Ascendo- Interview

  

Ascendo recently released a couple of new singles Bonafide & Angelina ( Click here for the full review) https://anselmanderson.blogspot.com/2020/05/song-of-day-ascendo-angelina_31.html

The young upcoming band from Wakefield has been on somewhat of a successful wave, following the band's debut EP  Something Sweeter.

I had the opportunity to talk to this exciting new band about the EP, the new single, and how the band have handled the success so far.

RMR: Hello, can you begin by introducing yourself to the readers?

We are Ascendo, a young, upcoming indie rock band from the Wakefield area of West Yorkshire UK. The band is made up of Charlie Williams (vocal and rhythm guitar), Ethan Swales (drum/percussion), Joe Doody (lead guitar) and Matt Freeman (Bass guitar). There is also Mark Swales, or Swaz, who is the manager.

RMR: Could you explain to the readers how the band formed?

Brothers Charlie and Joe came up with the idea whilst on a night out on Call Lane in Leeds. They contacted Ethan, who went to school with Joe, to invite him in. Initially, the band was a trio until Matt answered an advert for a bassist, and the foursome was born. Swaz is Ethan’s dad who started getting us gigs in our local area and helping with promo work etc. He has also become a part of the band.

RMR: You have been described as “Modern indie rock meets 90’s” How would you describe the music of Ascendo to a new fan?

We have a variety of influences, but I would describe our sound as very upbeat and in your face with lyrics that are relatable and melodic. Although we have a combination of both genre’s, I also think that’s where there is a gap in the market and would say our sound is different from any other out there currently.

RMR: RMR described the band as a cross between Arctic Monkeys and Oasis, who were your musical influences?

Other influences include Kasabian, Courteeners, Liam Gallagher, Miles Kane and Gerry Cinnamon. Also, more old school stuff like early Stereophonics was a massive influence in the songwriting.

RMR: You have just released “Angelina”, Could you explain the meaning behind the track?

Getting hooked with someone who will just completely change your life. That fantasy I think we all want deep down, someone to come and grab and shake up your life, no looking back or thinking twice.

RMR: In the review, RMR described the lyrics as “Social Commentary", How would you explain your lyrical inspirations?

Social commentary or social observation entwined with escapism; wanting to escape from the routine of something so familiar.

RMR: You have released debut EP “Something Sweeter” too much success, could you explain to the listeners a little about it? And can we find “Angelina” & preceding single “Bonafide” on there?

 I’d say ‘Something Sweeter’ is a slightly different genre to the follow-ups of Bonafide and Angelina. They’re definitely more melodic and more of an indie rock vibe, whereas Bonafide and Angelina tend to be a little more grungy and in your face rock kind of style. We feel it’s important to have that mix, I think some of the material that is yet to come is also different to both of those genres as well, it’s good to be able to showcase we can blend a lot of things together and make it work.

RMR: What is the band’s usual recording process going into the studio for songs?

Charlie generally writes the lyrics and rhythm to a new song. He then introduces it to the lads who then put their own musical additions to it eg drum beat, riffs. Lyrics are touched upon or amended and the song is continuously practised in rehearsal. Once the band are 100% happy with it, we send it to a producer and arrange for it to be recorded. With our first 4 songs, we used Alan Smyth of 2Fly Studios in Sheffield. Alan is an award-winning producer who has many bands under his remit including Arctic Monkeys, Pulp and Reverend and the Makers. The band and Alan record the song and allow Alan to do the arrangements and mastering. We then have playback to ensure the song is where we want it to be and then bingo!

RMR: The band have achieved international and national attention through your debut EP, how have the band handled it?

It’s been awesome. We didn’t expect it at all though but to see your hard work be appreciated by music lovers and enthusiasts is brilliant. It is so satisfying to know that people are listening and promoting your own music, and we thrive on it. We certainly don’t let it go to our heads and our feet are firmly on the ground as we know that there is much more to come from us. Each member of the band are happy to do interviews etc outside of their daily routine and we have really enjoyed the experience. It has also allowed us to build relationships with like-minded people from around the world; which is amazing.

RMR: You have also done promotional work in the US; do you feel this would be the route for the band? We are happy to do promotional work anywhere in the world. It’s nice that you or your music gets recognised locally, but to have it on an international scale is our utmost goal. The reception from the industry in America has been class and there have been many Americans that have complimented us on our work.

RMR: You have been a band for 16 months, yet you have achieved a lot in that time, do you feel it is difficult for bands to break out in the British music scene?

In a word; Yes. The standard of competition is so high with many fantastically talented musicians and bands out there. It does help with social media and various music platforms being available but to become the next big thing is a dream. Record labels are looking for people that will make them money, which is understandable but to be in a position where you can be seen or heard is incredibly hard, time-consuming, and requires a lot of focus. For a group of young working-class lads, this is difficult as all members of the group have full-time jobs so getting the right balance is a challenge. Unfortunately, we have also found that there are people in the industry that are out to make money out of you regardless of your ability, so you have to be careful who you trust to help and support you on your journey.

RMR: And finally, what is next for Ascendo?

World domination ha haha.

The next step for us is to get back in the recording studio as soon as we can, to work on new material. We have numerous tunes already wrote that just need piecing together. Then, once lockdown is over it's back to gigging. Beforehand, we were on a roll and starting to branch out a little with regards to playing live; which we absolutely love, but then, unfortunately, the pandemic came along. We have tried to take advantage of the difficult times however by releasing our EP and singles and spending time on promoting them. However, live music is where we want to be. We are hoping that due to our engagement within the industry, we will be able to play at bigger venues supporting some well-known bands, which will allow us to perform our own tunes to live audiences. This then will help our fan base grow which will then help us move up to become the headline act. We then want to share our music at festivals. This is one of our main aims.

Interview by Anselm Anderson

Thank you very much for taking the time out to talk with Rambling Man’s Reviews today.