Beachmaster – Interview

SAN Agency 18 September 2019 Text Interviews

Cumbria emo punks BEACHMASTER have just released their brand new single, Only If You Know – https://youtu.be/_0G1Lg-qVHU . We asked the engaging tunesmiths a few background questions and more:

What is the full band line-up, who sings and who plays which instrument?
C.J. Zanelli (Guitar/lead vocals)

Martyn Simpson (Bass/backing vocals)

Robson Utting (Drums/used to do backing vocals but he can’t sing so we don’t let him anymore)

How and when did the band form? Tell us anything interesting about your hometown.
The original lineup of the band formed in 2013 in Penrith. Penrith is a town near Carlisle, between them and the surrounding area there’s some lakes and some hills, and some great bands as well. Robson joined in 2014 when our last drummer decided to go play in a metal band, and Martyn joined in 2016 when he got bored of playing in that metal band with our old drummer.

When and how did the band really start gelling and solidifying?
We’ve evolved a lot over the last 6 years, from playing quite folky tunes to becoming more overdriven and heavy. It’s hard to put a date on gelling but we try not to solidify too much so we can morph again someday.

Who are your musical influences?
Lots of stuff. I (CJ) like punk and prog metal but I also like a lot of the American punk/folk offshoots. Robson likes Shakira and songs from The Muppets, and Martyn listens to ambient Norwegian tech-metal in the bath. (serious answer: Robson genuinely likes both of those things but mostly listens to Smashing Pumpkins, The Mars Volta & Beastie Boys, while Martyn can usually be found listening to Iron Maiden, Rammstein, or The Dixie Chicks).

How far back does your history with each other (the band members) extend? Are you friends from school or any family relations?
So there’s two schools in our town, Rob and myself went to one, Martyn went to the other, but Martyn and I would have probably left before Rob even started. I knew Martyn from previous dorky bands we’d play in. Martyn had hair like Mark Bolan, that was before he became a creature of the night. I first met Rob when we posted online about needing a drummer, and he was the only applicant.

Where have you played or toured?
The north of England mainly but some excursions as far as Lincoln and Kent. Festival appearances include Kendal Calling, Solfest, Eden Fest, Smugglers, and Call of the Wild, amongst others. We’ve also played shows with The Kut, Hardwicke Circus, Funke and the Two Tone Baby, & Black Surf.

In your opinion, how is your band different from all the other bands out there?
I’d like to think we’re not just the sum of one influence and it’s the combined effort of each of our own musical strengths and weaknesses that lends to our sound. We are mostly a DIY band – all of our booking, artwork, logistics, finances, transport, scheduling, videos, etc. are managed by ourselves, with the exception of recording which is done by Joe Marshall, who is an ex member, and Jamie Burnette behind the camera for our videos – which we also have a lot of involvement in the direction and editing of. Whatever it is, we’re probably too indie for the punk crowd, and too punk for the indie crowd. I don’t know if anybody will hear us and compare us to other bands, but we only ever try to sound like ourselves, and if that happens to match up with anything else it’s rarely deliberate.

If a deaf person were to ask you to describe the sound of your music, how would you describe it?
I’d show them an Arthur Sarnoff picture of dogs playing cards or pool because I don’t know sign language. We tend to use generic terms like ‘alternative rock’, but really we try not to sound too similar from song to song and borrow from as many different places as we can – all you can really do is listen and see if you like what you hear…unless you’re deaf, in which case we’re probably a bit too ugly for you to want to watch our music videos. Our artwork might be worth a look though.

Do you have a tour on the horizon?
We’re embarking on a 6-date tour in October, playing the following dates/venues/towns:

Thursday 3rd, Fell Bar, Penrith (w/ Black Surf)

Friday 4th, Central Bar, Gateshead (w/ Edge of Obsidian, Black Surf, Men Behind the Sun)

Saturday 5th, Warwick Bazaar, Carlisle (w/ Black Surf, 2nd support act TBC)

Thursday 10th, Retro Bar, Manchester (w/ Swamp Chicken, Somewhere in Between)

Friday 11th, Fury’s Nightclub, Ayr (w/ The Belafonte, Brothers)

Saturday 12th, The Box, Glasgow (w/ Jamie Woods, X-Men B-Team, 3rd support act TBC)

Where can we find your social media sites?

https://facebook.com/beachmasterband

https://instagram.com/beachmasterband

https://open.spotify.com/artist/79sQypgpV8UgWp9sZzIABC

https://beachmasterband.bandcamp.com/