar and wrote the song. It was very much a here and now moment.
RIANNE DOWNEY SPOTIFY PROFILE
Rianne Downey - 9,055 monthly listeners