MEET & GREET WITH DROOL words & fashion Sophie Emmett - photography Eva Pentel
'Friends having fun' is what Drool is all about, having spent time with them on an evening set, we can confirm these lads are anything but dull. Coming together through a passion for music - both from a sound standpoint and in creating it - there is a strong sense of synergy within this group of young - and extra creative - boys. There is a real impression of collaboration and friendship among each member whose involvement in their creations comes from their contributions through and through their creative process - from the visuals to their sound.
Considering their debut single "Fun" hit 100k plays on Spotify, the anticipation of Drool is only growing with their latest single JunkYard. The lyrics continue to intrigue and haunt, yet, beguiling melody only makes you want to listen to it on repeat. We caught up with this fun-foursome to talk about life, music, and to find out more about their ideas of fun.
Opening image: From left to right (back): Louis wears top TALENT'S OWN. Joe wears jacket MAISON KITSUNE.
From left to right (front): Martin wears jacket R.M WILLIAMS. Joey wears shirt DICKIES; jacket TALENT'S OWN
Sophie Emmett: Hey guys, How are you today? Drool: Grand! prêt in hand in Hyde Park. S.E: Okay so, let's jump right into it. What’s Drool’s origin story? How did you guys come together to form the band? Drool: The band went through a few line-up changes before we ended up as Drool. Martin and Joey were playing together for about a year before they met Louis and Joe then it all just clicked. Bands take a while to figure themselves out - you can have amazing players but it often just comes down to the chemistry.
S.E: You guys just dropped your newest single 'Junkyard' which I think is absolutely great, but, if you had to sell it to people who don't know you yet; what would you say to them? Drool: We'd say " You should listen to our song because it’s one of our favourite songs to play live and the first song we all played together. It’s a good song to listen to if you want to get to know the band and addresses an important issue."
S.E: Your first single 'Fun' has had over 100k plays on Spotify, for a group that is still unsigned to a major label this is pretty amazing. How are you all feeling about it? Drool: Crackin’ ain't it! Joey’s cousin shot the video and did an amazing job and all our mates just pushed it for us and it snowballed.
S.E: Drool is quite an interesting name. How did the name come to happen? Drool: All the good names are taken and we wanted something memorable and simple. We really like one-word band names - Pixies, Blur, Nirvana, etc - but yeah, it doesn’t mean anything, ha! [Laughs] At one point we were called Jolly Bravo, so you can see why we changed. [Laughs]
S.E: Where are you guys from? Joey: Walsall. Joe: Sunderland. Louis: I am from Coventry. Martin is from the land of IKEA aka Sweden. We ordered a table but got a drummer instead. [Laughs]
From left to right: Joe wears jacket MAISON KITSUNE; t-shirt and trousers TALENT'S OWN. Louis wears R.M WILLIAMS. Martin wears top FRED PERRY.
Joey wears red leather jacket and trousers ATIKA VINTAGE
S.E: That's so funny. By not being from London; what are your favorite and least favorite things about this city? Drool: The parks are incredible - Hampstead Heath, Hyde Park, Primrose Hill, etc. They are amazing and there’s always something happening. Least favorite thing is that the pollution makes you feel like you smoke 50 fags a day - though it could be the 50 fags a day…[Giggles]
S.E: Can you each remember the moment you decided that you wanted to pursue a career in music? Drool: I think we’re all just fans of bands and always have been. It’s not about a career as such; we just like making music as a band because growing up bands have always been something to identify ourselves with. Though it would be nice to earn a living from it.
S.E: And there is a music video coming soon as well, right? What should we expect? Drool: This one is different than our previous video for 'Fun'. This one is an intimate portrait of a band. It’s basically the opposite of our first video [Fun].
S.E: As a group, you seem to be heavily involved in the media aspect, as you work together with your team to create your videos and imagery. How do you guys see that relationship between the music you create and the visuals afterward? Drool: We think it’s important to be consistent with what you’re trying to convey; we like to be hands-on in representing the band in more than music. It’s easy to misrepresent a song in other mediums when someone else interprets the vision differently. By being involved in both sides, we manage to get the story sang and shown the right way. How we initially envisioned.
