An Interview With The Assist
17:15:00
This Saturday the 24th of September up and coming band The Assist will open for Rat Boy on the Birmingham date of his tour. But how they nabbed this slot is that like nothing you've heard before. Essex born Rat Boy posted for up and coming bands to send him their music for a chance to open his gig in the O2 Institute Birmingham. And the Assist's luck was totally on their side.
But it wasn't all down to luck. It was hard work and talent that made them stand out from the other 2,000 entries Rat Boy and his team received. The Assist, consisting of brothers Mikey and Ryan Stanton, Jak Baker and Ben Faulkner, have been a band for some time now. Between gigging and writing this is one hardworking band. Since starting in home town Walsal the boys have played along side the likes of The 1975, The Enemy and Happy Mondays. That isn't to say they aren't fond of letting their hair down and partying. Their latest song and video 'Things Get Good' shows just that. .
I caught up with lead singer of The Assist Mikey Stanton ahead of their gig on Saturday to find out more about the band.
Listen to the boys' latest single 'Things Get Good' here.The Assist's EP 'Trouble' is available on Spotify and iTunes now and you can buy tickets to their show with Rat Boy here.
Let's start at the beginning. How did The Assist become a band?
The Assist to begin with were just 4 lads of a very large friendship group. Gigs, festivals and nights out were all things we use to get up to. With 3 of the 4 of us having all been experienced in playing our chosen instruments it was just a matter of finding a singer. After numerous bedroom jams the process was pretty straight forward as the song writing began. I found myself to begin with often rapping over the top of any guitar melody my brother (Ryan) had wrote, we later realised it was a singer that was required and sadly not Eminem.
Who inspired you to make music?
Music was a massive part of our lives from such a young age. So the idea of a band was something we always had in mind. Bands like Blur and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers had such a laid back approach to how they performed and it was more so friends making music together as opposed to work. We were really inspired by that style of music and felt that it's the best way to unlock your potential when it comes to writing etc. It all comes down to whether or not you are enjoying the process, if you are having fun we find the results come a lot quicker.
You have a very unique sound that seems to be influenced by many eras and artists. Who do you think are the biggest influencers of your music so far?
We have such a wide array of influences that range from Amy Winehouse to Eminem. Good production can be found in all styles of music, listening to Amy Winehouse a lot there are certainly some great jazz chords throughout and she delivers her vocal with so much soul. We try to harness what comes out in the studio as much as possible and play to our own strengths. I think if you concentrate too much on what other people sound like it's too easy to fall into the trap of becoming just another soundalike.
Are there any bands or artists you'd like to mimic the career of?
There are plenty. It's too easy to say we want to be the greatest of all time and be a worldwide success. Obvious artists such as Oasis and Arctic Monkeys have had numerous successful albums and have stayed relatable for so many years now. However if we can do it in a way that has never been done before I'd much prefer to do it our way. Create a path of our own, maybe make one album which is a worldwide success and then release a greatest hits off the back of just one album aha!
What has been the highlight of your musical career so far?
This summer has been great. Having played both Leeds and Y Not festival we've put a lot of time into our performance so we've made sure that over the festival season we managed to enjoy ourselves as well as working hard. Hometown gigs have always been big highlights for us also. As good as the support slots are it's always great to play close to home and see familiar faces. Our headline at the Slade rooms in Wolverhampton was a top night. To play to a sold out crowd at such an iconic venue was a great feeling. And we always find time for a half naked crowd surf for good measure.
You sound like a very bad ass rock band. In your opinion who do you think was/is the most bad ass rock band of all time?
As far as bad ass bands go it would probably have to be Oasis throughout the 'Definitely Maybe' years. The Red Hot Chilli Peppers however aren't the best behaved and their music is a great inspiration of ours.
What was each members initial reaction to finding out you would support Rat Boy?
To begin with we were all for the after party and was overwhelmed to finally have someone to celebrate the night with. However it became clear to us that the show was going to be a big one considering how much industry backing Rat Boy has and how well he has done for himself this past year. We're familiar with the lads themselves having bumped into them at this year’s festivals, they are a great bunch of lads and give back to music incredibly well. We are extremely appreciative of the support they have shown us and our music.
What's the best and worst parts of touring?
There are very few bad parts of touring. Personally I'd say the consistency of the boots meal deals is the only negative. Service food and a lack of sleep isn't great but it's all part of the process. As well as the partying and spontaneous behaviour, meeting new people and seeing the country you live in are great benefits of touring. The time you get to spend together as musicians definitely pays off too.
What does it feel like to know you've played alongside such huge names like The 1975 and Disclosure?
It's a great attribute to have as a band because it's attractive to an outsider looking in. For ourselves it keeps us motivated having seen the way they tour. Slots like those are real eye openers to the endless possibilities in this industry if you reach the top.
If you all were to shuffle your iPod right now, what are the first four songs that would play?
Our bassist seemed to get stuck in that MC phase that we all go through. Perhaps a little longer than usual so you may find the likes of MC devvo on his playlist. I can't remember the last time I personally updated my iPod so you'd probably find plenty of indie classics from the early 21st century, artists like Hard-fi and Gorillaz. The other two lads are way too indie for iPods I'm afraid. Spotify seems to be their thing these days and their current playlist at the moment consists of Hot Chip, Bad Sounds and Sundara Karma. Once again a wide range of music genres.
What are your favourite albums of all time?
There aren't many albums I can listen to straight through without skipping a track or two other than Peace's second album 'Happy People'. As for Ryan his favourite is Arctic Monkeys debut album "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not'. Ben chose 'Pills, Thrills & Nellyaches' by Happy Monday's and Jak is a big fan of Pearl Jam's 'Ten'.
You all clearly love a good party but what makes the best party playlist?
Classic ‘80s dance music is a must at any party. It's great to end the night on ‘90s Madchester tunes too. I'm a sucker for a love song if romance is in the air, maybe something like 'You Sexy Thing' by Hot Chocolate.
Do you prefer house parties or night clubs and why?
Certainly prefer house parties to nights out. As good as gigs are it's always great to have the comfort of someone's home. House parties don't necessarily always mean no gigs either! We have previously performed at a house party. It's much easier to socialize.Nights out are often screaming in each other's ears to drown out the sound of those average DJ's. You aren't limited as to what you can and can't listen to at a house party.
What's the worst thing you've lost on a night out?
We've lost Jak himself numerous times on nights out. He enjoys his own company after a drink, I'm sure he converses with his own brain sometimes. We've also lost the van key ten minutes before we were due on stage so we had to smash a window or two so that we could load in.
Finally, do you have any last words for people who have just discovered your music?
I'd say just to listen with an open mind. We will release our new single before the end of the year.
Listen to the boys' latest single 'Things Get Good' here.The Assist's EP 'Trouble' is available on Spotify and iTunes now and you can buy tickets to their show with Rat Boy here.
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