Just before another one of their sold out DIY Class of 2018 Tour dates with Pale Waves and Our Girl, we had the opportunity to chat with London based indie pop band Bloxx. We talked about their previous successful support slots for the likes of Sundara Karma and the Wombats, life outside of Bloxx and the importance of ‘grinding on, boys’ for success in the music industry.
So how’s the tour going?
Yeah, really well. Every day’s been fun- an adventure! It’s always fun to go around the UK, meeting new people and making new friends. Also, the guys are really nice as well, Pale Waves and Our Girl are so sweet. It’s like being on tour with friends, basically. Just makes the whole experience a lot smoother!
And what was the formation of Bloxx? Was there a moment when you knew that this could be like a big thing?
On stage, after Treaty, that first gig we ever played together when we were like ‘s**t, let’s do this again’. I’ll just tell the story of the formation of Bloxx. So, Fee used to be a solo artist, and me and Moz were in bands before and then Fee went to uni and met Paul there. Also, they work together. Then, Fee was like ‘I need a band for a gig tonight’ because she got offered a show, and then she asked us. And here we are.
What was your best moment of 2017? Or the best gig you played?
Brixton. Brixton Academy. Brixton was insane for us; the biggest show we’ve ever played. In terms of other moments, when ‘You’ hit a million streams on Spotify, it was when we all went ‘what the f**k, we have a one million hit song on Spotify’. It’s almost one million and a half now, and that’s mad, in like two months we got 500,000, which is insane for us! It’s our biggest song.
So, you’ve been doing big support tours, releasing singles, and now you’re doing a headline tour. And you have normal jobs. So, what’s it like to be at work one day and on tour the next?
Oh, it’s horrible, we were talking about this the other day. It’s crazy because we played Brixton and went on this huge tour with the Wombats, and the next day I was on 6 – finish at f*****g Wetherspoon’s. And I was just stood there, on tour you’re doing that as a job and loving that and that’s how you earn your money, and you go back to Spoons and have no idea what to do. Like, I’ve been there for two years. I will come off tour and be like ‘what the f**k, how do I pour a pint of beer’. The bar just drops from being ‘yay’ to this. Keeps you humble though.
What is your favourite song to perform live?
Second Opinion for me. Or Sea Blue. Novocain! Novocain’s my favourite song to perform live at the moment.
And who is your favourite band to tour with, because you’ve done quite a few different ones?
I’m going to say King Nun! We glued with them so well, and they’re mates of ours now, they’re really cool guys and we are like best friends. But, it’s just a difference experience every time we go on tour. Every band is great for their own reasons, we like Sundara because we look up to them as like our ‘parents’ and they always have the greatest advice for us. And King Nun, we just mess about with.
Obviously, I’m the biggest Novocain fan in the world and I know the lyrics already. What’s it like hearing your fans sing your songs back to you?
It’s mad. Last night there was quite a few people who knew our songs. I remember the first time I ever saw anyone singing our lyrics and it was such a big thing for us. It makes us excited. In ‘You’ one of the lyrics is about Spoons and anyone who knows that we work in Spoons always shouts back at us ‘SPOONS!’. People at our work listen to our music but only because they want to support us.
Do you get recognised a lot?
I got recognised by some people at a festival who had seen me on stage and wanted a photo. Also, I got recognised by that guy from We Were Glue in Liverpool that one time and he was like ‘you guys are from Bloxx!’. Taz also got recognised at a Royal Blood gig! It happens and it’s great. I was actually meant to go and see the Night Café in Birmingham with my girlfriend, and I realised that the people there would probably recognise us and have seen us play before, supporting them!
Do you have any advice for people trying to get into the music industry, or small bands trying to get into it?
I’d just say do it because you love it, don’t do it for any other reason other than the fact that you love it. (Fee interrupts) Grind on, boys! It is fully a grind. I don’t mean grind on boys. I mean, grind on comma boy! This is where, you know, comma’s saves lives. Let’s eat, Grandma! Let’s Eat Grandma! Do it because you love it, do it because it’s fun. If people see that you are having fun and it’s natural, then they will jump on. That being said, it’s hard work. Dedication, absolutely. Grind on, boys.
Final question, what are you most excited for this year? Any plans for an album?
Ally Pally, with the Wombats. I’m more excited for something else however, but we have some secrets that we aren’t allowed to tell. There’s another single coming, very soon. Well, not very soon, as in Wombats tour time-ish. And then another single, an EP maybe, later on this year. Album, next year? Number one album, next year? I’m joking! And, loads of festivals. I’m excited for Truck, I’m excited for Sound City Festival in Liverpool, I’m excited for Live at Leeds. I’m excited for 110 Above. I’m excited for lots of things!
Okay, that is everything. Thank you!
Photography by Lucy McLachlan
