LifeArcade!

Stars of the Search Party

w/ You Ate my Dog and Piper Saint

Silver Bullet, London, 14^th June 2011

LifeArcade! were at the Silver Bullet in Finsbury Park recently to catch up with Stars of the Search Party, building up to the release of their new single ‘Colours’, (released 21^st June). With this being the last night of their tour, we also took the opportunity to review their energetic live show. Before the gig began, we ventured north - away from the venue and into the quieter confines of the band’s tour bus, where buses, road rage and ‘Boris Biker’s’ would be of no concern to us all. After noting the comparative ease of chatting in a tour bus, compared to toilets, Steve (Guitar and Backing Vocals), Russ (Guitar) and Artit (Vocals) were ready to begin.

LifeArcade! (LA!): Thank you for joining us this evening, first things first, how did you get started?

Steve: Well we were 17 when myself and Russ first wanted to start a band, but it was a tricky starting point and there have been a few line-up changes. But now we are all 23 and have been in this line-up and going professionally for around 2 years. The most recent addition has been Artit who joined in September…

Artit: Let’s hope they made the right decision!

Russ: Through the times of the line-up changes, it did actually allow us to tighten up as a band ironically. When it came to having the solid band members, that we have now, we felt more professional going into these gigs, as we had been working for so long on the music.

LA!: So Artit, have the band been welcoming to you as the newcomer? Did you all know each other beforehand?

Artit: Yeah they’ve been great. We didn’t know each other exactly. Rob (Bassist) lived with someone in my class who recommended me to them…

Russ: We checked out his stuff on YouTube and were pretty impressed so invited him down for an audition. There was one other guy but as soon as we heard Artit’s voice we were sold.

LA!: Who are your main influences as a band?

Steve: We’re all different really. I do a lot of the main writing and I am personally influenced by bands like Funeral for a Friend, Emery and Underoath. I do also like the breakdowns you get from more Punk orientated bands like A Day to Remember. It’s nice to be able to blend it all in.

LA!: You mention bands like A Day to Remember and Funeral For a Friend, If you had the chance to appear with a band, past or present, who would it be?

Steve: Go West…

Russ: (Laughs). Jack (Sanderson, Booking Agent) would love that.

Russ: Realistically…

Artit: ...Funeral For a Friend would be great…

Steve: …and it’s possible! They’re a band me and Russ have been listening to for a long time, since their early stuff, so that would be great.

Russ: Emery as well would be amazing.

Artit: Four Years Strong would be good too.

LA!: Speaking of Funeral For a Friend, they toured with Iron Maiden not so long ago and had a mixed reaction from the Maiden fans. Is touring with a different genre of band something you would consider?

Steve: Honestly, we would and we have done in the past. Opportunities like that do not come around very often.

Russ: We got offered a show with Mammal, an Australian band who had already sold out the gigs. After listening to them I was a bit concerned and asked the band if we still wanted to do it. They have a Rage Against the Machine type vibe to them and I was convinced their fans would not like us at all. But after chatting with Mammal we went out there and it was probably one of the best shows we’ve ever played and the fans loved us. Since then we’ve learnt not to judge and to just take opportunities that come our way.

Steve: We might draw the line if they offered ABBA though.

Artit: Before this tour we were generally the heaviest band on the tours we have played.

Russ: Because we are that kind of bridge between heavy and pop we are able to translate across different fans and bands when touring.

LA!: You mention pop there. Do you mind being labeled with that tag, as some bands try to avoid being put in that category?

Russ: I think it’s good definitely, as you can expand to a different fan base every time you play a show. There’s nothing wrong with it.

LA!: We’ve talked about musical influences, do you see a band live and think ‘why don’t we do that?’ or ‘that’s cool, lets put that in our show’?

Steve: Well when we first started doing shows we were very static on stage. Each of us now just does our own thing on stage. We have never been a band to choreograph moves and say, ‘Right! Lets headbang at this point and all break our necks’. As we have progressed as a band, we have individually also changed.

Russ: I wouldn’t say we look the coolest.

Steve: We can look at other bands and say ‘yeah that’s a great show’ but we wouldn’t then take any parts from it. What works for one band would probably make us look like idiots if we tried it! We just stick to how we go.

LA!: You were inSwansealast night. How have you found your fan base has developed over time? Do you have fans from abroad saying they love your work?

Russ: Well word of mouth has played its part obviously. But a lot of it has just come from touring new cities that we haven’t played before. You do these shows and maybe two people will be there that like you. Then the next time you play there they’ll bring their friends and it kind of develops from there. Online tools also play a massive part.

Steve: Absolutely. That’s the best thing really. You can go and play somewhere on the other side of the world, and still keep in touch with those people everyday. That’s the most important thing to us. We like to keep in touch with our fans via Facebook, even if it is just complete crap about ‘Coach Trip’. We like to keep that personal touch with our fans, it helps us keep our feet on the ground as it were.

