ACODA
ACODA were recently announced as one of the winners of Red Bull Bedroom Jam, getting them spots at festivals like Download, Sonisphere and T in the Park. We chatted to the band on the morning of their Download Festival appearance.
-How would you describe your music?
Alternative, metal...aggressive rock.
-Who are your main influences?
Underoath, Thrice...Funeral For A Friend.
-Are you hoping to catch anyone over the week?
We've seen pretty much everyone we wanted to. We've taken time out to definitely go and see some, like Lower Than Atlantis. We watched The King Blues, Funeral For A Friend, Caught a bit of Down yesterday.
-Is this your first Download then?
Yeah, our first one. It's the first time we've played, we've been coming for years now.
-You won the Red Bull Bedroom Jam to get here. How was that?
It was arduous, but it was good though. We did get a lot of exposure through it. It paid off, because now we've got the ultimate exposure. It's good.
-Have you noticed popularity rising on Facebook since the competition?
Yeah, definitely. Throughout every week of the competition we had a steady increase.
-For anyone who might not know, what did the competition involve?
Essentially, it revolves around a buzz chart. It depends on the amount of buzz your fans can create through commenting, tweeting, Facebook sharing...whoring your music out.
We went through one stage and did a live stream bedroom jam, and now we've ended up at the summer festivals.
-Is there a festival you're looking forward to most out of this run?
Sonisphere. I just really want to see Biffy Clyro.
-For an unsigned band, is it hard getting your name out there?
Well, we put our single out with Small Town Records in 2010. We're just in talks with people now about what to do now.
-How did that come about then?
We've always been a fan of the label.
-What sort of stage is your debut album at?
It's at the mixing stage at the moment. We've finished it, 12 songs. We just need to mix it, and it'll be out around Autumn.
-Is that the priority, getting the album out or just touring?
It's touring, telling people that we're gonna be releasing it so they can watch us and maybe listen to it.
-What can people expect from your live shows?
Energy! They can expect some screaming, some heavy guitar, harmonies. Expect to move, it's got a bit of a bounce to it.
-Besides the festivals, do you have any other touring plans?
We've got Aberdeen on Thursday. Then, we'll be touring at the end of June. September will be our next tour after the summer circuit. It should be good.
-Is it different going into a show like this, rather than a local headline one?
Obviously it's going to be more laid back when you're doing a home show, but we still try to maintain some professionalism.
Obviously if you're somewhere like this, you've got to step it up. Just being a pro, essentially. I think we're all fairly relaxed about it at the moment.
We're feeling good about the show, we just want to get out there and it'll come out however it comes out.
-Is it excitement rather than nerves?
Yeah definitely. We've been raring to go for three years now and this is an opportunity to show people what we have. We can prove ourselves to a wider audience.
-Generally in rock music, there's a decline in album sales. Is that something that affects this band?
It's not something that's affected us yet. Obviously, it could somewhere down the line after releasing the album. As of yet, we pretty much give all our music for free.
The only release we've ever charged for is our latest single on iTunes. We're not making any money, so it hasn't really affected us yet.
-Is it hard funding it then, if you're giving it away for free?
If we want to do something, we've got to plan a year in advance and save up to make it happen. That's what we've been doing yet.
-Has it sunk in yet that you're here at Download to play?
It sunk in a bit yesterday, a little bit.
-What's the next step now that the competition's won and these dates are booked?
Just rock the s*** out of all of them. We're going to enjoy ourselves, enjoy the ride.
We've been waiting for ages to play gigs like this, so we're going to enjoy ourselves. Hopefully other people will enjoy it too.
-What final message would you leave for anyone reading this?
Come to a show, say hi. Go to more live shows, and support local music. Support ACODA, and buy us dinner!
Female First - Alistair McGeorge
Tagged in Download Festival