With the inaugural Fort Fest looming (September 2nd – 4th in Bedfordshire), we thought it would make sense to track down some of these up-and-coming superstars and let them tell you a little about themselves.
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We are based in and around London.
How did you meet?
The band came together in two halves really. Half the band are from Essex and the others are from the Buckinghamshire area. We had played together in previous projects in those areas and had crossed over in the past. The bucks contingent were looking to put together a band, so we thought about people we had played with before. A couple of trips round the M25 later, THECITYISOURS was born.
How long have you been playing together as a band?
We have been performing together since June 2015.
Where does the name of the band come from?
Originally, the name was just a working title. It’s an adaptation of a track from one of our favourite albums when we were growing up. When it came to putting a ‘proper’ name to the band, we couldn’t think of anything we liked more, so it just stuck!
What are your influences – individually or as a band?
We are very lucky to have grown up with very diverse backgrounds in music which means we all listen to a large variety of styles and genres. Guitar driven music is a running theme that we all have in common so we focused on that when creating our music. Our main influences would include: Of Mice & Men, Issues, Bury Tomorrow & The Amity Affliction to name a few.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
We all love heavy music, but we wanted to try and create something that was more accessible to a general audience. We’ve tried to combine the grit and raw energy of hardcore, with melodic sing-along hooks to create a melodic hardcore fusion with a difference.
Which is your best bit of merch?
We currently have our EP bundles on sale and they have been proven to be very popular. We wanted our fans to get good value for money so we included: A signed copy of the EP, a t-shirt exclusive to the bundle, a wristband, a handmade pendant, lyric sheets & a signed photo! We deal with all our merch personally to give it a personal touch!
What’s your live show like – why should the baying hordes troop over to the stage you’re playing on to watch you? What can we expect?
Our show is all about Energy. From the minute we step on stage to the minute we leave, we aim to give everything to ensure our audience has the best possible time! We’re also fans of a mosh pit or two. The aim is to get everybody moving and having a good time!
When/how did you find out you’d been selected to play at Fort Fest and what have you heard about it so far?
We had seen Fort Fest emerge on social media and were all really impressed at the calibre of bands they were pulling in on their first ever line up. A month or so later, we received a message for our manager confirming we had been asked to play! We’re honoured to have been selected on such an awesome line up, especially given it’s the first Fort Fest!
Which band (other than you guys obviously) is going to kick up a storm this weekend? Who are your top picks of the weekend?
The overall line up is so good, its hard to single anybody out! Our friends Eva Plays Dead are a sure pick for the Fort stage on Friday! Their set is guaranteed to be dripping in riffs and bluesy grit! Press to Meco are bound to put on a blinder on Saturday and obviously we’re all looking forward to Young Guns on Sunday.
What are you working on at the moment and when/where can we expect to hear from you?
We just released our debut EP Wildfire which is available now from most digital retailers [[amazon text=including Amazon&asin=B01GSY39ZE], who give us pennies if you purchase through that link – Mosh]. We’re taking that record back out on the road later this year. Details of that to follow…
I’m not allowed to say too much more, but we have some very exciting plans for later in 2016 that you’re going to want to keep an eye on!
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen fans do at a gig?
We played a show in London once where there was on guy going considerably harder than everybody else in the room! He fell onto the stage at one point and kept trying to pull our guitarist George off the stage during the set! He was like a one man wrecking crew in the mosh pit!
What advice would you give to a young band just starting out today?
Advice for any young bands would be to work hard. Be prepared for sacrifices in time, money and even your personal life and don’t be afraid of set backs. You are going to get knocked back. It sucks, but persevere. The good stuff will come eventually.
If you could be part of any 3-band line-up who else would you have on the bill? One band above you and one below – a chance to plug a smaller, unsigned act!
On a 3 band line up with ourselves in the middle, I think we would probably have our friends River Becomes Ocean at the show. We took the boys out on our recent headline tour and they’re just the greatest guys! For headline, I think it would have to be Bury Tomorrow. They are an outstanding live band and it would be awesome to share a stage with them. Would be awesome to play an all British rock show too!
What stage / time are you playing at Fort Fest (if you have your slot yet!)?
You can find us on the Fort Main Stage on Sunday 4th September at 4:30pm
