All So Simple are a pop-punk band hailing from Inverness, Scotland. If you haven’t heard of them by now we can only assume you have been hiding under a rock. We expect big things from these guys in the very near future. Be sure to check out their links below the interview! Thanks again to the guys for agreeing to talk to us!
Q1. Thank you for agreeing to talk to us. Starting off can you let us know where you got the band name “All So Simple” and how you all formed?
A1. We’ve been friends for a while now but we all came together by chance. I (Aly) met Conor and Dylan back in 2013, introduced by this guy, Tony. There’s a 4 year age gap between us so I knew him from being a senior helper in some of his classes at school. Tony moved down to England so we made a little band and stayed in touch, letting him know how it was going and still do even now but as All So Simple. As for the name, It was the end of Summer last year (2015). Conor, Dylan & I hadn’t played music together in about 6-7 months and decided we wanted to get back into it but more seriously. We met Johnny at the newly built skatepark and asked him to join us, he’s brought loads of passion and motivation to the band. We all sat around the kitchen table at my parents house, “what are we gonna call this then?”, and Johnny comes out with All So Simple from the Wu-Tang Clan’s “Can It Be All So Simple”. We all agree it sounds cool but the main selling point for us was that it abbreviated to ASS and came up quickly in social media searches.
Q2. How would you describe your music to someone who has not had a chance to listen to you yet?
A1. A mix of things. Try and picture yourself in a room with a bunch of guys into Hardcore, Grunge and trying to get them to play Pop-Punk. It’s probably one of the hardest questions we get asked and we’re still to come up with a definitive answer.
Q3. You guys are from Inverness, What is the music scene like there?
A3. The music scene is much like a small community. Everyone helps each other locally but once you’ve left Inverness, you’re on your own. There’s a couple of bands that are actually doing pretty well for themselves though and even a gentleman who’s started up his own independent record label and recording studio where we recorded Built To Mend.
Q4. At Musuk we love “Built To Mend” but what is the story behind the lyrics?
A4. The story to the lyrics are based on my (Aly) struggle with anxiety. The chorus preaches the idea of grasping opportunities and not giving up, “Grasp the moment, get up and show them”, whereas the verses tell of the struggle. The line, “Distorted voices crowd my head”, is about having second thoughts and worrying about the outcome of taking chances.
Q5. Do you have any plans to tour this year? If so when and where?
A5. Nothing’s set in stone but we’re hoping to break the border and make our way down south by the second half of the year. We’d love to tour over in the USA though and I guess it’s plausible.
Q6. Fun Question… If you were stuck on a desert island what 2 things would each of you take and why?
A6. I think we could all get by with a frisbee. We’ve spent hours at a time at the beach firing one about so since there’s 4 of us i’d say a couple of guitars, a desert island survival guide, probably a couple packets of spare guitar strings and some frisbees (spares are essential). That’s assuming that making a phone call for rescue is out of the question.
Q7. Back to the serious stuff…. We have just entered 2016 but what do you think the band will have accomplished by the end of the year?
A7. We’d like to think, we’ll be on the road and be able to financially support ourselves musically. We’re ambitious guys.
Q8. We came across the band on social media but do you think you gain more fans through the use of social media or through interacting with people at gigs etc?
A8. Social media has been a massive hit for us. We got lucky when we connected with Rebecca Singer (@Xenakita) over Twitter. She passed our name along to a gentleman from Manchester (@Will101ltd) who’s a social media genius. With his help and guidance we’ve managed to create a far larger following than what we have from live performances. We do love the intimacy of meeting people who are interested in our work at shows though.
Q9. If you could be a member of any other band, who would you each choose and why?
A9. This is where our difference in music taste will come into play. I (Aly) would be a part of 5 Seconds Of Summer because I love a band where everyone’s a singer. Dylan we can assume would be in Nirvana, he’s this generations Kurt. Johnny, something hardcore like Comeback Kid. He’s really into songs with a fast tempo. Conor, I think at this time would actually play for the likes of Neck Deep or The Story So Far, It’s bands like theirs which are defining our sound right now. He’d probably want to play guitar, he’s really good but he’s also too good a drummer to throw away that talent.
Q10; Thank you again for talking to us at Musuk, we have really enjoyed getting to know All So Simple so our last question is… Is there anything else you would like to let your fans and us at Musuk know?
A10. We’ve got an EP on the horizon. There’s been a heck of a lot of delays but we’re aiming for the end of February to put it out, don’t quote us on that though. 2016 could be a big year for us as long as we play our cards right.
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