On the back of an incredibly successful UK tour, two recent singles, and a whole load of buzz and excitement surrounding them, both locally and in the music media, we caught up with Chest Pains. The Leeds based four-piece are generating some serious interest in their music so we met up with them at Brudenell Social Club, in Leeds, ahead of their tour concluding at their hometown venue. Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Sammy Robinson, drummer Calum Coleman, who took great delight in telling me that Sammy takes exclusively sit-down wees’, bassist Sam Robinson and lead guitarist Cal Crombie talked us through their career to date.
We once told a blog that it was because of an episode of The Simpsons, and they actually believed it…
The collection of Sams’ and Calums’ began by telling us how they first met, starting with Sammy. “Me and Calum (guitarist) met at uni, we have been doing random little bits and bobs together for three or so years now. Then met other Calum through him doing a lot of engineering work at Chunk, which is the DIY space at Meanwood Road.” They all then went on to explain how they met Sam through him partying with Cal.
I then fell into the trap which most journalist seem to have fallen into by asking where their name comes from, but Sammy wasn’t about to give that secret away. “We would like to not answer that question if possible please. Just because loads of blogs always try and guess and they never get it right and we find it really funny. So we just like haven’t told anybody ever and we are just hoping that people are just going to keep making ridiculous guesses. So feel free to make a guess if you would like. We once told a blog that it was because of an episode of The Simpsons, and they actually believed it and wrote it in their article, but its just complete rubbish. They are usually somewhere around love and heartache, we released a song ages ago that was called ‘Blood Pumping’ with an old band and people related it to that. No one will ever know.” Cal then added “the actual reason is far more boring.”
Chest Pains have just completed their first UK tour, Sammy told us how it went. “We were all a bit surprised by London, it was our first show there and it was headline, it was absolutely rammed. Hull is amazing, everybody should go play in Hull, everywhere has been amazing to be honest though. We are excited for tonight, it’s the last one, I am slowly losing my voice but hopefully we will get through it.”
They are a band that seems to combine lots of varied influences while still managing to highlight each members individual skills, they had already told me that their writing process is a collaborative one and then Sam explained how it works for them. “Usually someone has a riff or something and we just jam around that for a little bit and wait and see what comes out. Usually we manage to figure some bits out and then Sam (singer) usually has a back catalogue of lyrics that he has written and finds ones that work, and then we will maybe mess with the structure a bit.” Sammy then explained to us where his unique lyrics some from. “A mix of things I suppose, I like to think they come from just general day-to-day encounters, my girlfriend currently lives half way around the world so there is obviously bits in to do with that, and then working in a bar, you meet a lot of shit people in bars. I am from a very weird place in the UK which is just a strange place so sometimes they come from that, just general day-to-day encounters which I suddenly think ‘wow that was weird’ or ‘that was cool’.
Talk turned to moments in the bands history that have stuck with them, Calum told us about his personal favourite band related memory. “I really liked What’s In My Head, which was an all-dayer that we put on ourselves up at Chunk in February, along with Sarah from Esper Scout and Bomb The Twist. It was only our third ever show together and it was like a big charity event, which was raising money for Volition which is a mental health charity. It was absolutely rammed and everyone in there was just having a sick time.”
Chest Pains are undoubtedly showing the kind of potential that could easily translate into a very prosperous future for them, Cal let us know what their immediate plans are. “We have just had two singles come out. We have some gigs coming up predominantly in August and September we are going to be starting to kick in a bit more again.”
13th August – Leeds, Wharf Chambers
19th August – London, Shacklewell Arms
26th August – Leeds, Belgrave Music Hall
(This Must Be The Place Festival with Alvvays, Beach Fossils, Parquet Courts)
13th September – Manchester, The Peer Hat
(Supporting Pinact)
19th September – London, Sebright Arms
For all other things Chest Pains check out their Facebook or SoundCloud pages.