house, just on our doorstep. It doesn’ t feel like we’ re generating a fan base, it feels like a friend circle.”
What kind of bands are you most influenced by?
SH:“ Gilla Band, early Beastie Boys. Me and Jake love Gilla Band. Anything punk, anything really heavy. You don’ t wanna sound too much like a band or to go out of your way to sound like a band.” KF:“ Anything shouty.” How did you guys get into music? KF:“ We’ ve all got different kinds of roots. The guitarist Jake, who isn’ t here today, we met during secondary school back in 2014, I think. We started during lunchtimes at school, we just went into the rehearsal room and learnt how to play guitar together as a hobby. We just learnt how to play guitar from there and then moved on to college, which is where I met Robin. Robin wanted to join a band.”
RM:“ I used to be a bassist, I played bass for like eight years and I joined the band with Chris and Jake. And then when we left for Brighton, we were looking to start another band. We needed a drummer, so I was like I’ ll hop on, and it sort of went from there.”
SH:“ In the past two years I just randomly stumbled across these lot. We have mutuals at home it was really weird.”
KF:“ I just met Shea from a random pub trip that we did, like a year ago because we are locals, he’ s from Seaford and I’ m from New Haven. Robin and Shea knew each other through online gaming. So, we all knew each other without actually realising the connection. It was me and Jake, we brought Robin in, and we all collectively brought Shea on board. So, it worked out that way, it’ s worked out pretty well so far.” Why are you guys called Epsom salts?
KF:“ We get this question quite a bit. We were sat in our local pub;
we were thinking that we’ ve always had problems with picking a band name that didn’ t sound cringe. I feel like if you just come up with a band name you shudder a little bit or it just sounds too cliche. We were just in the pub throwing names at each other and we went on Spotify as well, to see what exists. I think Epsom Salts has a ring to it.”
SH:“ I remember that we had one before that, that we were going to go with called My Body and we had Epsom Salts.”
RM:“ I didn’ t clock until someone told me that it was something to do with diarrhea or something or baths that are good for your stomach. Someone told me, why are you called that, and I couldn’ t say anything. I didn’ t know it was a thing, I just thought that sounds like a cool name.” What is your creative process? RM:“ Me, Chris and Jake all come from music technology backgrounds as well in A-levels; we all know instruments quite well. We all bring melodies and rifts to the table; we just play with it and then Shea shouts over it and we see what works.” SH:“ Yeah, I just shout over them.” What are your goals for the future? RM:“ To play more music I think.” KF:“ I think we enjoy that the most. I think performing is the fun part. We’ re going to get in a recording studio to record a single and get something out on Spotify. We’ ve got a connection; Robin’ s brother is a music producer.”
RM:“ He’ s an engineer for a company not involved in music but he is trained in technician staff. So, he’ s going to do some mastering for us. I think our main goal is to just to have fun, it’ s nice to have music on Spotify and a following, but I just wanna play music.”
KF:“ There is a studio that I work with every now and then who has offered their studio space. So, we’ ve got all the people we just need to get a time booked and get it sorted. We’ ve got a few gigs coming up as well, we’ re going up to Norwich in January, that’ s going to be quite exciting.
You don’ t really know how to draw the line between music as a hobby, to music as a career. Obviously, we’ re not looking to make money at the moment. It would be nice to make a career out of it, I think that’ s what everybody wants. But, in the meantime, where just really enjoying networking with people, performing and getting on stage and getting our name out there. I think we’ re doing a decent job.”
Epsom Salts can be found on Instagram @ epsom. salts; you can find more updates about their upcoming gigs and information about their latest music when it drops.
Photo Credit: Epsom Salts