Harlesden’s Sports Team talk cricket, Cambridge, and new EP Winter Nets

Part of London suburbia’s re-invigorated guitar scene (luminaries include Shame and HMLTD) Sports Team are all post-punk attitude and indie rock hooks. Their first long-form offering Winter Nets is a collection of odes to debt-riddled graduates, communal living and dingy watering holes and is about as charming as it sounds. We had a quick chat with the group about university cover bands and Kent Cricket Club amongst other things:

First off, what brought you all together?

We all met at Cambridge. There are a few decent bands there now, but at that stage it was very erratic. You’d get touring bands, and a few university covers bands but there wasn’t much in between. We started putting on our own shows and it spiralled from there.

Your EP Winter Nets came out earlier this week, any keen cricketers in the band?

Alex had a development contract at Kent for a while, think they got excited by the pace, but ultimately he lacked accuracy, and the ability to swing the ball. Batting wise I think his footwork was always going to be lacking at that level but he was a pretty solid number nine, lusty blows from time to time, actually hit a few against James Tredwell in a warm up game, he’s getting on a bit now though.

How is it following in the footsteps of fellow Cambridge University alumni Hot Chip and The Soft Boys?

There’s a good little legacy of largely terrible Cambridge bands. Clean Bandit most recently. I’d never heard Soft Boys, just had a listen. That makes it better I’d say.

Sports Team have a penchant for a catchy indie chorus. Is it a dying art?

It’s a cheap trick and a dirty habit, but I don’t think it’s going to die out. It’s 11 years since ‘Wait For Me’ came out, we’re due a rehabilitation of landfill.

Run us through some of your key influences.

The Family Cat are a big one. Th’ Dudes, Pavement, Eddy Current Supression Ring, Haircut 100… Pulp have been creeping in a bit more recently.

Where can we expect to see you jumping and jiving next?

We played The Five Bells for So Young. That’s our last London headline until Spring. In March we head off on tour with Pip Blom, then we’re at Live at Leeds, Handmade Festival and the Great Escape in May.

Sports Team play The Five Bells, New Cross tonight.

Nice Swan Records Tour w/ Pip Blom:

27th March: Manchester, Soup Kitchen. w/ WITCH FEVER
28th March: London, MOTH CLUB.
29th March: Southampton, Heartbreakers Bar / Venue
30th March: Cardiff, The Big Top/ Ten Feet Tall w/ KICKS
31st March: Birmingham, Actress and Bishop (official