RCKLSS: Brighton Pop Punk Explosion
RCKLSS is a pop punk collective ready to explode out of Brighton in an epic way! Their latest So Cynical EP is garnering these lads quite a following within the UK and well beyond. Highwire Daze Online recently caught up with vocalist Matty Halliwell to find out a whole lot more about this band on the rise. Read on…
Is there any overall story or concept behind your So Cynical EP title?
The title was actually taken from the first lyrics in the song ‘Tell you’, which is one of the singles from the EP.I remember Matty avidly suggesting to use it as the EP title because it was so catchy and memorable; we all immediately latched onto it. It had a ring to it that resonated with all of us and reflected the overall tone of the EP.‘Tell You’ was also the first track that the boys wrote when they first met, so the EP’s title has a connection to our roots, which we felt was really important for our first EP.”
Select two songs from So Cynical and what inspired the lyrics?
‘Animals’ was the first song we released from the record, and Matty has spoken a lot about the lyrics of the song relating to the darker parts of our nature as human beings, that we’re sometimes afraid to admit exist. The other most prominent lyrics on the EP are probably on the track ‘Struggle’, which are based around how mental health issues, mainly anxiety and depression, can impact everyday life of those suffering, as well as the knock-on effect these things can have on our relationships with both ourselves and those around us.”
Who produced So Cynical and what was it like working with them?
Our E.P was produced by the amazing Federico Telesca at West Homesick Studios in Sheffield. We had recorded a cover single of ‘Helium’ by Sia with him a couple of months before recording the EP and were completely over the moon with his work. We had never sounded so professional as a band and we couldn’t have been happier with the final product of the EP and how it turned out.
What would one expect from a live RCKLSS show?
At a RCKLSS live show you can expect a high amount of energy and upbeat catchy tunes. Laurence our bass player likes to run around in amongst the crowd so watch out for that.”
How did your EP release shows go and what were some of the highlights?
The release shows were great. To be honest, we had a lot of fun at every show, but the one that stood out was in Colchester at the Three Wise Monkeys. Being Josh’s (Drummer) hometown, we’d been asking to play a show there for so long, and we’re glad we finally did. We had a really good crowd reaction there and overall the energy was at its highest.
If RCKLSS could open for any band either now or from the past, who would it be and why?
For me personally it would be ‘All time low’ as they are the band that inspired me to play pop rock music, and i guess it would just be an awesome experience to play with some of our idols too.
Has RCKLSS ever played ever played in the States or plan to do so in future days?
No unfortunately we haven’t had the opportunity to play in the states, but its always on our minds; its one of our dreams. We are talking about coming over in a few years time so we will just have to wait and see!
Any final words of wisdom?
Keep at it! You have to work hard every day in order to get to where you want to be. Make your band a priority over everything and just keep pushing. Money may become an issue or time might hold you back but in the end if you don’t fully invest yourself in this it won’t happen. With the amount of bands that are out there you have to make sure you stick out amongst them.
RCKLSS is: Matty Halliwell, Laurence Burkitt, Josh Woolnough, Lewis Horsley
(Interview by Ken Morton)
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