You know how it goes, you write a track, it gets played on BBC Radio 1 and then you realise you have to get a band together. Or not. These unusual circumstances were how Circa Waves formed in 2013, under the creative cloak of Liverpool Sound City no less, and they have rightfully earned the status of one of the most exciting bands to be coming out of Liverpool right now. Their debut album ‘Young Chasers’ is just about to be released and it’s all indie rock guitars and youthful sentiments that have earned them a worldwide following already.

We caught up with lead singer Kieran Shudall to find out how things are going for the four-piece and why Liverpool is the best city to start a band in.

 

You came together and formed at Sound City in 2013. Things seem to have moved pretty fast since then.

I’ve been in bands for years and I’ve been so ready to tour the world and release music, so now that it’s happening it doesn’t feel too quick for me. It can move as fast as it wants, I’m ready for it.

As this last year or so has happened, more amazing things are happening every day. I get phone calls about something great that has happened and it’s a really good time to be in Circa Waves.

 

At what moment did you realise Circa Waves were going to be big?

When I wrote [the song] ‘Young Chasers’ and it was played on BBC Radio 1, I knew something special was happening and I thought that this song and these types of songs had real potential to be huge and go to festivals and wherever. From the very off I felt the songs were good enough to make us a really big band.

 

Your debut album, also called ‘Young Chasers’, is out at the end of March. Describe it in three words.

I don’t know! Energy … rock … genuine.

I think its genuine rock ‘n’ roll, indie music with a rock past, I’m not really sure! I’m really excited, this is the culmination of the last year and a half; we’ve built towards this point and it’s all coming to a head now. It’s quite daunting but the excitement is overwhelming. I’m so ready for the album to be released; I’ve had it in the fold for a year now so I really want to give it to the world.

 

Kieran, you grew up in Woolton. Are the rest of the band Liverpool born and bred?

No but we all met here. I’m from Woolton and I live near Lark Lane now but the rest of the lads went to university in Liverpool and have been here for the last seven years.

We all came together because ‘Young Chasers’ was played on BBC Radio 1 and I desperately needed to put a band together because I’d started this buzz. I was working at Sound City in 2013 and came across a few lads; one being Joe who was drunk and told me he could play guitar for me, even though he was a bass player. Then I met the other guys through mates and stuff.

We started rehearsing and locked ourselves away in a room for about three months just to get good. We wanted to be as good as possible, and that was it really, off we went.

 

What’s the best thing about the music scene in Liverpool?

Liverpool is so great for music because everything is so close knit; it feels like you’re only one move away from a musician. Everyone knows a musician; everyone has someone in their family who plays music, so it was an ideal place to start a band.

In no cheesy sense, it feels like one big family of musicians. It’s so easy to get by in Liverpool, everything is quite cheap and there are six venues within a mile radius of each other.  It’s easy to get gigs as young bands and there’s quite a lot of support there. There’s Sound City, Music Week, Elevator Studios and Camp and Furnace who are putting on gigs all the time.

We’re still located in Liverpool. I don’t think I’ll move to London, I love Liverpool too much.

 

Circa Waves get compared to The Vaccines and The Libertines a lot. Do you find there is a pressure for you to live up to?

It’s really good to be compared to one of your favourite bands of all time but we’re not really like The Libertines. To me, they’re one of the greatest bands of our generation and I don’t think we’re as good as The Libertines but if people want to [compare us], that’s fine.

The only problem with comparisons is people go ‘they’re not as good as The Libertines’, and I’m like ‘I never said I was’! It’s fine and it’s very flattering, but sometimes it doesn’t do you any favours. I understand journalists do have to give people comparisons, and The Libertines and The Vaccines play rock and roll music in a pop format, so I understand that there will be comparisons there.

 

Circa Waves supported the 1975 in Australia earlier this year. Have you been taking showman tips from frontman Matt Healy?

I like to think I’m a bit more of an understated performer than Matt Healy, not so flamboyant. He’s a good performer and he has the whole excess vibe down but for me I’m more into the Alex Turner/Pete Doherty style where you move around with a guitar.

I always have a guitar and I don’t like wine, so that would be very unpleasant for me. But each to their own, he does a good job.

 

You have talked about coming close to giving up music and getting a ‘real job’. If you weren’t playing music, what would you be doing?

Well I was cleaning student houses before this and I hope I wouldn’t still be doing that. I can’t imagine doing anything else. I know that sounds really cliché but this has been the only thing that I’ve found I’m any good at; writing music. Hopefully I’d still be writing songs, and if I couldn’t be in a band I would love to write songs for other people.

I’m just so passionate about song writing. All I do every day is think about music and writing songs, and if I couldn’t do that I would probably lose my mind a little bit.

 

Circa Waves are playing the O2 Academy Liverpool on 11 April as part of their UK tour. For tickets visit www.o2academyliverpool.co.uk