GET READY TO JOIN THE SHADOW, GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT FOUR PIECE ‘CHASING SHADOWS’ RIGHT HERE IN MY CHAT WITH LEAD SINGER SAM!

What are your names?

We’re Sam, Ben, Chris and Russ. Sam is the lead singer/guitarist, Ben (that’s me!), on rhythm guitar, Chris is on drums and Russ on bass.

What is the band name?

We’re Chasing Shadows!

How did you come up with the band name?

I’d like to tell you a really rock and roll story of how the name came about, however after about two weeks of going through literally every name imaginable, Sam was watching some adverts and saw one for a TV program called Chasing Shadows and suggested that, we liked it, and it stuck!

What is your genre of music?

Hmmm, I’d say we kind of falling into the indie pop rock kind of category.

Give us a little bio about you as a band and as individuals.

As a band, we formed in 2014, and kind of stumbled into a wedding booking on the back of a successful open mic night. At the time, it was just me, Sam and Chris – Russ joined us in the December and we’ve never looked back! I’m a primary school teacher, Sam is a learning support assistant, Chris is an engineer and Russ designs things. We’re four of the best of friends, and we’re having a fantastic time with the band!

What made you go in to music?

For me, music has always been in and around my family for as long as I can remember. I’ve always had an interest in it and wanted to do something within it, however it was only when I started guitar lessons with Sam that I acted upon that. For all of us though, it’s something that’s been around us, so it seems only natural that we’d end up doing something with music!

Are you a signed?

Not at the moment, but hopefully in the future!

Your brand new single ‘Open Your Eyes’, is set to release, tell us more about it.

Open Your Eyes was written by Sam after a particularly difficult series of operations last year that left him in a situation where he really didn’t know what the outcome was going to be. It’s one he said just poured out of him in about 10 minutes, but it’s one of the most personal ones he’s ever written.

What was the recording process like?

We really enjoy recording with our producer and engineer Nino at Amp Recording Studio in Wrexham. Every time we go in is different, however Nino knows exactly what we want to achieve and always manages to capture the sound we want for the track. With this track, we knew it was going be slightly different – we hadn’t recorded a track that was piano driven before, but we knew what we wanted, Nino understood what we were after and we couldn’t be more pleased with the end result.

What was the writing process like?

Normally Sam will come to us with a verse and chorus or a riff, and sent it over on WhatsApp or show us at practice. We work on it together, throwing ideas around until we have a rough structure for the track. Over the next few weeks the track begins to take shape, and we tweak it and see if anything needs to be added or taken away until we’re happy with the result. When we are, it’s time to record!

With Open Your Eyes, as we don’t have a piano at our practice room, we recorded that part of the track and played through the PA, and played to that. Apart from that, the process was no different.

Describe the track in two words.

Meaningful and Different!

Where will it be to buy/listen?

It’s out already on our current EP, Darker Days. We’re really proud of this EP, and it’s available on all digital streaming platforms, such as Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Google Play and Amazon to name a few. Be sure to check it out!

You also have your EP ‘Darker Days’, tell us more about the EP.

So the recording process for Darker Days started back in summer 2017, when we recorded Warning Signs. We were back in the studio early in 2018, recording Twisted Love, Rosie, Hollywood Girl and Neon. Open Your Eyes was the last track to be recorded, and we know instantly that was to be the last track on the EP. Throughout the recording process, we really felt we found exactly what that Chasing Shadows sound is, and were delighted to have had Hollywood Girl and Open Your Eyes featured on BBC Introducing!

Describe each track in two words.

Hollywood Girl: Upbeat and energetic.

Twisted Love: Lively and fun.

Warning Signs: Rocky and moody

Rosie: Dirty and big

Neon: Quite different!

Open Your Eyes: Heartfelt and deep.

Who did you work on the EP with?

We worked with Nino, our producer and engineer, on all of the tracks. He’s an incredible guitarist and has a real ear for hearing things you wouldn’t think of, and he really gets our sound, and knows exactly what to do to make the tracks sound as big as possible!

Will we see any shows or a tour in planning?

We’ve got plenty of gigs coming up before the end of the year and we’re always looking to add more to our calendar, so check out our website or Facebook for where we are! We’ve got Focus Wales and Live on the Square, a festival in Mold, in May as well as a few festivals in July, around North Wales and the North West, but we’re not allowed to talk about them yet, so don’t tell anyone I’ve told you.

If so where will you be heading?

Live on the Square is in Mold, North Wales, and that promises to be a really good gig in the centre of the town. We’ve got pub gigs and festivals coming up though, so keep checking where we are on our social media platforms. We’ll do our best to get to all your favourite venues!

What else can we expect in 2019?

We’ve just finished recording a new track, which we’ll be releasing as a single soon. It’ll be taken from our next EP which we’re hoping to have ready for a summer release!

Do you play any instruments?

We do! Sam plays guitar and keyboard, I play guitar, Chris plays drums and Russ plays bass and guitar too.

Who are your influences?

We have a really eclectic mix of influences across the band, but we find we all like bands such as Stereophonics, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Oasis and Catfish and the Bottlemen – their songs really influence our writing, being big guitar driven tracks with big choruses.

How do you get inspiration to write songs?

Inspiration can come from anywhere for us. From our hometown, work and what we see around us to relationships, personal circumstances and even going to watch other bands and gigs, we find our inspiration from everywhere.

Where do you see yourselves in 5 Years?

We just want to keep getting better and better, and in doing so play more gigs to more people, and share our music with as many people as possible.

When you’re not doing music, what do you do?

Unfortunately work takes up most of our time! In our down time though, we enjoy a bit of gaming, Netflix and heading to the gym (enjoy isn’t always a word I’d use to describe that though). We’re probably the least ‘rock and roll’ rock band there is!

What was the song you listened to most that influenced you to go more in to the music scene?

I know for Sam it was the Stereophonics, and any of their early music. They saw him through a tough period in his life and inspired him to take up music and he’s never looked back.

What’s the best advice you have ever been given?

Sam says that for him, it’s ‘always be yourself, never try and be anyone else’. As corny as it sounds, it’s definitely true – be comfortable as yourself and do what you do.

What advice would you give to aspiring musicians not about the industry and just as an artist?

I’d say just to have fun. Enjoy it, make the most of it, work hard but most of all, have fun. Even through those difficult periods of trying to find your own sound, learning your instrument, doing that first gig that nobody has turned up to, the gig where everything goes wrong – it doesn’t matter what it is, have fun and enjoy it. It’s an incredible journey you’re starting on!

What quote or saying do you always stick by?

This is another one from Sam – he says he always sticks to the saying ‘it is what it is’. There’s nothing you can do to change some things, so make the best of it!

When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?

1. Spares for every piece of gear, because things like to break when you don’t want them to,

2. More picks that you ever thought you’d need because they vanish into the ether and you’ll never see them again. Ever.

3. A camera because you’re going to need to record everything!

4. Your equipment. We’ve been lucky so far that nobody has actually forgotten anything but there’s been a few vary close calls!

5. Most importantly, don’t forget to have fun! Enjoy every last second, from the minute you walk into the venue to the minute you leave.

Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?

We do! We’d love for you to check us out, and enjoy our music.

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Youtube

Website

Spotify

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