Over the past two years, Circa Waves have enjoyed success at what seems like breakneck speed. Having released their debut album Young Chasers earlier this year, they’ve been playing the festival circuit, winning people over with high energy performances, championing a new wave of fun, energetic guitar music. Here for their second Splendour venture in as many years, the band are also playing a bunch of sideshows supporting fellow Liverpudlians The Wombats. This afternoon, had a chat to guitarist Joe Falconer about music, tour life and of course the beast that is Splendour In The Grass.
Hi, how you going?
I’m good, how are you?
I’m good, thanks. Where are you…are you in Queensland now?
Yeah, we’re in Brisbane, which is alright, you know. Not too bad.
You’ve got the first show of the tour later today, how are you feeling? Have you just arrived or have you had some time to adjust and settle in?
Yeah, we’ve got the Splendour warm up. We got here… probably like. Midnight on Tuesday. So we had all day yesterday to kind of try and recover, but my sleeping pattern isn’t quite back to normal. But I’m looking forward to playing, I don’t like sitting around in a hotel. I would much rather prefer to be playing music.
I guess it’s also a lot of waiting around to get here as well. To get to Australia.
Yeah, it takes like a full day. We intend to put the most into the gigs and make the most out of it.
You were here in January, back pretty soon really, not many people come back quite that often because it is so far.
We’ve been really lucky with that! It seems we’ve been very fortunate with the first couple of opportunities and people in Australia want us to come back and we keep getting invited – it’s fun.
So, the last two times you’ve come to Australia were before your album dropped. Do you have any new feelings or expectations for your shows here now that you’re back with an album under your belt?
Yeah, this is time number three!
Yeah, I think it’s always good. In Europe the difference between before and after the album has been quite big. It’s always nice to play and see a crowd sing along to the words. I think we still… Because it’s so far away… like to win people over is by playing shows. So I still think despite the album being out, we’re not sort of complacent to the reception that we’re going to get and we still wanna win people over and I think because we’re doing support slots and a festival date, that’s the best kind of shows to be doing that. You know? Playing shows for people who aren’t necessarily there to see you. I think if you’ve come this far that’s the best kind of people to play for at this stage in your career because it means you know, that you can win over more people so you can come back in the future.
I mean, personally I really do love the album, I thought it was really fun and really refreshing to listen to actually… and I’m going to be seeing you guys in Melbourne and I’m really looking forward to that. But… The whole Circa Waves existence: from formation to EP to LP and there’s been a whole lot of touring in between, has been kind of a whirlwind – do you ever get to stop? Or do you want to ever?
Thank you!
I think you kind of crave it some times when it’s kind of at its most hectic. But for me personally, I don’t really like sitting still. Before festival season started we had a little bit of time off and I felt like I was just itching to get out.
There’s so many places I want to go to and play. But if I’m sat at home not doing that I feel like I’m wasting time. I think we’re quite used to the whole touring life now, I think you sort of get into a routine of getting dragged around from city to city and feeling kind of exhausted and its totally worth it – it’s the best job in the world. It’s completely rewarding to go somewhere completely from home and look out to a crowd and see people really digging what you’re doing.
Do you get much time to go and have a look around? Or do you just play shows and then you’re off again?
Um, it really depends on where we are. Weirdly we’ve had quite a lot of time in Australia the last few times we’ve been here. Last time in January we had four days off in Melbourne which is completely unheard of. But I find if I really wanna stay somewhere, that’s the place we don’t get to stay.
Where’s been one of the places that’s happened?
San Francisco – we were there for twelve hours. But the way I see it, I’m trying to think of places I think are cool that I want to go back to in my own time and do it properly… give each city the proper attention it deserves.
So, you’ve all been in bands before, it’s not like you just picked up and “let’s start a band” and then this all happened – without having been I bands before that is. What do you think it is about CW that people have been so connected to?
