INTERVIEW: Pretty Vicious

Injecting a clamor and vigor of punk way beyond their teenage years into indie-rock, are Welsh four-piece Pretty Vicious. As a fast rising band of 2015, Gigslutz chat to the boys on their growing recognition, signing to a major label, their punk influences and forthcoming Reading & Leeds sets and September UK Tour. We catch-up with the band as they head to London for Maida Vale performance on BBC Radio 1 with Annie Mac…

Firstly, how did it feel to be tipped as NME’s ‘Brand New Artists Set To Storm 2015’ earlier this year?

Exciting, to have good feedback and everything off people. Yeah, it’s really great.

How has 2015 treated Pretty Vicious so far, do you feel you have been taking things by storm as NME predicted?

Yeah it’s been great, we’ve been to plenty of festivals this year, and we’ve had plenty of gigs. It’s been great. And we take it in our stride like. Yeah it’s one of those things where everything’s moving so fast, so we are trying to enjoy it while we can before it gets crazy

You seem to be growing and growing in coverage over at the BBC… with your forthcoming single ‘National Plastics’ being premiered as Annie Mac’s hottest record on Radio 1. How did it feel to be ‘hottest record in the world’?

You know we worked hard, and it’s just nice to hear you know, people into it at the station.

You’ve even recorded live sessions with Huw Stephens , how was it performing for BBC Radio One?

Well we’re literally off to do one today, yeah we’re off to do Maida Vale with Annie Mac. We’re gonna do two songs and a cover.

Are you looking forward to it?

Yeah we can’t wait. Yeah it’ll be great

You’ve had a lot of early features with BBC Introducing. Do you feel this has been greatly beneficial to your growing exposure over the past year?

Yeah the BBC is always a great platform because so many people listen to it. And it helps new artists; BBC Introducing has helped us a lot. So yeah, it’s been great.

You signed to Virgin in January. How did Pretty Vicious become involved with Virgin EMI Records?

We put a song out on our SoundCloud and it took them to come to us really. And they came to watch us and stuff and they just loved it. They showed out of all the records to be the biggest one into our music, they actually liked our music more than anyone else. And they seemed the most helpful, so they were the obvious choice.

How does it feel to be signed to such a major label at such a young age?

It’s great I mean, I’m only sixteen but it’s great. I would never have thought I would be signed to a major. I wasn’t even in a band two years ago, but you know here we are now.

Despite you fast becoming a band on everybody’s lips across the country, you appear to be somewhat proud of your beginnings in Merthr, as ‘Cave Song’ depicts the valleys amongst riffs and thunderous drums. What was it like growing up in Wales?

Yeah it was awesome, it makes us who we are. And we’ve come along way from there, we’ve got a good tour coming up now in September and Reading & Leeds and then the new single out on the 18th.

For those still yet to hear ‘National Plastics’ out Septemeber 18th on Virgin EMI, what can they expect to hear from it?

Classic Pretty Vicious, just as organic and natural as we are you know? It’s as much as you can get from a debut single as you could expect, it’s a ball breaker of a song like.

How would you describe ‘National Plastics’ in just three words, if you could?

BIG BAD AND NASTY.

You seem to inject the venom of punk back into indie-rock music. Is this intentional? Have you found yourselves influenced by former punk bands? With your band name being so similar to The Sex Pistols ‘Pretty Vacant’ was this an intention? Are you big Sex Pistols fans?

Yeah, yeah I think it’s definitely down to our musical tastes, like for instance you know bands like The Sex Pistols and The Stooges… The Bananas and all that? Even modern sort of punky stuff. I just think we have such a broad range, and that we like to implement all the elements of all those different bands, and put our own take on it.

Pretty Viscous have built a massive live reputation, gigging far and wide since your founding. You recently played Japan with Darlia! How was playing to such a crowd so far away from home?

Well considering it was one of the crowds most far away from home, they were easily one of the best we’ve had. They were so receptive. As soon as we touched down the airport, we had people actually waiting at the airport for signatures!

You play The Festival Republic Stage at Reading & Leeds this weekend and you played Latitude festival in July. What do Pretty Vicious most look forward to at a festival?

I like the rush of it. And the atmosphere, and that everyone’s there for the music. They’re not there just for a pint or something down the pub like.

You guys are set for a September headline tour, are you looking forward to the shows and what can we expect from your live sets?

It’s just gonna be great, the live set is not really set out. It’s not like choreographed. It’s just us there, how we are and how are feeling that day. It’s about showing people how to have a good time and showing people what music is actually about. I mean some people will have a bit of a dance to our music; it’s all about having a good time.

Dates stretch from Bristol, London and Leeds to Glasgow and Manchester. Where is the band most looking forward to playing?

Well I’ve got to say every time we play London that’s amazing. And then Bristol they’ll follow the Welsh boys so, that’ll be a great gig, they’ll follow a Welsh band

What can fans heading to your Reading & Leeds sets this weekend look forward to and expect from the set?

Getting their balls blown off. We’ve got a powerful set this time at Reading & Leeds. When we’ve got a shorter set, we just play our powerful sounds. We’re not just powerful-powerful-smashing-peoples-balls-off, we actually have got some quite mellow different songs. But when we only have half an hour for a set, we haven’t really got time to show them all off. You know? You want to grab attention.

@EmSchofield94

 

Emily Schofield

Emily Schofield

Emily Schofield

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