14
Bido Lito! April 2015
A DAY AT THE MIXING
DESK WITH CIRCA WAVES
Words: Ben Lynch / @benlynch07
Photography: Keith Ainsworth / arkimages.co.uk
It's been a whirlwind couple of years for CIRCA WAVES, a
period where they've established themselves as one of the
hottest guitar acts in the country. This month we invited them
to record an exclusive live session for us with Al Groves at The
Motor Museum, and Ben Lynch caught up with them in between
some breathless takes.
in just under two years, the four-piece have well and truly
flown out of the blocks. From Japan to Australia, supporting
The Libertines, to being named one of iTunes’ New Artists
2015, there is little the lads haven’t done or played. And what
is perhaps the most impressive part of it all? They did it all
without releasing an album.
“Likely to be massive” runs the latest prophetic statement
issued by the prolific Nostradamuses at the NME. The subject
of their most recent swell of enthusiasm is Circa Waves, a
band nurtured in Liverpool but with a fanbase that is truly
global. Having engaged with arguably the most meteoric rise
from one-man-band to fully-fledged international rock stars
Though it might suggest otherwise, the lack of a full-length
release doesn’t reflect a poor work ethic on the part of Circa
Waves; on the contrary, the band have hardly stopped since they
settled as a quartet, and they haven’t been together as long as
their current popularity might suggest. What’s more, they seem
to be intent on doing things the good old-fashioned way. “A lot
of the bands we listen to didn’t have as quick a response as us,
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so we wanted to really get good live and get a good fanbase
before we released an album,” explains Kieran Shuddall, Circa
Waves’ vocalist, guitarist, songwriter and founder. “Live was sort
of the proving ground for what would make it on to the album,”
concurs Sam Rourke (Bass), reiterating the sentiment that the
priorities prior to the release of Young Chasers (their debut
record) were very much rooted in establishing themselves as a
solid live act. And the hard work certainly shows. It only takes
a quick look at the fact that Circa Waves have already played to
a sold-out Alexandra Palace, and wowed the NME Awards Tour
alongside Interpol, Royal Blood and Temples, to see that all that
effort has rewarded them handsomely.
The benefits from all that grafting spread further than just