That’s a good questions, I think for us… It feels exciting. Its like you said, listening to the album is like a refreshing experience. I think a lot of music in the last 10 years has been really slowed down and become really electronic and the way that people make music… a lot of its good! But it keeps getting more complicated, there’s a lot more electronic stuff. I think that it shouldn’t feel like that much of a thing to be just four guys to be playing the standard rock and roll set up.
But there wasn’t too many people doing that when we started out two years ago. A lot of it is that Kieran’s a really good songwriter, I think his songs are unbelievably catchy, they’re very straight to the point. On the album the subject matter is instantly relatable and its about youth and doesn’t take itself overly seriously. Which for some people might be a criticism but I think you just… I don’t know, if you go to a show that we play and you see people having a good time that’s where it makes the most sense to me.
Yeah exactly. I think the whole point of going to a show, for me, is to have fun…
Yeah, exactly! There’s not been loads of that lately. We gets kids at 15 or 16 coming to our shows and like they weren’t around when The Strokes and The Libertines and those sort of bands were around and there was just a lot of rock and roll, so we’re like their first band that they’ve seen that are like that and that energy is the key to Circa Waves. That energy and youthfulness.
I’ve got to ask you a little about Splendour…You were here last year in 2014, what are you looking forward to about it this second time around a year later?
Well, a couple of things. We get more time there! We get to spend actually a couple of days at the festival. We’re on the Saturday at about 1 o’clock and I were going down to Byron Bay on Friday so I wanna go straight to the site and see some bands and when we’re done sort of by 1 on the Saturday. I think last year… I remember being completely disoriented because we flew in at some stupid time and I think we were all a mess and I walked around the festival site and thought it was just like a really cool place.
I always make a point of trying to walk around a festival I go to just to see what the crowds are like because they all differ so much. I remember thinking that Splendour had a really good vibe and I think of want to see that a bit more. And we were also quite daunted by the whole Australian festival crowd before but I think now I’m looking forward to seeing the difference from January that the album’s made.
Did you find that the Australian crowd was very different compared to other festivals you’ve played?
No, I was just surprised by how big it was and how enthusiastic they were. Obviously we’d never been before and it’s so far away it’s kind of impossible to gauge where you’re at with each place but it went over really well. So we’ve got high expectations this year.
People get really into it I think because we don’t get that many big festivals here. Like Splendour’s not very big compared to other festivals around the world, but it’s our big one.
Yeah – it’s really cool. The bands that they book… it’s a really good line up. Its takes a lot of commitment for an organiser to put down that sort of effort to get that many people in the country at the same time and to do all of the sideshows as well. Because it’s a long way for all of these people to come and I think that it’s a testament to Australia’s enthusiasm for music and the people who run Splendour’s commitment to giving it to the people.
What bands are you looking forward to seeing?
I know Ryan Adams is playing, I don’t know what day. Hopefully not Sunday because I need to go see him, that’s’ the most important thing. I don’t know. My favourite thing to do is to not really plan, just turn up, getting everything on the day and see what happens because otherwise I might be disappointed if I don’t get to see someone. I learnt my lesson at Glastonbury – it’s impossible! It’s insane, it takes like an hour to walk across the whole site. There’ not point in trying to meet anyone and see bands, you’ve just got to let it happen.
You said that last time you were able to walk around Splendour without being recognised, you think it’ll be the same deal this time?
Yeah… I’m just the guitarist, no one cares about me! No I don’t think we’re famous in Australia… or anywhere. If someone wants to come and say hi it’s cool, give me a drink of their goon sack or whatever it is Australian people drink.
So you’ve sampled goon before?
I have! And someone made me slap it afterwards? If that’s the thing that you have to do. I love that that’s a very Australian approach to drinking.
It’s got a lot of practical uses, because once it’s empty, you have a pillow. Cause you can blow it back up and sleep on it. You might seem them at Splendour.
Surely has anyone ever slept on it and it burst it just went everywhere?
You have to drink it first and then blow it up.
But how functional are your motor skills at that point to be able to go “right, now it’s time to blow up the thing?” Once you’ve drunk it. Because that’s quite a lot of booze.
