The Hype Theory: Katy
A few hours before the biggest show of their lives at this year's Download Festival, we chatted to Sean and Katy from pop-punk band The Hype Theory.
-For people who maybe haven't heard of you yet, who are you?
Sean: We're The Hype Theory. We're a female-fronted, pop-rock, pop-punk act.
We just won the Red Bull Bedroom Jam which is why we're here at Download, which is pretty awesome. We're just gonna rock up the Red Bull Stage later on today, and we hope it's going to go really well.
-You just mentioned winning the competition. How was that whole process?
Katy: Long! Basically, you have to upload your video onto the Red Bull site, and then all your fans have to write on the page how much they love you.The more people that write on it, the further you go up the chart. If you win the chart, they come to your house and do a live internet broadcast.
Sean: We had to do a live show from our bedroom, which was pretty mental.
Katy: People just vote on that video, and you get put into a festival charts. Then judges pick you to play shows like this, which is awesome!
-Are there any other festival dates you're doing as part of this then?
Katy: Yeah, Sonisphere, T In The Park-
Sean: We're at the Metal Hammer Awards on Monday, which is going to be pretty sweet. We're playing on a boat going down the Thames, the HMS Hammer.
-Are you nervous about it at all, or just excited at the moment?
Sean: Excited at the moment. I'm sure when we're about to go on-stage there'll be some nerves. It's probably the biggest gig we've ever done.
Katy: We haven't done any festivals before.
Sean: Yeah, our first festival's Download...that's pretty epic.
-Have you done much touring before now?
Sean: Yeah we've done a bit of touring, not a huge amount. We've done a few shows here and about, supporting some cool bands. We're doing a couple of shows on The Morning Of tour. That'll be pretty cool. We've never really done festivals before.
-Is there a different mentality you're getting into going into it?
Katy: We've rehearsed completely differently, it is different. People aren't buying tickets to come and see you, they're coming to a festival.
Sean: You've got to up your game a lot for a festival, because people may be watching you who've never heard of you before, no idea what you're about. You've got to win them over.
Katy: It's completely different to what we normally do.
-How does it feel playing at the same time as Thin Lizzy?
Sean: It's pretty crazy!
Katy: It's actually hilarious!
Sean: If someone had said, two years ago, that you'd be playing at the same time as Thin Lizzy at Download 2011, I'd be like...what? What are you talking about? Hopefully there'll be a couple of people in the audience!
-Are there any bands you look up to who are playing?
Sean: I look up to Young Guns quite a lot. They've got a good mentality, kinda DIY.
Katy: Some other bands like Deaf Havana as well. I'm a massive Linkin Park fan, so that's going to be amazing.
Sean: We did want to see Young Guns, but I don't think we're going to make it.
-Are you getting to stay here for the whole weekend then?
Sean: Yeah, we did originally have to go back Sunday but we managed to rearrange work. We only found out we were playing here on Monday. It's been insane.
Katy: Just trying to organise coming to this festival and playing it.
-This has all happened quite quickly, but how long has the band been together?
Katy: Since summertime last year.
Sean: We've had a couple of line-up changes. We've recently stuck with our line-up now and it's working really well. People are starting to take interest in us. It's cool to see loads of messages on your Facebook page. People, you've no idea who they are, telling you that they like your music.
Katy: It's good for my ego!
-You've got a new single coming out. Can you tell us a bit about that?
Katy:It's out on the 8th August, and we're releasing it through Small Town. It's just a classic summer pop-punk tune, that's all it is.
Sean: It's got a summer feel, that's why we wanted to release it then. We've just recorded a video for it as well, which will come out with it on the 8th. I think the single's going to be released on a USB wristband.
-I was reading about that. What was the reason behind going with that, rather than a traditional format?
Katy: We didn't want to do traditional, it's boring!
Sean: We didn't see the point in getting a CD in shops, because we'll probably make most of our sales online or at shows, you know?
Katy: Nobody buys CDs anymore.
