Some bands are born with a natural, organic hype around them, an invisible and electrifying force attracting punters and music lovers alike. President Elect fit that category perfectly: emerging from England, the young newcomers showcase a knack for catchy, hypnotising indie tones, delivered with unmatched charisma and lyrical authenticity.
While their debut effort has joined us only this week – ‘REBOUND’ – the group can already boast a big reputation on the London live circuit, having reached the hearts of a discreet number of fans with virtually zero releases. That’s quite staggering, especially in the frantic fight for attention plaguing the music industry nowadays. If this is anything to go by, we are confident President Elect will soon reach bigger stages and larger audiences.
If not, they’ll rebound! Jokes aside, ‘REBOUND’ is a remarkable slice of indie euphoria, drenched in a massive sound. The chorus is absolutely glorious, so memorable and anthemic, blessed by the magnitude of Waller’s vocals. While President Elect might only be four kids from London, their music feels universal and colossal.
Intrigued by the project, we caught up with the British group to find out more about their artistry and future goals… Interview below!
Hey guys, how is it going? some of our readers might not be familiar with your project, how would you describe yourself, in a few words?
It’s going really well thanks! We are President Elect and we’d describe ourselves as an electrifying alternative rock powerhouse. We’re a new alternative rock band inspired by indie and alt-rock from the last three decades – bands like Swim School, Catfish and the Bottlemen and Franz Ferdinand come to mind – just to name a few. We’re a determined and driven band hoping to make our name as a defining & iconic British band.
Your current work is the result of a long journey, with the group having been established in 2019, even before you moved to London. How has the band evolved since, and do you feel like you have grown, artistically speaking?
Most obviously the band has expanded – starting as just Zak and I, we now have Vincent and Jude on the roster and we couldn’t imagine the band without them. Our musical journey feels like it matches our personal journey, for example when we started the band in 2019 the music was quite raw and more indie-folk. It wasn’t until we found our crowd and our group of supportive friends after moving into London, that our sound started to develop into what we know it now. With the four of us becoming so tight through playing and writing together, REBOUND feels like it’s defining a new era and sound for us that we can’t wait to share with everyone.
We’ll go out on a limb and say that London has probably shaped you for the better. If you had to name one thing that – in the British Capital – motivated you to pursue the project, what would that be? (can be a person, an event, or a physical object)
London has definitely shaped us for the better, all the like-minded people and music in the city is such a positive for us individually and as a band. The sheer amount of talent in the city and how accessible it is creates such an inspiring space for us, always being able to see someone play live music keeps us on our toes. We would say it’s the right balance of giving us a target to strive for but also some healthy competition, which keeps us motivated to keep improving.
It’s 2023, and President Elect seems to constantly building hype around their project. Audiences appear to be deeply connecting with your music, why do you think that is?
It’s cliche, but we just love being as genuine as possible – we’ve always thought it’s what set us apart from other bands we see. We’re not shy from being goofy or passionate and we try and let that shine through when engaging with people. It helps that we pride ourselves on our live show and we think that energy and enjoyment translate well to those who see us, therefore making it easier for them to connect the band and the music.
You recently unveiled your debut single, ‘REBOUND’. Quite a stunning nugget of indie energy, with a glorious chorus (festival-ready, we’d say). Does the song convey what President Elect stands for?
Sonically, this song is the one that defines our sound – that’s why it is our debut single! The combination of ‘refined’ intensity and anthemic attributes leaves us with a song that represents our goal of wanting people to gravitate towards the energy, while also singing along.
In relation to the meaning behind the song: President Elect has always strived to write about topics that other people can relate to. We want our music to be a home for individuals who have gone through the same experiences to find their people and create their own connections, releasing any emotions with the energy from our music.
How did ‘REBOUND’ come about? Do you usually write individually or as a team?
Previously our songs have mainly been written by Iggy individually, and then brought to the band, where we all write our own parts and craft the sound of the song together. REBOUND was one of the first songs that came about as a full band project, starting with Jude’s killer riff. A funny story about that riff is that he actually wrote it years ago, on a bass guitar, in his pyjamas – we hope he’s proud of where the riff has gone to!
The song came together quite easily, but it wasn’t until we went into the studio with Tayte Nickols that it became the song everyone can hear now. We really owe the start of this new sound to Tayte and are grateful that he decided to work with us.
Navigating the industry as a newcomer band must not be easy; can you share with us your experience in the matter? Anything you are particularly frustrated with? Likewise, any wonderful support that allowed you to grow as a musical outfit?
It’s always frustrating seeing people who haven’t worked as hard as we have get opportunities that we would love to have, we understand that’s part of the journey though and have accepted that we’re going to be underdogs in most scenarios and let it motivate us to be better. Overall though, it’s always about learning. We’re an incredibly determined band and our journey has been incredible so far, we can only take the lessons we learn and keep on moving forward with them.
In terms of support, we have to give a massive shout-out to our close friends from London – they’re truly our biggest fans and our at every gig and know all the words! They really help make this journey enjoyable and keep the hard times from feeling too hard. Tayte Nickols – our producer, has been a really great resource and we appreciate him teaching us about the industry and treating us as genuine professionals.
What are you up to this summer, and can we expect more records coming along?
We have something super exciting happening during the summer, that’s specifically related to recording new music. However, our fans can expect a new summer tune, and some more gigs to keep the summer spirits high. Make sure you follow us on Instagram @presidentelectbanduk and keep your eyes peeled.
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