I guess you share it, but then you might fight over who gets the pillow.
Whoever paid for it! That seems fair.
Well, thanks for chatting to me! I’m looking forward to seeing your set in Melbourne!
Cool! Catch you later. Bye!
In July last year, I spoke to the drummer of a Liverpool band that had existed for barely 12 months. He told me that the combined dedication and consistent vision of the members was what had yielded success for them. At that time, Circa Waves had already made an impact with three infectious, guitar-driven singles. Their first single Get Away, had immediately caught my attention; fittingly, this is also the beginning of the story that unfolds throughout their debut album.
For Circa Waves, the past 18 months has been a tremendous experience. A performance at Glastonbury and shows across the world – including a memorable appearance at Splendour in the Grass – have illuminated the band’s recent past. These experiences, and others, have culminated in their debut album, Young Chasers.
To me, Get Away – with its ferocious guitar and relentless drumming – is a reflection of the speed with which Circa Waves’ career has gathered momentum. Young Chasers is exactly the album one would expect from them. Nevertheless, the uncomplicated, consistently fun nature of their music means nought to those who hear a brash and boring collection of indie rock songs. I am not one of those people, but I can also see Circa Waves’ shortcomings.
Overall, Young Chasers is a solid debut record. It is by no means a groundbreaking release, or even a particularly innovative one, but in terms of producing enjoyable and accessible rock music – which I believe has been Circa Waves’ primary intent here – the lads haven’t set a foot wrong. T-Shirt Weather, Fossils and Young Chasers further display their aptitude for appealing songwriting, while Stuck in My Teeth is a definite apex mid-way through the album. Deserve This is a delicate touch on the brake pedal, preventing the album from hurtling out of control, and Talking Out Loud provides a nicely paced outro.
Young Chasers isn’t an album I’ll be raving about this year, but it’s everything I wanted from Circa Waves and definitely merits a place in my iTunes library.
It’s been an extraordinary breakout year for Liverpool’s Circa Waves. On the back of several lively singles, the band have spent 2014 touring and honing their skills. As they prepare to release their debut album in 2015, we spoke to bassist Sam Rourke for the lowdown on a year that has flown by.
Can you tell me a bit about your new single, Fossils?
This was one of the first songs that we did, actually, so for us it’s been around for quite a long time. It feels good to finally get it out there. That’s the strange thing; we’ve been it playing it for over a year, but obviously people couldn’t hear it until now.
What was the reason for withholding it for that length of time?
I think we were pretty confident in it as a song, so we wanted to make sure that the time was right, maybe, and that we’d got people’s attention before putting it out there.
The music video for Fossils is mainly comprised of clips from your time on the road. Does it bring back some great memories of your adventures this year?
Yeah! [When] we filmed it, we were on tour in Europe with The Libertines at the time. Adam, the director, got on the bus with us. We spent loads of time together. All the shots of it are really fond memories of us travelling around Berlin, Amsterdam – all those sorts of places – just having a really good time. It’s like looking at holiday photos, I suppose.
Do you feel like you’ve settled into the lifestyle of recording and touring, or is it still very surreal?
I think we’re all getting quite into it now. It’s strange; when you’re in the middle of it you start thinking, oh, it’d be nice to get home and see everyone, but as soon as you get back, all you’re thinking is I just want to get going again, get back out there. We’ve all kind of settled into that lifestyle now; it makes everything else seem a little bit mundane.
Of all the countries you’ve visited this year, where did you enjoy playing the most?
I’m not sure… It sort of varies, really. This year’s been a lot of firsts: first trip to Japan and Australia and America… It’s all been pretty awesome, really. Japan was obviously pretty cool, because for me personally I’ve wanted to visit there for a long time. I suppose one of the standout moments [of the year] was playing Alexandra Palace in London. It’s a beautiful old venue. If you’re in England, it’s a really famous venue, so to do that was quite a special moment. I think that was one of the standouts, even though it’s an English thing so it’s probably not the best answer.
