Credit: Jaydon Martin
Silent Forum are an art rock-post-punk four-piece from Cardiff. They release their new single - a "magical musical journey stretching over six minutes" - 'How I Faked The Moon Landing' on August 10 through Libertino Records’ 'Ghost Disco' singles club. The title derives from the band's original name under a different line-up, and is the first track to be released from their forthcoming debut LP produced by Charlie Francis (R.E.M., Future of the Left).
Who are you?
I am Richard Wiggins, lead singer of Silent Forum. The rest of the band are Oli Richards (bass), Elliot Samphier (drums) and Dario Ordi (Guitar).
Tell us something about yourself and how you came to be where you are today.
I am the luckiest guy in the world - I get to play an active role in a collaborative band that is bursting with talent. I’ve never had to learn how to play an instrument because the people I surround myself know how to do everything I could ever aspire to. I ended up in this position because I once posted online looking to start a band in Cardiff - this has resulted in me meeting my best friends and crafting something which is hopefully quite special.
Give us an idea of your musical style and influences.
Although this new song is undoubtedly dance-punk, more typically we are an “indie-noir” band. Every member of the group draws from something different. Elliot has recently enjoyed incorporating nu jazz elements into his drumming, “what would a folk song sound like with jazz drumming?” Dario has found lots of space within our new material to perform in a playful but scrappy way which draws from his love of Pavement. Oli’s basslines have always be counter-intuitively melodic and bright, which he draws from bands like Warpaint and Interpol. It is my job to interpret the personality of the band and give the songs a purely human element - I’m currently obsessed with Protomartyr, LCD Soundsystem and The Sound, so I’m sure that plays a part in what I do.
Explain the production and writing process behind your songs.
Elliot structures all of our songs and shapes all of the material, without him we would have no focus. We all write as a group (no one comes into practice with pre-written ideas) and we tend to write very quickly. Charlie Francis is producing our debut album; he has been really useful to bounce ideas off of. More often than not his advice has centred around listening to what material we have and giving us an idea of the kinds of sounds the album is missing. We’ve recorded a couple of singles with him already which has been exhilarating.
Tell us a little about your new single.
'How I Faked The Moon Landing' is an infectious, positive, six and a half minute banger which makes me delighted to be alive. Its lyrical content is a bit cheeky: “I cannot sing cheery/ I tried once I think/ it didn't work/ but some people liked it”. It’s backed by glorious disco beats on the drums which make it impossible for me to resist dancing on stage.
Can we catch up with you at any forthcoming live shows?
We’re playing Cardiff’s Hub
Festival (August 24 - 26) - you should come check us out!
How's the rest of the year looking, plans-wise?
We’re currently recording the rest of our album in August and September. We’re planning a tour to accompany the album in 2019, it’s going to be fantastic.
Where can we hear more of your music?
Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, Bandcamp - everywhere!
What social media platforms can we find you on?
No comments:
Post a Comment