Previously crossing paths over the years, each band member had worked together in various outfits that required high standards of versatile musicianship, however the desire for “originality” became the catalyst for this new incarnation.
A tenacious attitude towards songwriting quickly formed, and by October 2021 the copious amount of new Until 9 material was whittled down into the strongest six songs for their first EP, “Look at me Now”.
This debut EP is a calculated effort to show off the widest spectrum of Until 9’s abilities and talent.
Check out ‘Headstone‘…
OD – Give a brief background as to who you all came together, [please list the bands that each of you had played in prior to Until 9 being formed.
TOM – We ended up with this line up because of a project Pudge and I were in, playing heavy rock and metal covers like Slipknot and Mastodon… stuff that you’d not usually hear in your local pub. When the drummer left, Pudge brought Greeny in from Broken, as that’s where they’d met. Kev joined later to take on bass duties when the spot opened up.
OD – With regards to sound, was there a conscious effort to stick to a certain style, as I’m aware you also are all involved in a System of a Down covers project?
TOM – There was no conscious thought process as to a style we were aiming for, it’s a natural representation of what everyone brings to the table. Apart from Skin, every song in the EP was written guitars and bass first.
Greeny adds his drums, which elevates the whole idea and adds more groove and feeling, and Pudge then has a complete platform to add his vocals if he connects with it. The SOAD thing is just an excuse to play good tunes!
OD – Tell us about the new single ‘Headstone’ with regards to concept and also, was this instantly the first single decision?
PAUL – ‘Headstone‘, in a nutshell, is about death. So, it’s a happy song [Laughs] If you died tomorrow how would you be remembered? Would you be remembered at all? Would the good you’ve done outweigh the bad. The video shows a faceless man making his way to his own grave to illustrate the point. It’s menacing!!
OD – The EP will be released on March 25th, can you please talk us through the tracks on the EP and give is a taste of what to expect?
‘Look At Me Now’ is set for release on March 25th
PAUL – Got a good mix of everything in there, I reckon. Rap, melody, heavy, harmonies, screams, growls, and singalong.
OD – Will there be a follow-up album sometime this year?
MARK – All being well, we are hoping to get back in the studio in the latter part of summer, as we are continually writing material, so we’d like to put a full album out.
OD – With regards to influences, would you say that the band have a very broad range of styles that is woven into the music or are you conscious of keeping a very significant style?
TOM – The style is just a mix of everyone’s influences, but we’re not trying to emulate anyone. Anything I write is usually just instinctive, and Greeny‘s the same when adding drums. If it works and people like it, it means more because no one’s trying to rip anything off!
OD – Coming from Sheffield, do you feel that the local scene is a healthy one, and if not, what would you like to see change going forward?
MARK – Coming from various towns around South Yorkshire there is a wealth of talented bands out there, and as you go to gigs in Sheffield the scene is thriving on various genres. The recent competition for M2TM is an insight into this with no shortage of bands chomping at the bit to play.
OD – With regards to the bands’ lyrical content, where do you draw inspiration from and do you all contribute to lyrics?
PAUL – I get lumbered wi lyrics. Easy bit they reckon. Can’t really single out any particular inspiration but generally comes from being an angry bastard. Mad at the world. When life shits on you, write it down.
OD – I understand that you’re taking part in this years Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses. Do you feel that Bloodstock is a great platform to showcase new up-and-coming talent?
MARK – yes we are and we’ve just got through to the semi finals..I don’t know of anything else like it that gives bands a chance and a footing to play on the scale that is bloodstock festival!…it really is one of a kind.
OD – If you could go on tour with any band, who would it be?
MARK – Wow! That’s a hard one, but I guess if we are really could Lamb of God would be a personal favourite of mine, but I’m sure the lads would have varied choices.
OD – For anyone that’s not familiar with Until 9, how would you best describe your music and your live shows?
MARK – With a mix of styles in our music I believe we cover all bases from the mellow to the intense to the aggressive and throwing in plenty of melody. And in a live setting you get all that delivered in a powerful clinical approach so hopefully it’s a memorable one!
For more information on Until 9, please visit this link. ‘Headstone‘ is available on Spotify [click here] and all good streaming platforms.
Oran O’Beirne
www.overdrive.ie 2022