No, that’s fine, because another thing I was wondering was – among everything you’ve done this year – was there a standout moment? And playing Alexandra Palace is a really good answer, because it’s such a beautiful venue.
Yeah, Alexandra Palace was a big one, and Glastonbury. We didn’t think we’d get Glastonbury this year ’cause it was quite early on. That’s been on my to do list for a long time; as a musician I’ve always wanted to do Glastonbury, so that was awesome.
Do you ever alter the show at all to suit the country you’re in?
To be honest we just try and do what we think is going to be the best show, really. We haven’t really tailored it country by country yet, so I suppose no. Every gig we think, what are the best songs we’ve got? How are we going to make that work?
It’s been just over a year since you released your first single, Get Away. Has that gone quickly, or does it feel like a long time ago after everything you’ve done this year?
It’s flown by. There’s always something on the horizon that’s coming up. Time just sort of flies by, really. In a week we’re going here, then in a week we’ve got that, then we get back and have a couple of days off. It’s been so busy. We’ve only started looking back now and thinking, wow, we’ve done all these things in such a short space of time. I can’t believe it’s been a year.
You’ll be back in Australia next month supporting The 1975. When I spoke to Sian (Circa Waves’ drummer) in July, you were also just about to head to Australia for Splendour in the Grass. How different do you think this tour will be?
Hopefully there’ll be more people that’ll who know who we are. It was still quite early days when we went over there the first time, so I’m just hoping that, when we get over there now, there’ll be a few people who know who we are and want to come down and see what else we’ve got going on.
Were you pleased with the reception you got in Australia? Were you surprised by it at all?
Yeah, definitely! When we played Splendour we were on quite early in the day; you’re never really sure what kind of crowd you’re gonna get, but quite a lot of people came down and seemed to be really into it and they knew a bunch of the songs. To be half way around the world and [have] that happen less than a year after starting a band is always quite a cool experience.
I came to see you guys at Splendour and it felt like you could’ve played for longer. Was that the feeling, or did you disguise the fact that you were ready to go?
Because of the jet lag and the schedule we were on, I hadn’t slept for like 24 hours. I think the rest of us got maybe two hours sleep or something. After the gig we all went and collapsed backstage, so I think maybe we just pulled it off and got away with it. I know personally I was dead after that. I just had to go and have a lie down.
Obviously Australia is much further away than the other countries you’ve visited, but is that something you find you’re getting used to, the constant flying around everywhere?
Yeah, I suppose you do get used to it. We’ve all worked out a way of handling jet lag now. Jet lag was something that I’d never experienced before, and then our first flight as a band was to Australia, so we were kind of thrown in the deep end, really, in terms of dealing with that stuff.
What have Circa Waves been listening to on tour this year? What albums have really stuck around?
We’ve been listening to The Orwells‘ album quite a bit. We’ve been listening to a lot of Surfer Blood, a lot of Spring King, a lot of Friendly Fires. There’s a new band that’s just signed to Transgressive called Gengahr who are really cool. Metronomy‘s album that came out this year is awesome. I could listen to that pretty much non-stop.
I love that one as well. Was that a wonderful experience getting to play with them when you were in Australia?
When their first album came out – 2008, I think – I’ve been a fan of that band basically since then. For me it was just great that I got to see them play live like five times. I was happy with that, and then the fact that we were playing with them as well was just a bonus for me. I’m a really big fan of those guys.
You can catch Circa Waves supporting The 1975 on these dates:
Saturday, 10th January 2015 – SOLD OUT
Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide
Tickets: The 1975
Sunday, 11th January 2015
Festival Hall, Melbourne
Tickets: The 1975
Thursday, 15th January 2015 – SOLD OUT
Festival Hall, Melbourne
Friday, 16th January 2015
Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
Tickets: Ticketek
Saturday, 17th January 2015 – SOLD OUT
Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
Sunday, 18th January 2015
The Marquee, Brisbane
Tickets: Ticketmaster