Sean: If we're going to sell stuff at shows, if we've got something gimmicky then people are more likely to pay attention. We can put more stuff on it, we can put our video on it.
Katy: We've got a bunch of exclusives we're going to put on it. It's just a cool thing. It's going to be a Hype Theory USB wristband.
Sean: There'll be a few new tracks on there, we're going to do an acoustic track of the single and a new track on there as a b-side.
Katy: It's going to be really cool actually, a nice little gimmick.
-Is your deal with Small Town a permanent thing, are you officially signed?
Sean: It's not official yet. We're just testing the water to see how it goes for the single I think. We've kinda sorta an album out but we're sitting on it a bit. We'll go from there.
-So the album's done, it's just a case of waiting to release it?
Sean: Yeah, we've got some songs recorded that aren't waiting in the bag. We'll be playing a few of them this afternoon. It's hard when you've got new music and you can't show it.
-With a lot of female fronted pop-punk bands, there's always going to be the obvious, un-namable comparison. What makes you stand out?
Sean: I think we have a different feel about us. We're a lot more easy going, we're not as dark. We're more poppy I guess. If we didn't have a female singer I'd probably compare us to You Me At Six and bands like that.
Katy: I think if completely ignore the fact that I'm a female, you'll see that the music is completely different to the other bands.
Sean: It's like comparing You Me At Six to Enter Shikari just because they've got a guy singer. Obviously Enter Shikari are a bit different, but you can see where I'm coming from. We just get the comparison.
-Are you getting a bit tired of it?
Sean: Yeah. Well, I mean it doesn't bother us! If anything it's a compliment.
Katy: We're talking about Paramore, right?
-Yeah.
Katy: Just checking!
Sean: If anything it's a compliment to be mentioned on that level.
Katy: If they're going to compare us to a really cool band, then do it! Just don't compare me to a really rubbish band.
-Who have been your main influences then?
Sean: We get it from a lot of places, I think. You Me At Six, Kids In Glass Houses. The guy from Kids In Glass Houses was one of the judges, but I do actually like their music!
Katy: Loads of American bands like Mayday Parade. Mainly guys, to be honest.
-You mentioned the album and single, but what can we expect for the rest of the year?
Sean: Well, obviously we've got everything lined up from now until August with the festivals.
Katy: We're jam-packed, and we've got shows in between.
Sean: We want to tour the single a bit, do a few shows around the North End. Most of our gigs have been down south where we're from.
Katy: Apart from T In the Park, which will be in Scotland.
Sean: The plan is to tour the single after it's been released in August. Then probably the next single.
Katy: It's all just a bit undecided.
Sean: It's all come out of nowhere with the Red Bull thing.
Katy: Our schedule was...well, let's plan everything. Now it's go, go!
-Is it hard touring and doing all these shows funding it yourselves, rather than with a label backing you?
Sean: It is difficult. We all have jobs. Me and Katy both teach, I teach guitar and Katy teaches vocals. That's how we fund it. We've got to afford to live as well, but most of our money we put into the band. Any money we make out of the band just goes right back into it again. There's no profit or anything.
Katy: It's a hard life, but who cares? Obviously Small Town helping us out with the record is wicked. It's a lot less stress for us.
Sean: Yeah, it's good to have a team behind us now. Up to this point, we have done it ourselves. We released our last single ourselves, which went really well but we're hoping to have more backing behind us now.
-Are you noticing more of a following lately?
Katy: Yeah, even since Monday when we got announced for the festivals.
Sean: From the point where we uploaded our video, we slowly edged up to 3,000. In two weeks, we made about 50 fans, then in the last two days we made nearly a hundred fans. It's definitely picking up and we're excited!
Female First - Alistair McGeorge
A few hours before the biggest show of their lives at this year's Download Festival, we chatted to Sean and Katy from pop-punk band The Hype Theory.
-For people who maybe haven't heard of you yet, who are you?
Sean: We're The Hype Theory. We're a female-fronted, pop-rock, pop-punk act.
