Continuing our series of written interviews with unsigned and independent artists, we had the opportunity to submit questions to the
How did you form?
We started out just friends playing together after rehearsals with another band a couple of us were in. That was getting a little out of hand, with 9 band members, so 3 of just sort of fell into The Strands with Paul, our bass player, it was effortless and fun, so it became our primary focus.
How would you describe your music?
This is hard to answer, people describe it as Jazzy and Bluesy, but it’s not Jazz or Blues. It’s a sort of soulful retro sound, harking back to the ’70s. We’ve been called “Genre Defying” which is nice. We really don’t fit neatly into a genre.
Tell us about your latest release…
Our latest release is “Freshly Cut” and is our first full-length album. The tracks getting the most play are “The Time Is Right For Love”, “Same Old Dream”, “New Tunes” and “Take It All The Way” We’re very proud of the album and we’ve been getting some really very nice reviews of it.
What are your gigs like?
Our gigs are fun, there’s a lot of swaying to the music and people really listen to the lyrics, which has been described as “thoughtful and provocative”. They are quite intimate affairs, I feel a very strong connection with the audience and it feels like people are really paying attention, and we are very lucky to always play to a full room.
You’re from Britain, would you ever consider bringing The Strands to the UK?
The Strands have played in the U.K. but there are currently no plans, only dreams to come back and play again. As an unsigned band, it’s really hard to make something like that happen. But, hey, if you know anyone who wants to bring us over, we’re there!
