What are your names?
Adam Kidd (me) – vocals, guitar, Aaron Neville – vocals, keyboards, Tom Alty – lead guitar, James Crump – drums, Adam Whittles – bass
What is the bands name?
Fragile Creatures
How did you come up with the bands name?I had written a song called Fragile Creatures before the band was formed. We weren’t convinced when it was first suggested to us that it might make a good band name, but it has stuck.
What is your genre of music?
punk yacht
Give us a little bio about you.
I got a publishing deal after finishing at art school and recording an album with my band at the time. Its never been releases, but it led to Fragile Creatures being formed. We released our debut album in 2016, but it went through development hell to get there, leading us to retire to our rehearsal room for two years, learning how to record ourselves. We came back in 2019 with Heart Beat EP in the Spring, and now we’re starting to release some singles from our second album, which is coming out next Spring.
What made you go into music?
It’s compulsive. I spent 6 years studying fine art at uni and then I was sick of art, but I’ve never gotten sick of making music!
Are you signed?
Our debut album was released by Brightonsfinest Presents label, but that was a license deal for 5 years. We’re self-releasing now, and fully independent.
You released your new single ‘A New Low’, tell us more about the single.
A New Low is the first teaser song from our debut album. We recorded it in our rehearsal room, like the rest of the album!
What is the meaning behind the single?
I wrote it about Katie Hopkins, when she said that migrants drowning in the Mediterranean were like cockroaches. Zero empathy, and the same language the Nazi’s used to describe Jews in the 30s. I think beyond that it is a commentary on the way we’re all being fired up by negative, clickbait media. An angry, polarised population are very easy to manipulate.
Describe the track in two words.
Shonk pop
What was the writing process like?
Very quick with this one. I recorded 5 solo improvisations on my Dictaphone and had written 90% of the lyrics through that process. Then I bashed out a demo for the band. The guitar solo was a one take improvisation and is almost exactly what Tom played on the final version, only with a few added widdly bits.
What was the recording process like?
We’ve been recording in our rehearsal room, this was one of the first we tracked after figuring out our method. We had to record this without a click track because of the tempo changes. Whittles, Crump and myself did a live performance of the rhythm section, Tom and Aaron over-dubbed their parts, and then we all sang on it a bit. It came together quite quickly actually – just seemed to fall into place nicely.
Who did you work with on the single?
Outside of the band? Our friends Tristan and Aaron Mclenahan mixed this for us in their studio near Limoges in France, and Aaron added the percussion in the last section. There’s a guy called Alex Pettman, based in Bristol, who was recommended to me. He mastered the track for us.
Will we see a music video?
I’ve filmed some stuff. I need a faster computer to do the edits! It will come out eventually though – we’re planning a lot of content for YouTube. We filmed a lot of the recording process for the album. Subscribe to us there as when we get into the flow it’s going to get pretty busy there.
Will we see an EP or Album anytime soon and if so what can we expect?
Yes. Punk Yacht the album in Spring 2020. It’s going to be rock and pop squaring off against each other. There will be smooth, 80s pop influenced music, mixed with garage rock and a dose of 90s indie. It will throw you curveballs. There will be key changes. There will be guitar solos and even the odd guitar harmony. There will be vocal harmonies. There will be drums. And bass. It will be 10 songs. You will love it.
Do you have any shows coming up?
We’re playing Concorde 2 in Brighton this Sunday (10th November). Then I think we’ll be quiet until the new year, but I’m expecting to have quite a few dates in the new year to support the album release. If anyone wants to book us hit me up: fragilecreatures@gmail.com bass.
What else can we expect in 2019/Early 2020?
Phantom Limb was just released as a single. There will be another single in early Jan 2020, and we’ll reveal the release date for the record then. Before then we’ll be busy finishing off the recording work, but as I said sign up to our YouTube channel. There’s lots of stuff planned for there!
Do you have any collaborations coming up with any upcoming artists?
Aaron, our keyboard player, has just released the first single from his solo project Neville Sounds. It’s called Ending Scene and proceeds go to Rethink Mental Health charity. He’s got more stuff lined up for that. I’m also working on a solo record, that will come out after Punk Yacht. I’ve been recording that with Alan Grice, who is the main song-writer for Fierce Friend, and as a bit of an exchange project I have been helping to record the next Fierce Friend record, playing bass on most of the tracks. At this rate though it’s looking like it might be a double album!
Would you be up for collaborations if other musicians wanted one with you? and who would they have to contact?
Yes, always keen to work with others. It’s fun. Get in touch with me via the fragile creatures gmail – fragilecreatures@gmail.com
Do you play any instruments?
Yes – guitar and bass, but also rudimentary drums, keyboards and violin. Lately I’ve been playing a lot of tambourine.
Who are your influences?
The Clash, Radiohead, Manic Street Preachers, Blur, David Bowie, Beatles, The Beach Boys, Mansun, Jeff Buckley, Elvis Costello, The Jam, Supergrass, Toto, 10CC… loads of people really. I could just keep listing. It’s a melting pot.
How do you get inspiration to write songs?
I don’t know, sometimes it feels like the songs are already there. I either write about what’s going on in my head, or what’s happening in the world – but I tend to write through improvisational processes, that way I have a direct line to my own subconscious. Inspiration is easy, sit with a guitar for ten minutes and a new idea will come out of it. The hard part is finishing things, pinning down the lyrics and arranging the songs.
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
Still making music, but with a vast back catalogue released and available for people to enjoy. One of the reasons we opted for the fully independent route was because it was frustrating not being able to release music as quickly as we wrote it.
When you’re not doing music, what do you do?
I like to cook elaborate meals with my girlfriend and watch sci fi.
What was the song you listened to most that influenced you to go more into the music scene?
I’m not sure I could pinpoint a particular song. I think I was more drawn into it by friends asking me to join there band, so it was social. And my love of music goes back so far it’s hard to pinpoint… but if you pushed me I’d say it must have been something like Hey Bulldog from the Beatles Yellow Submarine soundtrack. I was obsessed with that tape, and that film, as a small boy.
What’s the best advice you have ever been given?
Look for the positive. The music industry is a tough field to break into. If you spend your whole time focussed on the negatives you’ll never achieve anything. Focus on what’s going well and try to visualise where you want to be.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians not about the industry and just as an artist?
I always thought there were two kinds of musicians – the technicians who focus on being great instrumentalists, and the artists who focus on big ideas – and I saw myself in the artist camp. The mistake I made was thinking that things like music theory would get in the way of being original. That’s just not true – theory will help you to communicate your ideas to others, learning rules doesn’t stop you from breaking them.
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Where in your home-town is a must go to visit?
Oh Brighton is lovely, but I am not the tourist board! I’m not super fussed about the big attractions like The Pavilion or the ugly i360. Come for the bars and the restaurants and the little venues. Green Door Store, The Prince Albert and The Hope & Ruin are probably my favourites.
Your coming off tour;
1/ Where do you go first? bed
2/ Who do you see first? My girlfriend
3/What do you eat first? sushi used
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
Our gig or someone else? I guess you mean ours? My guitar, my amp, my pedals, the set-list, merch
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
Yes!
Website
Bandcamp
Youtube
Twitter
Instagram
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