S.E: Your sound has been described as Rock meets a mix of late 80’s alt- with short 60’s melodic structures. That's a big way to describe a sound. But, what or who would you say inspire you guys the most? Drool: Main ones from the 60s would be The Beatles - go without saying, of course. Then we would have The Kinks, The Shadows, Ennio Morricone, The Doors and Love. When it comes to the 80s influences we go for Joy Division, The Cure, Buzzcocks, Pixies, Television, Echo, and the Bunnymen. I think that bio has been taken too literally from a lot of people. These days you constantly consume music and culture from all genres and decades - thanks to the internet - which is amazing but it makes it harder to distinguish where the influence has come from. Walking down the high street you’ll hear about 100 songs within half an hour so when you’re sitting down to write, all that will find a way out.
S.E: Yes. I get that. Joey, where would you say you draw most of your lyric inspirations from? Do you have a particular spot? Or even a writing ritual? Drool [Joey]: I read an interesting interview with Lennon and he said he found that with most of his songs he initially thinks he knows what they’re about and then he realises they’re about himself. Most of the lyrics come from a stream of consciousness and I realise what they’re about afterward. I often like to look at old notes or poetry and then take an idea or a line from that. My habit is to get up early around 6:30 am with a cup of tea and the radio on low and just strum the guitar when you’re still half dazed.
S.E: What’s going to be the ultimate, “We’ve made it!” place or stage to perform on? Drool: It would be amazing to perform an iconic show like The Stone Roses Spike Island, Oasis at Knebworth, The Stones at Hyde Park or The Beatles on their roof at Savile Row. Who knows where or when that will be?
S.E: If you could collaborate with anyone; who would it be? Drool: Musically, Damon Albarn would be amazing, or a producer like Rick Rubin. We’re huge fans of cinema and it would be amazing for a director such as David Lynch or Spike Lee to do a visual representation of a track. Hopefully, all that can happen on one song.
S.E: What are you currently working on and when can we expect the first Album/EP to drop? Drool: We’re just working out loads of new tracks in rehearsals ready for the upcoming EP’s - first one coming out this Autumn, hopefully.
S.E: What is a MUST HAVE in the Drool Rider? Drool: Snickers and Guinness and then other snickers.
S.E: On that note; when on tour who would you say is; The Noisiest Sleeper: Drool: Martin! S.E: The Messiest: Drool: Definitely Martin! S.E: The one with the Diva Tendencies: Drool: Martin! Ha! S.E: The Party Animal: Drool: Everyone else.
S.E: If it’s not too risqué; do you have a tour story you can share? Drool: Far too risqué I’m afraid - get back to you on this one. [Laughs]
S.E: If you weren’t musicians; what would you be doing? Martin: I would have a vegetarian restaurant. Joey: I would work on his grannies farm in Ireland and make documentaries. Joe: I would probably like to run a music venue or pursue photography. Louis: I would be working in Product Design.
S.E: Any festivals, gigs or tours happening this year? Drool: We’re going on a European tour in September which should be fun - and also sorting out a UK tour for around then. We’ve got quite a few support shows over the summer but mainly just recording.
S.E: Can you each name a song that describes your love life? Joe: ‘I get around’ Beach Boys. Martin: ‘Another Sunny day’ Belle and Sebastian. Louis: ‘Panic’ The Smiths. Joey: ‘Good Times, Bad Times’ Led Zeppelin.
S.E: Other than singing or playing instruments; are there any hidden talents among the group? Drool: Martin is a talented carpenter. Joey and Joe are England’s greatest dancers and Louis has broken about 15 bones.
S.E: Wow. That has to be a talent. Favorite F-word? Drool: Fun, of course. [Smiles]
Words & Fashion: Sophie Emmett
Photography & collage design: Eva Pentel
