PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
THC DREAMS pull from many areas – pop punk, indie and emo. The band drop their spanking new single, All My Friends, on Friday 11th January 2019, and had them down for a chat…..
What is the full band line-up, who plays what?
Nick plays guitar and main vocals, Tom plays guitar and sings occasionally, Tamlin plays bass and does speeches, Sam slaps the skins. Songs are generally written by Nick or Tom coming with an idea and then we edit it and flesh it out as a foursome. Up until this latest single, all our releases were recorded at Big Boi studios (Nick’s bedroom) with Nick producing and mixing.
How and when did the band form?
The band formed in 2015 in college after a fated shoegaze jam between Tom and nick that would echo through the ages and change musical history forever. This lead on to the boys assembling a crack team of rhythm section from what could be found in the college smoking area. This took the form of Tom’s friend, Tamlin, and a drummer from Nick’s music class, Sam. Eagerly we all rushed into the rehearsal room. Jack leads were plugged in, guitars were tuned and the gain was racked up to 11. That jam would develop into our first song: Dirt.
When and how did the band really start gelling and solidifying?
Musically, our sound has always been developing and evolving with each new artist we like, and experiences we have in our lives.
Who are your musical influences?
Say Anything, Into It Over It, La Dispute, Johnny Foreigner, Brand New, TTNG, Tiny Moving Parts, Interpol, Bloc Party, The Hotelier, Modern Baseball, Tigers Jaw, Basement, Yr Poetry.
Where did the name of band come from?
During college, Tamlin’s House was party House. At the peak of one particularly messy night, a friend of ours pulled out a permanent marker and pink spray can and proceeded to unleash his imagination and current emotional state on Tamlin’s bedroom wall. This took the form of a self portrait blowing a cloud of smoke. Emblazoned in the cloud was “THC Dreams”. We thought it was so cool we had to start a band.
How far back does your history with each other (the band members) extend? are you friends from school or any family relations?
Tamlin and Sam met as awkward 14 year old metal heads, both playing at the same gig with their first bands. Those bands disbanded and they lost touch until college, where, as luck would have it, all of THC Dreams decided to go and misspend their formative years.
Tom and Tamlin met the first day of college, having been introduced by the friend responsible for the famed THC Dreams name. Finding out they both played instruments and liked the same music, college days were often spent bunking off and jamming.
Nick and Sam were in the same college music class so would often play together.
For Tamlin and Nick, despite living a few streets from each other growing up, and both playing in similar bands from a young age, they didn’t formally meet until the band started. This blossomed into a fairy tale friendship, and they ended up living together.
Where have you played or toured? Please name all countries / regions and recognised bands that you have played with.
THC Dreams did our first UK tour in August 2018, spending 5 days playing in the south of England. We will be embarking on our next tour in January 2019, starting off in Edinburgh and working our way down home to Bristol, over the course of a week.
Every gig we play, there’s always some amazing artists but some of our favourite artists we played with have been Palm Reader, Yr Poetry (of Johnny Foreigner fame), allusondrugs and Kit Trigg.
In your opinion, how is your band different from all the other bands out there?
First and foremost, we’re all best mates, and that definitely comes across in our raucous, energetic live show. At our gigs, you will be skanking then singing, pitting then crying. Our music encapsulates the full range of emotions everyone feels.
Nick and Tamlin lived together for a year and now Tom and Tamlin Co-habitate. This developed a deep understanding of each other’s playing styles and created an ability to critique the parts we write.
We all listen to a lot of American rock and emo bands but have always found a way to incorporate a very British feel into our music. We have taken our favourite parts of both sides of the Atlantic and crafted a unique, THC Dreams sound
If a deaf person were to ask you to describe the sound of your music, how would you describe it?
Well, as luck would have, Tom and tamlin live with a deaf man. He likes us enough that he came on our first tour as roadie/handler/enabler.
Do you have a tour on the horizon?
Yes, we’ll be embarking on a UK tour in January 2019. Starting up in Edinburgh, we’ll work our way down back to Bristol over the course of a week. We’ll be accompanied by some of Scotland’s finest new artists-Take Today and WRTHLESS
Where can we find your social media sites?
