TSN: So first of all, tell us where your band name came from...
J: I believe the name came from a hazy night in a Sheffield Tapas bar. Bang Bang Romeo creates imagery of love and violence – romantic but brutal. We try to do the same with our song-writing and performance so we feel it fits and gives off the right impression.
TSN: How would you describe your sound?
J: We've had some flattering reviews of late. "A hard edged Fleetwood Mac" was really flattering from Chris Kimsey, who we massively respect. He has worked with The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin so coming from him, makes it mean more. What makes us stand out is that we aren't trying to fit in or sound a certain way, we have just stuck to our guns and our influences have come through to make a sound we all love, learning from the greats without just being an imitation.
TSN: If you could create the soundtrack to any film - which film would it be?
J: The new Tarantino film The Hateful Eight is on the way and we are all huge fans of the films and their soundtracks. That would be the absolute dream. BBC Introducing also commented that some of our tracks sound a bit Bond-esque. It would be awesome also to have a crack at something as iconic as a Bond theme tune. The old ones like Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever are just phenomenal.
TSN: What is your song writing process?
J: Usually the ideas will come from Ross, he is the main songwriter. He will usually bring the bare bones of a song to practice, then we all add our input and it will come out sounding completely different three hours later. It feels really good at the moment because we’re all on exactly the same page; we know exactly what we want it to sound like.
TSN: The last 12 months have been a whirlwind for you .Tell us, what has been the main highlight for you since starting out?
J: Our latest single Johannesburg was play-listed by XFM, who have been amazing and supportive. We flew out to Spain and shot the video in the deserts of Almeria, which was an amazing experience. Topping it all off, playing Isle Of Wight was an absolute dream. We were even picked out as highlight of the Festival by The Mirror, alongside Fleetwood Mac and Blur! We were absolutely stunned; it felt amazing to be put up on that pedestal with two of our favourite acts. We have to keep pinching ourselves.
TSN: Speaking of highlights. You recently played Isle of Wight Festival and Tramlines here in Sheffield. How were the two festivals different?
J: Isle of Wight is a festival steeped in history and heritage so it was such an honour to be asked to play. We were an unknown to most people, so when the tent started filling as we played, we knew it was purely because of what people were seeing and hearing. Tramlines is the complete opposite. It’s home turf for us, with lots of friendly faces and a great vibe. We did three shows this year - a nice sweaty intimate affair at Frog and Parrot, a set on the big stage on Devonshire Green and on the Tramlines busker tram. The whole weekend is great, Sheffield comes alive with music! We are so grateful to how everyone locally has got behind us this year.
TSN: So, what is next for Bang Bang Romeo?
J: We've just started working with an agent thanks to the amazing summer we’ve had and there's lots of exciting things going off that we aren't actually allowed to talk about yet. We are really excited about how things are developing.
TSN: And finally, if you were a chat show host and you could pick the brains of ANY three musicians, past or present, who would you choose?
J: That would have to be Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon and Jimmy Page. All for the same reasons too. Absolute genius's who were pioneering and all are massive influences on the way we sound. It would be amazing to get an insight into that genius! Imagine those three passing a guitar around? Mind blowing.
** Please note: This post has been added and back-dated to the original time of publishing. Originally published for print by H Magazine. I thought you still might like to read it. **
