As one of the most exciting bands to come out of Liverpool in recent years, we couldn't resist getting The Hummingbirds on Female First, and what better way than to do so with an exclusive interview and premiere for their acoustic rendition of track 'Tonight'?
You can check out that tune above and see what they had to say in our Q&A below:
You've seen some great success to-date, what challenges have you faced in your career so far?
We've faced some challenges trying to fund our album, that was probably the biggest hurdle we've encountered so far. In the end we used crowdfunding, specifically Pledge Music, who have been great and helped us every step of the way. We ended up raising more money than expected and that paid for the album in advance! Our fans were great and we raised the money in no time.
How difficult is this industry to carve a name for yourself?
At the moment very difficult. A lot of the battle is done online, having a big web presence wins big with the labels and any possible management. They want to see a buzz about a band, and that can be tough if you're not the next 'Big Thing' like the Arctic Monkeys were back in 2005! We feel we have hit a stride in terms of balancing out the live attributes of our set as well as the online side.
Drawing influence from The Beatles, how did you feel when it was announced the great George Martin had passed away?
It saddened us. I think of all the big deaths we've had this year, this one hit us the hardest. If we really look deep into what George did for The Beatles, and in turn, the city of Liverpool. We wouldn't be a band because of it. I think The Beatles inspired most of us in the band to pick up a guitar, or a bass, or some drum sticks.
Is there a huge pressure to deliver through your music, coming from such a musical city in Liverpool?
I think there is a certain expectation of Liverpool bands, there is a great heritage from the city, so with that comes the expectation that every band can deliver! We hope that we live up to people's expectations who listen to us from outside the city. We try our best and being in the shadows of bands like The Beatles, The Zutons, The Coral, Echo & The Bunnymen, Cast, The La's, really pushes us to try and write and perform better.
Going forward, if you could collaborate or work with anybody on new material, who would you choose and why?
Paul McCartney hands down. I know it's an obvious choice from some Liverpool lads, but he has written some of the biggest hits ever and still finds a way to stay current, writing songs with people like Kanye West and Rihanna. We would love to sit down and pen a tune with him.
Do you have any definitive aims or goals for your career?
We would love for people to just enjoy our music, all over the world, and be able to make a career out of it! As long as there is a demand for more music, new albums, tours, shows, we will deliver, we just want some longevity! It's hard to find with bands these days.
What should we expect from you guys in the coming weeks and months?
We release our debut album on March 25, so if you follow us online we'll be banging on about that! More live shows announced over summer, festivals and some music videos!
The Hummingbirds’ album Pieces Of You drops on Friday 25th March, digital and CD copies available here (http://wearethehummingbirds.com/shop/). You can check them out on their website (http://wearethehummingbirds.com/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/wearethehummingbirdsUK/)
The album launch gig is in London at The Old Queen’s Head on 26th May, tickets on sale here: http://www.soundcrashmusic.com/the-hummingbirds/