Founded in 2014 and already smashing huge festivals such as Download, SXSW, and Korea’s Zandari Festa, Fizzy Blood have put themselves thoroughly on the alternative music map in their three years as a band. Continuing their festival streak with a spot on the Neu stage at this year’s 2000trees festival, their success comes as no surprise as soon as you get a listen of their unique brand of “weird, exciting, fuzzy rock and roll.”
Talking all things Fizzy with bassist Ciaran Scanlon, I managed to have a chat with him about what could be next for the Leeds five piece, and their experience of their latest festival debut. Of 2000trees, Scanlon stated: “it was quite an experience if I’m honest! It was our first time here this year so we didn’t know what to expect. Our friends had told us some amazing things about the festival and it really did live up to our expectations. Hopefully we will be back next year.”
Judging by their set, they definitely had a good time. Offering potentially the most energetic performance of the day, the boys threw themselves across the stage in mesmerising fashion – making it almost impossible to not move along with them. Scanlon himself is particularly entertaining, with his crazy faces enjoyable throughout. With such curated expressions, I couldn’t resist asking him if he practised them beforehand: “Thank you! I’m afraid I can’t really answer that question, it just kind of happens! I guess it’s just a mixture of adrenaline and excitement.” I’ll take that as a yes then!
It isn’t just on stage that Fizzy Blood have fun, however. Speaking of the band’s time away on tour, Scanlon revealed: “ We took over the LadBible Snapchat for some press thing when we were on tour in Berlin. and I took a photo of myself sitting on the toilet. It was seen by a LOT of people in the 10 minutes before it got taken down and we got kicked off the account.”
As for what’s happening in the future, even more festivals are lined up this year. “It’s the guarantee of knowing that you are going to be performing in front of a crowd who are really up for it,” Scanlon mused on what draws the band to these events. “Also, the fact that every festival we’ve played so far has been full of our mates, so it’s been really fun.”
“For me personally, I can safely say that Download and 2000trees have been the best festivals we’ve done as a band so far. We are playing Tramlines festival later this month, and playing Reading and Leeds in August which we are really excited about.” Throwing the gauntlet down for the what’s coming next, he also added: “We are inviting them to top Trees and Download…” A tall order indeed.
Aside from hitting up the live stages, Fizzy Blood also have two new tracks that have been released this year – the first being ‘Pawn’. The track is quintessential to their style, boasting frantic-but-fantastic riffs and vocals at every turn, then dropping to distorted heavy depths when you least expect it. Of the inspiration behind the song, Scanlon said: “We wanted to show the whole state of the talent show journey, as well as the relationships between some artists and their management.”
The other track, ‘Summer of Luv’, was dropped earlier in June, and serves as the title for their upcoming EP: “The idea for ‘Summer of Luv’ came from our first trip to America, when we got the opportunity to perform at SXSW for the first time. Paul came up with the riff whilst we were chilling out in our Super 8 Motel. The trip was a surreal experience if I’m honest, and the song reflects our journey to the land of the free.”
The EP will be landing somewhere between late August and early September, and if Feast is anything to go by, it’s going to be another dream release for rock fans all over. With the latest tracks that will feature on the EP channelling a Queens of the Stone Age retro vibe, pumped up with deranged vocals and some seriously toe-tapping rhythms, Fizzy Blood are set up to explode once more.
Excitingly, their plans don’t stop with the next EP: “We are currently writing and recording for what will come after that. We can’t say too much about that, but we are very excited about it. We are also in the process of sorting out tours for the end of this year and the next, so keep your eyes peeled!”
This seems to be only the beginning for the Leeds group, and I for one am very excited to see where they will end up in the future. In the meantime, check out the ridiculously catchy ‘Summer of Luv’ on Spotify below:
