Manchester-based indie rockers The Rolling People are undoubtedly one of our favourite new acts on the scene. Bringing back the glory days of Britpop, the four-piece just gets better and better with each new release and seems destined for main stages, global acclaim, and widespread recognition.
We last caught up with them earlier this year and are honoured to be able to chat with them once again. This time they talk us through their brand new single ‘Before It’s Gone’, what they enjoy most about being musicians, and why they’d love to get rid of social media. So, without further ado, please join us in welcoming back our dear friends The Rolling People!
Well hey there guys! It’s been a minute! Thanks so much for taking the time once again to chat with us! Since we last spoke, ‘I’ll Be There’ has gone on to reach over 39,000 plays on Spotify – how does it feel to know that so many people have heard and resonated with one of your tunes in such a short time?
It feels good to receive the reassurance that the fans are enjoying what we’ve spent a lot of time on getting right. It’s hard not to get attached to numbers but when we hear new lyrics sung back to us on stage we know we’re doing right.
Your latest single ‘Before It’s Gone’ is heading in a similar direction and it’s pretty clear that you fellas are onto something quite sonically special. Do you remember the song’s “birth” so to speak? How did it come about?
Charlie had written some lyrics over a chord progression he was messing around with on his own and then brought it to the rest of us at rehearsal. Within a few minutes, we had added a proper structure and finished writing all the other parts. It was one of those songs that writes itself and seems hard to go wrong.
What do you love most about being musicians? And on the flip side, what are some of the biggest challenges that you’ve faced so far?
Touring is definitely the best part of being in a band. Getting to experience playing on stage in front of your fans so often is something unique and hard to come close to. With the constant traveling you have to find a way to enjoy yourselves as well otherwise you’ll be at each other’s throats.
Well, we’re not the type to complain a lot about how things aren’t in our favour but we don’t like when people outside the band try and have a say in decision making which inevitably slows everything down so much and can cause a divide between us.
I’m a sucker for having to know the origins of a band’s name. I just can’t help myself! How exactly did The Rolling People come about?
It’s inspired by a song by The Verve but was never meant to be kept…we just needed a name for our first gig. We’d always planned on changing it at some point but it seems to have stuck.
What, to you, is music’s role in society?
Music can mean anything to anyone and the role it plays in their life is entirely subjective. It works as an expression for an individual and society as a whole whilst being universal and unique.
If you could each claim one song in the world as your own, what would you go with and why?
Asa: ‘How Soon Is Now?’ by The Smiths. The guitar parts have been stuck in my head since the first time I listened to it.
George: ‘And Your Bird Can Sing’ by The Beatles because the melody is so memorable.
Charlie: ‘Peacock Suit’ by Paul Weller. It’s grooving and cocky.
Elliot: ‘Little Wing’ by Jimi Hendrix for the best guitar intro and intro drum fill ever.
What are your thoughts regarding the music industry of today? And, if you were able to, what changes would you make to it?
As much as it has helped us, we’d get rid of bands and artists on social media in the hope it’d force people to go to gigs more often and especially to find new bands they’d like. It’s too easy to watch artists from the sidelines nowadays.
It’s been an absolute pleasure once again guys! Before we say farewell, what do you have in store for the rest of the year?
We’ve got a lot of festivals coming up! Many haven’t been announced yet but we’re really looking forward to playing Isle of Wight this summer and of course our headline gig at the Ritz at the end of the year.