We just won the Red Bull Bedroom Jam which is why we're here at Download, which is pretty awesome. We're just gonna rock up the Red Bull Stage later on today, and we hope it's going to go really well.
-You just mentioned winning the competition. How was that whole process?
Katy: Long! Basically, you have to upload your video onto the Red Bull site, and then all your fans have to write on the page how much they love you.The more people that write on it, the further you go up the chart. If you win the chart, they come to your house and do a live internet broadcast.
Sean: We had to do a live show from our bedroom, which was pretty mental.
Katy: People just vote on that video, and you get put into a festival charts. Then judges pick you to play shows like this, which is awesome!
-Are there any other festival dates you're doing as part of this then?
Katy: Yeah, Sonisphere, T In The Park-
Sean: We're at the Metal Hammer Awards on Monday, which is going to be pretty sweet. We're playing on a boat going down the Thames, the HMS Hammer.
-Are you nervous about it at all, or just excited at the moment?
Sean: Excited at the moment. I'm sure when we're about to go on-stage there'll be some nerves. It's probably the biggest gig we've ever done.
Katy: We haven't done any festivals before.
Sean: Yeah, our first festival's Download...that's pretty epic.
-Have you done much touring before now?
Sean: Yeah we've done a bit of touring, not a huge amount. We've done a few shows here and about, supporting some cool bands. We're doing a couple of shows on The Morning Of tour. That'll be pretty cool. We've never really done festivals before.
-Is there a different mentality you're getting into going into it?
Katy: We've rehearsed completely differently, it is different. People aren't buying tickets to come and see you, they're coming to a festival.
Sean: You've got to up your game a lot for a festival, because people may be watching you who've never heard of you before, no idea what you're about. You've got to win them over.
Katy: It's completely different to what we normally do.
-How does it feel playing at the same time as Thin Lizzy?
Sean: It's pretty crazy!
Katy: It's actually hilarious!
Sean: If someone had said, two years ago, that you'd be playing at the same time as Thin Lizzy at Download 2011, I'd be like...what? What are you talking about? Hopefully there'll be a couple of people in the audience!
-Are there any bands you look up to who are playing?
Sean: I look up to Young Guns quite a lot. They've got a good mentality, kinda DIY.
Katy: Some other bands like Deaf Havana as well. I'm a massive Linkin Park fan, so that's going to be amazing.
Sean: We did want to see Young Guns, but I don't think we're going to make it.
-Are you getting to stay here for the whole weekend then?
Sean: Yeah, we did originally have to go back Sunday but we managed to rearrange work. We only found out we were playing here on Monday. It's been insane.
Katy: Just trying to organise coming to this festival and playing it.
-This has all happened quite quickly, but how long has the band been together?
Katy: Since summertime last year.
Sean: We've had a couple of line-up changes. We've recently stuck with our line-up now and it's working really well. People are starting to take interest in us. It's cool to see loads of messages on your Facebook page. People, you've no idea who they are, telling you that they like your music.
Katy: It's good for my ego!
-You've got a new single coming out. Can you tell us a bit about that?
Katy:It's out on the 8th August, and we're releasing it through Small Town. It's just a classic summer pop-punk tune, that's all it is.
Sean: It's got a summer feel, that's why we wanted to release it then. We've just recorded a video for it as well, which will come out with it on the 8th. I think the single's going to be released on a USB wristband.
-I was reading about that. What was the reason behind going with that, rather than a traditional format?
Katy: We didn't want to do traditional, it's boring!
Sean: We didn't see the point in getting a CD in shops, because we'll probably make most of our sales online or at shows, you know?
Katy: Nobody buys CDs anymore.
Sean: If we're going to sell stuff at shows, if we've got something gimmicky then people are more likely to pay attention. We can put more stuff on it, we can put our video on it.
Katy: We've got a bunch of exclusives we're going to put on it. It's just a cool thing. It's going to be a Hype Theory USB wristband.
Sean: There'll be a few new tracks on there, we're going to do an acoustic track of the single and a new track on there as a b-side.
Katy: It's going to be really cool actually, a nice little gimmick.