Danish grunge group Federal Unicorn are a trio of incredible talents, who released their new EP earlier this year and made some big waves on the music scene.
Federal Unicorn
We got the chance to chat to the group about their music, inspirations, challenges and more. Read on to find out what they had to say…
For those who may be new to your music, how best would you describe your sound?
It's a melodic and heavy mix of grunge, brit-rock and rock'n'roll influences, tossed into a rusty blender and served in your favourite mug.
What challenges have you faced in the music industry so far?
With a lot of our music, especially the new stuff, we try to divert away from what is common and while we get a fair share of compliments from music enthusiasts, it is often difficult to approach larger, mainstream audiences. It is however a matter of time and persistence, so we will get there.
How difficult would you say this career path is then in terms of making a name for yourself?
Today we feel like we really have a package to deliver. The hard part isn't playing the show or convincing people that we know what we're doing. The hard part is getting the shows and getting people to actually give you a shot. We live in a time where the general public's attention span has been reduced to less than 30 seconds, and with so much media being available for next to no money, it is often difficult to grasp the moment of opportunity.
How important is it for you to have creative control over the work you produce?
Very important. If the future will bring us a record deal, it will have to allow us to maintain full control over what we write, how we look, and what is our end product. Insights, suggestions and constructive criticism are always welcome, but we are just not up for selling out, it would defeat the whole purpose.
Where do you draw influence and inspiration from for your work?
Mostly other music, but also books, movies, conversations… Sometimes it takes an event of extreme proportions to trigger creativity, sometimes it just comes to you while you're brushing your teeth.
If you could collaborate with anybody going forward, who would you choose and why?
There is an up and coming in the USA that I think would be a great match to us, they're called Slothrust. On a larger scale, it would be a hoot to support Biffy Clyro or Royal Blood. Those guys have already had their breakthrough, so it would be nice to approach their audiences. The music we play would be a good match, that's certain.
Do you have definitive aims or goals for your career?
We do! There's a lot of new material being written which should lead us to a new LP in 2017. A number of singles and music videos are scheduled for production and release along the way. In the long-run, we want to establish ourselves as one of the bigger names in the scene and make a good living out of playing music.
Where do you hope to be this time next year?
Exhausted, overwhelmed and chained to our beds for days after having played a f**ktonne of festivals over the summer.
What should we expect from you in the coming weeks and months?
The music video for our single 'State of Decay'. We are cooking two more songs in the studio which we plan to release along with music videos before the New Year.
Federal Unicorn's EP 'Substances' is out now via Tapetown Records.