IMPACT
Questions asked by Jon Wilde, added to Rock Realms 20th April 2011.
UK Hardcore crew ‘Impact’ release their impressive debut EP "Strength Through Loyalty" on 20th June 2011, and tour throughout Europe this summer. Now seemed like a good time to chat...so we did just that.
Hi Guys, thanks for taking a moment to answer these questions. Hope you are well?
Impact: Hi there. Yep we are all good thanks. Thanks for asking them…
What’s the history behind Impact? How did you get together and what other bands have the guys been in?
Impact: We formed back in 2001 with Mike on guitar, our ex singer and a drum machine. After several line-up changes, we have finally settled on what feels like the right lineup. Crandall plays in a punk band called Dirty Kirst and Rory has been helping out Prowler on Drums.
Who were the early influences? Is it the obvious hardcore ones or do you have a wide set of tastes in the band?
Impact: We all have hugely eclectic music tastes. We are obviously all into Hardcore, but listen to punk, metal and a whole range of other stuff (some of which is best left unmentioned)!
Did you know what sort of sound Impact was destined to have at the start, or has it developed a lot since you began?
Impact: It's developed a hell of a lot since we started. I think we knew subconsciously what we wanted but it took a while to get it right. I feel we are still evolving now…
How would you describe your sound to somebody who hadn’t heard you before? Pure hardcore, or are you more than that?
Impact: I'd say we we're full on in your face hardcore, but we have tunes and melodies that can be remembered. A lot of bands think hardcore is just making as much noise or playing as fast as you can!
How has your local music scene helped or hindered the band’s development? Are you able to play “local” shows, or have you always had to travel further afield?
Impact: When we first started there was a huge skate/BMX scene in our town, and the music we played lent itself to it. There are not any real venues where we live so we had to put on our own shows at the local ramps, and in places such as the local rugby club's function room. In reality if we didn’t put on the shows then we had to travel further afield to play.
Tell us about new RP “Strength Through Loyalty” ... How long did it take to write and record? Was the process enjoyable, hard work, or a combination thereof? Where did the title come from? Give us details!
Impact: Well its just an EP. We wrote it over a few months. When we settled on this lineup we decided to drop all our old stuff with our ex singer, so we had to write new tunes asap!
We recorded it with Sam Thredder at Cros Nest Studios in Croyden. It took 3 days to record it and then one day to mix it down. It's always hard work, but at the same time hugely enjoyable. It's nice to see the finished version of an idea that may have come about a long time before. The title comes from the band really. The guys who are still here have shown strength and loyalty by sticking to what we believe in musically - hence the title!
How do you go about writing your songs? Talk us through the construction of a typical track...
Impact: We usually come up with a riff or a few riffs. We play them to the others, and if everyone likes them we will put some drums to them. We then work out where in the song we would use the riff (verse, chorus etc) and come up with other bits to fill the gaps so to speak. Once we have a song together, Ian will put lyrics to it. Voila!
Where do you look for your lyrical and musical writing ideas?
Impact: Literally everywhere in day to day life. Someone may have an experience that means something to them, and out of that an idea or song is born.
Do you do anything special or unusual in the studio to get your sound?
Impact: We try and lay everything down in real time, rather than relying on protools to cover up our mistakes! It's all well and good copying and pasting, but I still think you lose the ‘feel’ of a track.
What pieces of equipment (or recording gizmos) couldn’t you live without?
Impact: I think individually, all our instruments are pretty special to us. None of us are minted and being expensive, our guitars etc mean a lot. A good compressor is always a helpful friend too
Thanks again to the guys for their time.
http://www.myspace.com/impactukhc
