Alternative four-piece Sterling Press just released their debut single ‘VERY FUN TIMES’.
The West London lads make their flourishing return to the underground circuit under a new name, injecting their original alt-rock sound with a newfound appreciation for punk, ska and techno music.
They getting started on a high with BBC’s Abbie McCarthy featuring their single on her BBC Music Introducing Kent Radio show as featured ‘track of the week’.
Please give our readers a little into of you who are / Sum up your band for me in a few words.
We’re a 4 piece guitar band from West London made up of Ed Higgins (guitar/vocals), Marlon Reynier (bass/vocals), Greg Smith (guitar/vocals) and Lucien Ismael (drums). We are all aged 19/20 and officially started the band 2 months ago but have been playing together for the past 2 years.
You return to the scene under a new band name – what happened there and why you call yourself “Sterling Press” now?
When lockdown first started in March last year we all got jobs at supermarkets and started writing lots of new music separately. Once we saved up enough money from our jobs we went into the studio and recorded these new ideas. We used different instruments and musical techniques and tried to create bigger and better songs. We thought it would be a good opportunity to start a new project with total creative freedom and that’s why we created Sterling Press.
Your debut single 'Very Fun Times' is out 16th of February - What's it about? What was the process for writing and producing it?
Our Producer had to isolate during the recording process so we had a week of trying out different melodies and instruments. Greg's cousin came in one day to play trumpet and it ended up sounding massive, so we decided to get a full brass section and that's how the whole reprise section of the song came about. The lyrics are about the way people constantly compete with each other in social situations to prove their worth and that they are better. It's written in a jokey way, as most people do it, including ourselves.
Do you have any hobbies that you turn to to rejuvenate your creativity?
Always have a few sticks of incense to hand which we whack on whenever the creative juices aren't flowing. Fifa is another grounding mechanism we often use as a break. We don’t really enjoy walks.
The dreaded subject of Corona – how you coping with all the madness of lockdown and restrictions to your daily life??
Generally we have kept extremely busy. Anytime we need to discuss anything we have a group Facetime for some social contact and spend a lot of time talking about random things. We have all been demoing new tracks as well so have lots of new music to write when we can next play together.
You injecting your original alt rock sound with new influences like punk and well techno which is very interesting ( I am a bit of a raver myself) - could you please elaborate on that choice!
We have spent a lot more time experimenting in different genres. We had never used any sort of synth or keyboards in previous music so it was quite fun playing around with them, we ended up getting a techno breakdown which we managed to fit into one of our songs. Another time we used a tape machine to speed up a drum recording which created a cool garage/jungle beat.
What’s the most trouble you’ve ever gotten into?
The night we finished school we went out for bottomless drinks. We attempted to steal some kegs. Ed got away with an empty one, but Marlon went for a full one and ended up getting pinned to the ground by a police officer. We have matured since then although the keg makes a great seat in our shed.
What's your ideal press headline in 12 months from now?
“Sterling Press achieve groundbreaking success with debut album getting number one” Would be class.
Little insider tip – best thing to do in Hanwell?
There is a festival that happens once a year called the Hanwell Hootie. A great night out. All the pubs are packed the whole day. It's a great atmosphere. Apart from that there's not much to do...
Bands to watch out for? / What's on your playlist right now??
We really like this band called Spoort. Don’t really understand how they aren’t bigger. Dystopia are another cool band to look out for. The new Chubby and the Gang album is pure class as well, and they’re from Hanwell, so even better!