Small Black Arrows are a relatively new act on the scene, but if new single The British Museum is anything to go by, they’re primed for success! Their debut album is coming out soon and I’m very excited to hear it! In the meantime, find out more about the band below…
By Jane Howkins
You recently released a new single titled The British Museum. What can you tell us about the song?
There is a lot to say about this song. We’ll try and be concise but conceptually and musically it’s intended to be very rich. The overarching theme is an appraisal of our current government, exploring how our political system has, for hundreds of years, been structured to condition our apathy. We sort of use the metaphor of a trip to the British Museum to illustrate this somewhat grandiose idea. And musically we continue this through the structure and arrangement, curating the sonic-palette into little exhibitions of music we love and would like archived, if you will. It all sounds very philosophical now we say it out loud, but most importantly it’s a f***ing banger, but don’t take our word for it.
How has the reception to The British Museum been so far, and where can it be purchased?
We can’t believe it’s been so well received, it’s incredible really. Getting to number 12 on the iTunes Alternative chart was a welcome surprise. And we have had a really good response from BBC Introducing and some stuff in other countries. We’re very proud of that and want to say a huge thankyou to everyone who has listened and given us a chance. The single can be found on all streamers and the album is being released on vinyl and CD, in addition to digital formats.
Do you have any more singles planned for release soon?
As a matter of fact we do. The second single from our album, Trojan Horse is dropping imminently. It has a very different feel to TBM – it’s more of a driving pop number and it has a bit of a retro, electric vibe. It’ll be interesting to see how people respond to it, although I think people are coming to expect the unexpected with our releases.
Your debut album is coming out soon! When will it be released and what can we expect from the record?
The album will be released on the 31st of May and we hope it will not disappoint. We’ve absolutely tried our hardest to make something of quality that’s worth listening to in its entirety. The vinyl release is part of that idea, harking back to when you would listen to a full side at least, if not a whole album of a given artist.
Your music has a unique pop sound. What/who are you most influenced by? What have you been listening to recently?
When writing and making music we don’t really have anything in mind, we’ve never really mentioned anyone. We’ve not really had the sort of resources our heroes had anyway, so it’d probably be pointless even attempting to emulate anything they did. Obviously there are a multitude of artists that must seep into what we create in one way or another, but I don’t know how conscious we are of them beforehand. We just try and stay true to our songs and our ideas as far as possible. Lots of people tell us who they think we sound like, which we love to hear, but interestingly enough, no two suggestions have been the same. Luke has been listening to a lot of Queens of the Stone Age and Gabriels of late.
How did the Sex Education connection come about? Was it planned before the show was filmed, or was it random?
It wasn’t quite random. A friend was working on Sex Education as a Costume Designer and asked about a cool band t-shirt for a really cool character in the show. We didn’t know any more than that. Also, she needed permission for the t-shirt to be used and we’re a bit easier to reach than Arctic Monkeys… for the time being!
Where are you based? What is the local music scene like in your area?
One half of us is Manchester and the other is in Wales. And we have the thriving Manchester scene to thank for our acquaintance. I think the breadth of the Manchester music scene is known worldwide, although a lot of the venues are coming under pressure, so like everywhere they really need supporting. Wales also has an eclectic music scene that’s incredibly rich and varied. Although Luke is pretty cut off from the big cities where he lives, but still there was a great music venue called the Bluebell in the town Luke lives that closed recently – it was a massive blow because it was a great spot for emerging Welsh bands. The likes of Cerys Hafana had performed there and though Llandovery is small, it’s actually home to some brilliant artists like Yr Criw and Christian Aaron Perry.
Do you have anything else exciting coming up over the next few months?
Well, we’re hoping the album will be the start of a lot of things – ideally we’d like to get out live and promote it and also we’re chock full of mad ideas – we can’t wait to return to the studio to compose another 45 minutes of nonsense.
Do you have any tour dates lined up for the UK?
Not at present. We’re concentrating on the release of the album, which will be out on vinyl and CD, as well as all of the digital gubbins. You never know, people may despise it and we wouldn’t want to put ourselves through the indignity of a tour no one wants to see.
Any last words for the fans?
We massively appreciate everybody who’s taken a few minutes to listen to our music – we don’t take it lightly at all and are genuinely grateful, not in a cringy way!