Brighton based trio The XCERTS are back on the road during late September and early October and are set to play Bristol Exchange on October 8. ANDY HOWELLS recently put questions to frontman Murray Macleod.
How did you first start out in music?
Originally i played drums. I was around 12 years old when i got my first kit and then i decided to start playing the guitar when i was 14. I started a band pretty quickly after that predominantly playing pop punk covers.
Who or what has inspired you most on your musical journey?
My parents have inspired me very much throughout my musical journey. They are huge music fans and introduced me to a lot of different styles very early on. My dad has an amazing record collection and i remember sifting through them for hours on end as a child. I was completely memorised by them and it certainly shaped my love and adoration for music in general. Without their support, i don’t think I’d be able to do what I do.
Can you give us some background about your forthcoming release?
It’s an uplifting record that was born out of a very negative time in my life, but I didn’t want to bum people out!! I didn’t want to bum myself out either. We want people to feel invigorated when they listen to the album, like anything is possible if they are willing to fight for it. Some of the songs were written whilst i was watching John Hughes movies with the sound off. We were trying to write a modern soundtrack for the Breakfast Club.
You’re touring shortly are you looking forward to that?
Very much so! We love touring and it’s been a while since our last headline run so we are very much looking forward to hitting the road. We are also heading to Europe with Nothing But Thieves throughout November and December which should be a really great trip.
What can people expect from your forthcoming Bristol gig?
We are going to give Bristol everything we’ve got! We love the city and love playing there. We will also be playing new songs from our forthcoming record which we are incredibly excited about.
What are you enjoying listening to at the moment?
The new War On Drugs record is incredible as is the new White Reaper album! The Districts have also released a new album which I absolutely love. Tom’s brother is actually their sound engineer, that’s how i first discovered them.
What else have you got planned for the rest of the year & 2018?
We are going to be playing a lot of shows, releasing a new album, releasing songs that don’t feature on the album, there are more music videos to come and hopefully I’ll get some time to catch up on Twin Peaks whilst we’re at it.