Stewart Slade
So why did you choose the name Munich for the band?
My family live in Munich so when our guitarist came along with the idea for the band name I jumped on it straight away. My family live in Munich and I like it out there and it’s two syllables and easy to remember, but it also came from his dream that he was in a band called Munich and apparently his girlfriend woke up from the same dream. We were doing a gig in Brighton and we were driving along and there was a bus sign and we were just talking about Munich as the band name because people were like “nah it’s a bit German” or not sure, didn’t know. Well its dynamic and a good name, you can visualise it and market it and then we saw this bus sign and chatting in the car and stopped outside the bus stop and there was this big sign, poster size display and it said : “Go to Munich” so even the sign on the bus stops were telling us to do it so that’s what we did and how it came about.
That has to be one of the most unique ways of coming up with a band name that I’ve ever heard of! So 2010 has been about getting yourselves out there and promoting your music, what does 2011 hold for you guys?
In 2011 there is a tour in February which is exciting, in the UK. The actual dates, are waiting for confirmation and then we are going to do a single in the spring and we’re going to do an album. I have a feeling it will be a self funded and the album will be out in summer in June and work with universal distribution again to get it out to people.
You’ve got some positive feedback from Q magazine and XFM, how did it all start from getting started to getting that kind of response?
The thing that I like is when you’re in a band you’re always conscious as to whether they’re buying into it or liking it and if you’re doing the right thing. It’s like you’re plugging away and not getting recognition then like the head at XFM personally put us onto the play list saying that we’re what British music needs. Its an amazing compliment and gives you that urge to carry and know you’re doing something right.
You’re definitely doing something right because it’s sounding really good.
What has been your best experience so far in the band?
Personally playing at Glastonbury and just walking out on stage in front of about 5000 people and you’re just thinking: “this is it, this is what it’s all about this is what I was born to do.” But 2010 has been a brilliant highlight for us all, we’ve been writing songs that are true to us and songs that we like ourselves and the feedback that we’ve got back it awesome, releasing the EP, recording that down in Bath was an experience. We recorded it in The Moles. Went down there for a week and we have recorded there previously so we knew what we were going to get and buzzed off the atmosphere, and that Bath is such a nice place.
So what are you currently listening to in your spare time?
Personally I am listening to the Maccabees at the moment, listen to the Maccabees version of “Walking In The Air”, it’s so good.
So getting into the festive spirit then?
I’m listening to Wham, because for Juice FM they have asked us to do some acoustic songs and they asked us to make one a Christmas song, so we were thinking of what we could do so we thought Wham, you know the song (Stewart begins to sing) “Last Christmas I gave you my heart, but the every next day…” so we’re going to do that. We’ve done it in our own Munich way and the show is tomorrow so trying to listen to Wham as much as I can to get the vocals right.
Christmas really does make everyone cheesy!
Absolutely but you just have to go with it. If you don’t you’re just moody and humbug.
Well ok, we can all be cheesy for a month! So are you planning on going to any festivals this year?
The plan is try to get us on every one. If we don’t play Glastonbury, we will be there anyways. Last year at Reading and Leeds festival we were chatting to this girl called Tasha Starkey and we found it she’s Ringo Star’s granddaughter so we bought her a drink.
Going back to Christmas festivities, how are you spending Christmas?
As a band we will wind it down, we have a show with a band called Mona on Saturday in Brighton and really looking forward to that because it will be a brilliant show. I haven’t heard much of Mona but I look forward to seeing them and look forward to playing. After that we will wind it down, have a few rehearsals, then we’ll wrap it up for a few weeks. We’ll go back to being normal friends and do matey things, eating mince pies and doing computer games.
Guy things then…
Yeah proper man stuff.
Where do you hope to see yourselves by the end of 2011?
Personally, I want 2012 to be our big year, the Olympics are coming to London so the country is going to be buzzing. There’s going to be so much going on.
So I can see 2011 being all about doing gigs, going on tours, slugging it out, carrying on building the fan base, writing epic tunes, do the album, release a single. Just keep growing as Munich really. Then by the end of 2011 we should be in a position to take on the world.
Wow, that’s very ambitious!
Yeah but you can be humble and be ambitious.
Naomi Havergal