INTERVIEW: Prides - GigslutzGigslutz

After making history by becoming the first act to have the honour of gracing the Main Stage at T In The Park’s new home at Strathallan Castle; we sat down with Glaswegian trio, Prides, and talked: Paramore, their newly-released debut record and were they’re planning to go next. The only way is up, for Prides.

Congratulations, Prides on being the first ever act to play Strathallan’s main stage!

Stewart Brock: It’s totally amazing, the stars were aligned a little bit. Album launch: T The Park: Main stage. It just doesn’t get much better.

How was the show this afternoon?

Brock: It’s definitely one of the most fun shows we’ve ever played. I think because we all love being at T it definitely feels like a home crowd. You’re a bit more relaxed, you’re able to enjoy it a little bit more. I just had the best time.

Your crowd participation during the set was full-on. Is it relied upon quite a bit?

Brock: It’s kind of a thing that has grown with us. We grew up listening to those kind of bands that would always get crowds going, and we love going to watch bands whom are energetic and get into it, and it’s just become a part of our live show. We want people to feel like they can get involved.

Callum Wiseman: I read in a review that our music was “focused grouped”. I don’t think of that as a bad thing.

Brock: It has. I remember in an interview I saw with, Paramore, they were talking about the fact that they would think about the live situation, and think about what the crowd were going to sing back at them, and that is such a good idea. And that was the whole point of today, we got a couple fans up on stage with us and it was of course thinking “we could have this little slice of T in The Park history here”.

How long have Prides officially been together for?

Brock: Well, me and Lewis (Gardiner, drums) have been together for a very, very long time.

Gardiner: Longer than we care to mention.

Brock: Longer than any of my real-life relationships. We’ve been Prides for two and a half years? Me and Lewis were working on things as a two-piece and brought Callum in when we seen how handsome he was. April 2013 we released our first demo.

Gardiner: That’s where we draw the line. That’s where it began.

Your debut album, The Way Back Up, is out now. As the charts have changed, records are now released on a Friday. What’re your opinions on the change?

Gardiner: We didn’t fully go for it as our album isn’t released in America on a Friday. But here [Iin the UK], as a Friday vibe, it’s the weekend –

Wiseman: For a lot of people it’s payday. If something happens in the music industry as big as this we try and see the positives in it. See how it’s going to benefit us.

Brock: So, when you’re chilling out: sat in the sun: getting you’re tunes on, get your Prides album on. With us as a new band, you have to embrace everything with open arms.

On the debut, which track is your favourites?

Brock: My favourite is the title-track, (‘The Way Back Up’). It does change sometimes, but that’s the one for me. It feels like the ven diagram of everything we’re trying to do. Lewis’ favourite is ‘Little Danger’.

Gardiner: I think it’s just an exciting song. Chorus, cool verse, and just the way people react to it live. It’s our most fun track live.

Wiseman: I have different favourites depending on how well a show goes. My favourite track on the album is called, ‘Same Mistakes’. I got let loose on the acoustic guitar on that one a little bit. My first instrument is the guitar and I only learned keys for this band. I wrote this thing at Stewart’s house one day, and then I went away and a couple weeks later he was like “I’ve turned it into a song”.

Live VS Recording. Which do you prefer?

Wiseman: We’re big fans of both. We want to write with as many people as we can and, especially – from being part of bands for years – this band in particular has been a massive resurgence for all three of us, really enjoying playing live.

Gardiner: For me, being in the studio is like being at home. Because we spend so much time doing stuff, so much time working with other people; being on stage is like stage is like a rollercoaster. You are just scared shitless, but you just get up there and have the best time.

Brock: You go home, back to the studio and go, “that was excellent wasn’t it! When are we going to go again?” We’re very lucky that we’ve got both sides, because we are a studio band essentially, and Lewis produces everything. We enjoy writing together. But then, of course almost by accident, we’ve written songs that really translate in a live sense as well. It would be impossible to pick between the two.

What can we expect from Prides going into the end of 2015?

Brock: We’re going to try and tour as much as we can. We’d love to get out to: Europe, Australia, America again. We just want to try and push this album to the corners of the world and see where we get too.

Gardiner: Assuming that someone lets us. Someone might let us do another record!

Brock: I think until at least the middle of next year, we’ll be on the road, especially because we love playing live and it’s a big part of this band.

Thank you so much for speaking to me lads, I hope you enjoy the rest of the festival!