We had the privilege of doing a virtual interview with the up-and-coming indie British band The Islas.
Nathan Baverstock (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Ross Allen (lead guitar), Granger Wittering (bass, backing vocals) and Ed Chalu (drums), all hail from the city of Norwich in Norfolk.
Since forming the group, they have steadily been making great music and building their brand.
There isn’t a specific word that one could use to sum up their music. It’s a mixture of pop and rock and bits of other flairs which makes their sound quite unique.
But they’re not your typical band. They’re also entrepreneurs. Gone are the days when singers and songwriters sit patiently, waiting to be discovered and signed by a record label. There are many musicians who have built quite a following for themselves by doing it independently. And The Islas are no exception – which only makes their success that much sweeter.
Let’s hear what they had to say. (Questions answered on behalf of The Islas by Nathan Baverstock.)
The band was founded in 2017. What did the four Islas lads do before starting the band? Has it always been the dream?
Myself and Ross (Guitar) met at a local music college and we were both working in retail and warehousing, respectively. Ed (Drums) joined whilst he was studying at University and Granger (Bass) completed our line-up after coming back from working on a cruise ship! So [we] all have very different backgrounds and we all have full time jobs now too, alongside playing in the band. I think we’ve always wanted to play music. We all have different musical backgrounds, but as a collective we bring different things to the table. I love our sound that we’ve created, but it certainly took a little while to figure out, which is why our first release wasn’t until 2019!
You’re an independent band, or as your IG bio says – “DIY Indie” – which essentially means that you’re able to control everything. Was it an intentional decision to go this route?
Yes, that’s completely intentional. Honestly, it’d take a lot for us to sign to a label or management etc. because ultimately we like being in control of everything. It’s not our dream to have someone else control what we’ve built and created together. Every little win, sync deal, playlist add or gig was won and earned from us directly and we love that. It’s a really positive and impressive thing I think, it definitely takes a lot out of us individually but to be honest it’s worthwhile in the end for sure when we see results come in.
How do you approach your song writing process? Who writes the lyrics / comes up with the concepts?
So, myself and Ross are the songwriters. I will write every song on a guitar with one vocal melody and then send Ross a Logic Demo with a paragraph on what I think the song could sound like, and where we go from the demo. Ross is really good at cutting the songs down and finding good ways to piece them back together and adds his melodic guitar, which can then make it sound different but in a really good way. We have a good dynamic. There’s been a lot of demos that haven’t quite made the cut, but I think we have it down to a tee now. I’ve never been this inspired to write before, so the lockdown period in the UK was actually a really good thing for us. It gave me the chance to just sit with my guitar and start creating music.
Your songs are somehow rock, pop and early-80s nostalgic all at the same time. How would you describe your style of music?
There’s definitely influence from those three areas. I’d say we take a lot of influence from similar indie artists to ourselves, too. I love soul and Motown too – nothing compares to those gorgeous melodies – so I listen to a lot of that 60’s-sound when writing. I guess if I was going to random people and they asked what sort of music we play I’d say it’s classic indie, really, but I’d like to think when people listen to our music they see we’re a little deeper than that. Our lyrics have a lot of thought into them and we really try to take care of the 3 minutes of the track giving it that upbeat/dance-y sound. All the same, I also love that we can mould with songs like ‘Dancing With Daisy’ and ‘Last Time Forever’. I think there’s something for everyone on our Spotify!
Your music has ended up on the Norwich FC fan playlist. Which achievements are you most proud of and what other achievements have surprised you?
That was really cool for us, it made us feel like we’re getting quite well-known in the city which is ace. We had our debut track added to Spotify Hot New Bands which was unreal. We’ve had a decent amount of radio play and we have also played in Rouen, France after being asked to headline their THIS IS ENGLAND festival and it was absolutely amazing. We were given a Rouen scarf by the host who put us up the night too, so we returned the favour by sending a Norwich City Scarf and we would feel welcomed there anytime. It was so surreal walking through Rouen and seeing posters of us in shops and cafes! It was a truly unforgettable experience.
Your EP Oblivion dropped on 27 August – a six-song album which is so fantastic that it leaves you wanting more. Who / what have been your musical influences specifically for this EP, but also for your music in general?
Ah, thanks so much for saying that! There’s been so many, I guess for each member it’d be different but for me there’s different groups of artists that were influential. I’d say modern artists like Japanese Breakfast, Sam Fender and Declan McKenna led that line and it would go back to The Smiths, The Cure, Blondie, The Jam, The Clash and many more. It would be really hard to narrow it down to just a few influencers, there’s so many. When I wrote ‘All The Same’ I was listening to Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’ album a lot and I tried to really sing that one. And then with ‘Oblivion’ there’s a lot of [The] Killers, Arctic Monkeys guitar power in there, I suppose. But ultimately, there’s been a tonne over the few years we’ve been in a band, but all of the above remain a constant for me personally.
Have there been any indie influences in particular?
I’d say Hippo Campus, Little Comets, Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, No Vacation, Alvvays and Palace are the biggest influences who are in our genre too.
Is there any one song that you’re particularly proud of?
It’s like choosing your favourite child or pet! Tough to call, but I’m happy with all of them. I think there’s a lot of emotion in ‘All The Same’ and I loved collaborating with the wonderful Emily Parish on that one. It felt like a weight had been lifted after that, it was like a massive cleanse!
What does the future hold for The Islas?
Hopefully a lot more music, more gigs as we have really missed that and honestly – who knows! Our inbox is always busy with new and exciting things so I really enjoy the opportunity to take new things and run with them. I think it’s going to be a great few months for us!
Any plans of doing a gig in South Africa some day?
There’s no plans to go international, I don’t think we’re quite big enough yet for that but if any opportunity came to visit SA we’d be on the very next flight out of England!! We’d love to come and play, and hopefully that won’t be just a dream it’ll be reality for us one day.
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So if you are on the hunt for new music, find their songs and give it a listen. You will not be disappointed! Personal favourites of mine are Close and Back of Your Neck. They’ve also got a few music videos out over on YouTube. If you’re in the United Kingdom and happen to be strolling in an H&M store, Boots or Harrods (to name a few), keep your ears peeled for their unique sound.
The eloquent lyrics and punchy tunes of this four-piece ensemble will have you up and dancing in no time.