Russ: I just enjoy the social side of it as well. Also, me and Steve have been best mates since we were 13 and we would go to all these gigs and we remember when these bands would come and talk to us and it makes your day. We like to do that for our fans

LA!: Your new single ‘Colours’ is out on the 21^st June. Excited? How has the initial feedback been?

Steve: Very excited yeah. We put the video up about 10 days ago and it was received brilliantly. It actually exceeded our expectations. Initially we wanted to get around a thousand plays in a week, which we would have been happy with – within 4 days we had 3,000 plays, which was ridiculous! Our regular fans have all come out and supported it which is nice to see. But on the YouTube channel we have been getting new subscribers all the time. People have been asking why everyone has been posting about it, then they see it and go ‘oh now I see why!’ which is really nice to see.

LA!: So do you feel a certain amount of pressure to accommodate to your fans?

Steve: Not really no. I think we just go out there and do it.

Russ: I think we have shown the opposite of that in a way. When he had our previous vocalist we were a lot heavier and the fans liked that. We were worried that our core fan base would not enjoy the vocal change, but I think it has turned out that we now have a stronger fan base since Artit’s arrival. We are now definitely a lot more accessible, don’t get me wrong we did lose a couple of fans, but on the whole we are a lot stronger in terms of support and music. It shows that development in your sound can work and you’ve just got to go for it.

LA!: Just a couple of final questions. What do you do after a show? Do you have a few drinks, party or are you just pretty chilled out?

Russ: We’re pretty chilled out really. We hang out with the other bands then start driving in the general direction of the town and venue really. I tried doing the whole party thing when we first started out, but it soon takes it out of you when you’ve got a show the next day. But I’ve learnt through these experiences to be a lot more professional, and in doing so we have never missed a show…

Steve: …Or been arrested. 

LA!: OK guys just one last question that I can imagine you and other bands get all the time so I apologise in advance – Why the name?

Russ: (Laughs) Steve gives a different answer to this every time!...

Steve: …It’s a metaphor. Everyone looks out for the stars in the night sky. When you can’t find them, you call out the search party. And the leaders of the search party, looking for the stars? Stars of the Search Party. That and we didn’t want a clichéd name with words like ‘black’, ‘death’ or ‘stars’. Then I thought ‘oh, Stars of the Search Party’. That sounds pretty cool. So essentially we went against our thought process. Speak to Guilford Hospital Radio for the other official explanations!

Interview over, we ventured back south, towards the Silver Bullet. A small, intimate venue with surprisingly good sound that stands out over the road fromFinsburyParkstation, with its bright artwork (unfortunately hidden by scaffolding).

The first band I see tonight is Piper Saint. A London four-piece with a great, unique sound, partly - but not completely - inspired by their female lead singer. The mix of melodic harmonies and loud aggressive angst are neatly tied together in this short but eye-catching set. The banter between songs was fun and kept the audience interested, as well as not detracting from the flow of the set. If you are a fan of Taking Back Sunday or Jimmy Eat World you will like Piper Saint. Certainly one to look out for in the future.

The joint headliners of the night are the confusingly named Swedish band You Ate my Dog (nope, we don’t know why either!). This Stockholm six-piece arrived on stage to a big response and proceed to scream, sing and jump through their 25 minute set. They seem to cover all the bases with hints of pop and rock blended in with punk and hardcore. Luckily for them it does not turn into mush and actually provides quite an interesting sound with recollections of Panic!, Blink 182 and Brand New forming to provide some catchy tunes. They kept the crowd busy too with token sing-alongs, clapping and between song banter which really helped the positive mood of the set. Really good live band that are definitely worth a look, whether you’re inLondonorStockholm.

Once You Ate my Dog were finished, it was time for the headline act. Stars of the Search Party arrive onstage with the challenge of keeping up the tempo left behind by the previous band’s performance. And they achieve this comfortably. From the first note, the tempo is high and the crowd is into it. Like Piper Saint, they have a great mix of calming harmonies as well as the screaming you would associate with more hardcore bands. The influences they stated in our interview are clear to see and hear, and I couldn’t help but notice a hint of Incubus and Lost Prophets in their guitar solos and rhythm – which is no bad thing. One problem a lot of bands have is the transition from the studio to a live environment. Luckily for Stars of the Search Party they do not have this problem as their music is clear, the audience participation is there and their early days of static performances are well and truly behind them.

Stars of the Search Party were a fitting end to a great night of live music and are certainly worth checking out if they are playing in your area. Band of the night and with their new single coming out soon, the only way is up for this Surrey based band. 

With thanks to Jack Sanderson of Buskers Hat Management

Stars of the Search Party’s new single ‘Colours’ is available from 21^st June via Digital Download on iTunes. They are next playing in London on the 23^rd June at O2 Academy 2, Islington

Words by William Evans