Forged from the ashes of The Sun Explodes, The Villains Have Wings soar into a new era—more focused, more melodic, and just as fiercely independent. Here's their story, in their own words.
1. You’ve
transitioned from The Sun Explodes to The Villains Have Wings—what sparked the
change in identity and direction, and how does this new chapter differ from the
last?
TSE came to
a natural end a few years ago. We took a little time out, and TVHW is now just
me and my brother. With TVHW, we've tried to keep the songs a little bit more
cohesive, and less experimental.
2. You
mentioned touring the UK for a decade with TSE and even outshining Metallica
in Metal Hammer once—what moments from that era still resonate
with you the most?
We never
stopped laughing and having fun together on tours. It was always a standout
moment playing local venue The Brickyard, our only chance to play to more than
a handful of people always felt good!
3. As
brothers, you've been writing and performing together for over 20 years. How
has that relationship shaped your songwriting and sound?
We
definitely have a shorthand at this point. When I'm writing music I'm always
thinking of the way he plays drums and writing around that which definitely
shapes things in unique ways sometimes. Usually we agree on 95% of things and
then have a fight about one 3 second transition that no one else will ever
notice or care about.
4. TVHW's
sound blends heavy riffs with melodic touches, taking cues from bands like
Spiritbox and Fightstar. How do you strike the balance between aggression and
atmosphere?
Not
consciously, to be honest. I just write whatever seems to flow best. I think
contrast is always important with music; To have a good breakdown, you need to
have something to breakdown from.
5. Listening
to a lot of Queen as kids is quite the twist—how do those early influences
sneak into your modern metal approach?
2 ways
mostly. I think the way I phrase guitar solos takes a lot of influence from B
May. And also layering up lotssss of vocals. I usually sneak in a Queen tribute
in the lyrics on each release. There's actually two on the TVHW album about to
release.
6. Carlisle
isn't always the first city people associate with progressive metal. How has
your hometown shaped your music, if at all?
Our
hometown hasn't shaped our music as such but it's certainly shaped us as
musicians and people. We were very supported by local venue The Brickyard, and
there was a great scene of local bands in the 2000s/2010s. Sadly it seems like
there's less around these days. It's definitely always been a bit of a pain
being so far from other cities though.
7. Detail
obsession seems to be part of your DNA. Can you give us an example of a small
musical decision that sparked a big debate between you?
Oh yeah. We
had a big debate about a single drum rhythm in the verse of "Liquid
False". It was one of those where I needed to hear it mixed right to hear
it was going to work. In the end I trusted Jamie on it and it works
great.
8. You describe your sound as more “focused and refined” now. What changed in your creative process to make that happen?
I think
mostly this was just a step back from my old mentality of focusing really hard
on making instrumental parts complex, and instead focusing on parts that worked
well vocally.
9. Looking
at the current UK metal scene, where do you see TVHW fitting in—or standing
apart?
Please
write in with ur answers to this question; I have no fucking idea and it's made
marketing very difficult.
Truthfully/unfortunately
I think the situation is much the same as it was with The Sun Explodes. We're a
bit too extreme for anyone who likes "normal" metal, and not extreme
enough for anyone who's into technical/heavy/prog/etc.
10. Finally,
what’s next for The Villains Have Wings? Should fans expect a tour, an EP, a
full album—or something else entirely?
Depending
on when this goes live the second music video and the full first album is
probably already out; Both go live on July 31.
We hope to
return to the stage eventually if we can find the beginnings of an audience. A
second album is mostly already written.
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