Palace, Press Shot 2016

Interview: Palace On Their Huge 2016 & Albums That Changed Their Lives

After kicking around together for three years, November saw Palace release their debut album So Long Forever. Their lush sounds are delicate and emotive, yet powerful all at once, and received critical acclaim in the UK and beyond.

Comprised of Leo (vocals), Rupert (guitar), Will (bass) and Matt (drums), the group hail from Dorset and Brighton, and are just getting started in what’s likely going to be a pretty damn fruitful musical journey.

We wanted to get to know the band a little better as we head into 2017, so we asked them to tell us a bit about themselves, their achievements this year, and three albums which changed their lives.

Three fast facts we about Palace:

  1. We recently went on Soccer AM and Rupert volleyed a football into Olly Murs’ face.
  2. Rupert used to play session bass for Jack Savoretti amongst many others.
  3. We love moshing.

Biggest influences: John Fahey, Peter Green, Wu Lyf, Jeff Buckley.

Local influences: Dorset Ales and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Core themes and inspiration behind So Long Forever: 

Sounds unreally pretentious but the main theme is probably Loss. We only realised afterwards that that was kind of what it was about. It sums up the last two years which have been kind of tricky. Inspiration in the writing usually comes from a place of being shaken by an experience of some sort. Whether that be a death in the family or a break up. It’s the darker stuff that feeds the songs I think.

Most important thing you learned while recording the album:

On a technical level, how to move forward in the studio, how to approach recording. Little details like that, really. It was very new to us so we it took a while to get used to the process. It was amazing fun though, we had an incredible time and came out as better musicians. Also just to stay positive and remember that sometimes the best stuff comes from the shittiest days in the studio, that when you’re feeling down and uninspired in the studio, that golden nugget is just round the corner.

Favourite track on the album, and why?

Probably So Long Forever. We love that one, firstly ’cause it’s epic to play live and secondly because it feels like our coolest song, whatever that means. It just has this menacing pumping vibe that seems to grab the audience every time. And then we finish with a signature Palace style ending, guitar harmonies and foot to the floor beat. It’s a banger I hope we play it till we’re in the tomb.

What’s next for Palace?

Touring the album for a good while which should be epic. We love to tour, playing live is our thing really – thats why you do it. And we’ve already started writing lots of new tunes which is so exciting, lots of very cool ideas in the pipeline that we think people are going to love.

First we’re gonna have a good old rest though, it’s been a hell of a year. Not too long though, we go a bit stir crazy when we’re not working for too long. I get studio cold turkey.

Three albums that changed our lives

 

Jeff Buckley, Live In Chicago

I think this album is perfection. It actually has live sounds from various gigs of Buckley’s but mainly it’s from night in Chicago. It seems to showcase how brilliant he was as a musician, vocalist and performer so brilliantly here. It was the first music I think I heard that I felt so moved by emotionally, it really struck a chord and you can feel the pain in his delivery. Theres a track on it called What Will You Say which is my favourite song of all time and one that I play constantly when on the bus, it has an unreal build and ending. Just listen to it you won’t regret it. It’s got me through a lot of difficult times this album.

Van Morrison, Astral Weeks

We grew up on this, all of us. Perhaps the greatest album ever. Every song is perfection and apparently Van improvised a lot of the lyrics in it and made them up on the spot, which makes it even more unique! As a singer he was in his prime here and we all look up to him greatly as just the best vocalist. Slim Slow Slider and Sweet Thing are two of our favourite songs of all time. Just so romantic and beautiful and simple.

Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II

Led Zep was the reason all of us play instruments really, Jimmy Page was our guy as early teenagers. His swagger and technique was just unrivalled. This album also sums them up so classically, it has one of the coolest songs ever on it, Ramble On. Lyrics of Lord Of The Rings and other crazy stuff, and it has one of the coolest bass lines ever. This is a real mutha of an album. The Lemon Song too is on it which is the sexiest song ever.

What an album!

Image: Supplied