Enfnts Terribles

What have you guys been up to in quarantine?

Dom: We’ve been doing the kind of stuff that everyone has been doing, like cooking and jogging. It’s also given us a hell of a lot of time to sit down and reflect on the past year and to really get into album mode. We’ve done a lot of writing, which wouldn’t have happened if we weren’t stuck in quarantine.

Josh: This situation has definitely been a silver lining. When you’re touring, there’s just no time. I had loads of voice notes and ideas on my laptop that I have now been able to go back to and finish off.

I saw that you could finally rehearse together again after 10 weeks. How did that go?

Josh: It got to the point where we just had to start working again, but it’s working pretty well! We have a big studio warehouse in Manchester, so we can be in different little rooms and still work together. It’s nice to be back in the studio. We even have another session tomorrow.

For people who don’t know your music yet, how would you describe it?

Dom: We’ve been asked this question for five years, and we’ve never been able to come up with a good answer. We usually just make stuff up.

Josh: It’s kind of like ambient, alternative pop with guitars. The Killers but more atmospheric. LA and London together. Just smash them together and drop a guitar in. Kind of like that.

I saw a lot of comments that describe you as the love child of The 1975 and The Wombats. Do you see those two bands as an inspiration?

Josh: We would listen to The Wombats religiously when growing up. I think The 1975 have managed to make pop very cool. At the same time, just because I have long curly hair and Dom uses a guitar perhaps once that sounds a bit like them, doesn’t mean we’re anything like The 1975. I don’t really give a fuck. I think we stand for different things, but it’s nice to be compared to them.

You also created a website linked to “AWHAFY?” where people can share their thoughts about the pandemic and so on. What was the thought behind that?

Josh: We have always tried to be very conscious of mental health. It already felt like releasing a single during a pandemic was a risk, but the message spoke to people, especially in this situation. Sometimes it feels like you’re very isolated and alone, but then you go on social media and you notice how many other people are feeling the exact same way. We had the idea that if we weren’t in lockdown, we would get this huge wall, and people could use spray paint and stickers on it to share their thoughts. But that wasn’t possible, so we turned it virtual. You can go to the website and write whatever you want. People can spend a day reading through it, feeling like there’s just some type of community during these crazy times and ask themselves, “Are we having any fun yet?”

You’re also very environmentally involved with your clothing line, Animals in Costume, being 100% organic and ethically sourced. Why was that so important for you?

Dom: We saw so many bands releasing the same merch, thinking they can stick a band logo on there and ship loads of shirts from China, not thinking about the consequences this can have on the environment and the people making those shirts. The harm these materials can have on our planet is so huge, and people don’t think about that. The clothing industry (fast fashion) is one of the biggest contributors to global warming and environmental damage. Even going down to the fact that shipping stuff in cardboard can be worse for the environment than finding good recyclable plastics. It was really important for us to learn about these things because you don’t realize how little you know about stuff.

It must be a big issue for bands because I can imagine how difficult it must be to tour sustainably as well?

Josh: I remember posting on Instagram like, “Look, we want to become sustainable but it’s going to cost more money.” We now have a fanbase that gives us feedback and tells us whether something is a really bad idea or not, but they were are like, “Yeah, let’s fuckin do it!” So Animals in Costume is born out of this idea that other bands would be encouraged to make their own sustainable merch as well.

Now that things are finally starting to pick back up again, what’s on the schedule for you guys?

Dom: We’re deep into album mode at the moment. We’re hoping to have a debut out by the end of the year. Obviously, gigs and shows have kind of taken a backseat, so we have to take that into account, which is quite gutting. We feel like we’re on this big inhale with Larkins, and I feel like when we will start doing shows again it’s just gonna be *exhales* unbelievable.

Josh: That’s a beautiful metaphor, honestly.

Dom: Thank you.

He’s just spilling beautiful quotes all over.

Dom: That’s me!

Josh: That’s going on the next T-shirt!

Your EP Hit and Run has just come out, but can we expect some new singles soon?

Josh: Anything is possible. I feel like we’re ready for the next step and make an album, but it has to be perfect. We have a lifetime to write it, so we got to get it right. If it’s not perfect, it won’t come out. So, over the next few weeks, it could get a little bit heated in our studio.

And will you be doing a European tour for the album because you haven’t done that before?

Josh: We did a couple of shows in Germany but we were so bad. That was like 2 years ago. We’ve done a show in Belgium actually!

Dom: Yes, Amsterdam.

That’s not in Belgium…

Josh: I’m sure when we toured Germany, we started in Belgium.

Dom: What’s the city with loads of chocolate?

That’s Brussels.

Dom: Yeah, we did Brussels! Is Brussels in Belgium?

Josh: Yeah, Dom. Fucking hell. Geography has never been a strong suit for this band. We do everything else but geography.