Interview: Screaming Lights

As is often the case with hot new bands this year was billed as a big one for indie-rockers Screaming Lights.

With the recently released single ‘Volts’ well received and their debut album ‘Like Angels’ due in October, the Liverpool-based foursome are reasonably happy with 2009 so far.

“Everything that could happen has happened and we’re really happy with the way it’s going,” says guitarist Max Goldberg, the band’s senior member in terms of age at 24.

The others Jay Treadell (vocals and guitar), Alan Breen (bass) and James Connor (bass) are barely into their twenties. Having been together since school they only began to collaborate with Goldberg some 18 months ago but haven’t looked back since.

“It took us a while and we were recording for about five weeks,” says Treadell of the new album. “But I’ve probably been writing it since I was in school!”

His voice is eerily similar to Joy Division’s Ian Curtis leading some critics to dismiss the band as all too similar to the likes of White Lies and Red Light Company. But the stark contrast between the catchy guitar riffs in ‘Volts’ and their previous, synth-laden release ‘GMN’ coupled with their diverse list of influences gives the band an added freshness.

Treadell explains: “When you’ve listened to music for a really long time and you’ve listened to that much stuff, where you find influence from is kind of lost. So you get in very different moods about what you feel like listening to and what you feel like writing about.”

The band have the usual array of festivals lined up before the end of the summer which is not without its challenges says Treadell: “The expectations of your live performance after you make a record personally, never mind from everybody else, just go right up.”

But already Screaming Lights have thoughts of a second album brewing with every spare moment currently spent demoing new tracks and ideas.

Having got the first record out of the way Treadell underlines the band’s determination to succeed, adding: “The whole point of doing this for me anyway is to make as many records as possible before someone stops me.”

Thanks to What’s Cooking restaurant: Dockside eatery fuelling stars www.whats-cooking.co.uk

www.myspace.com/screaminglights

Tour dates:
22 Aug 2009 V Festival (Strongbow Arena) Stafford, Midlands
23 Aug 2009 V Festival (Strongbow Arena) Chelmsford, East
29 Aug 2009 Leeds Festival (bbc introducing stage) Leeds, Northeast
30 Aug 2009 Reading Festival (bbc introducing Stage) Reading, South
24 Sep 2009 53 Degrees Preston
25 Sep 2009 Festevol @ O2 Academy Liverpool
5 Oct 2009 10 Feet Tall, Cardiff
6 Oct 2009 Tap House, Kidderminster
7 Oct 2009 Oakford Social Club (BBC introducing), Reading
8 Oct 2009 World Headquarters, Newcastle
9 Oct 2009 King Tuts, Glasgow
10 Oct 2009 Escobar, Wakefield