Splashh

-

Listening to Splashh is like gliding on top of a sound wave that’s heading towards the far away pastures of the 90s. And as with any kind of nostalgia there’s a feeling of, albeit remote, belonging – as though even if you can’t fully comprehend some by-gone era, for a couple of guitar driven, primal rock ‘n’ roll moments, you just ‘get it’. Simple but effective chord structures, ever-present fuzziness and a general electric buzz comes at you as naturally as a splash water to your face – no artificial components just cleansing and livening.

We catch up with the young London-based, Australian bred band to find out some simple, no frills facts about their story so far. We then go into detail that’s a little more in depth than the average Mastermind quizzing – broaching the subjects of how they’d be dodging the ol’ 9-5 if Splashh didn’t exist, as well as uncovering an elusive reference to an artist named JT as an influence – John Taylor for the glam rockers, Justin Timberlake for the blue-eyed soulsters – you be the judge.

So who are Splashh why the name?

Splashh are a 4-piece rock ‘n’ roll group living in London. Splash was a favourite water park of ours growing up plus it has a nice ring to it. The extra ‘H’ was to avoid a lawsuit.

So the name not having much to do with the concrete jungle that is Hackney, where you’re based, what are the creative implications with living in that part of London… although I’ve heard you’re quite the cross-continental band?

East London is a very natural landing pad for many of us that make the journey from “Australasia”. Our friends were here before us and it’s right in the thick of it. Sometimes it’s better to be inside making music and creating our own world than out in the jungle. No offence Mare St!

You’re all young lads… had you not been in this band, what would you have been doing?

We’d still be making music/dodging the 9-5. Something like starting a paragliding tour or set up a bungy jump in Norway? Maybe…

…and what was the catalyst for wanting to start Splashh with each other?

It was pretty much just about getting on really well and making music together seemed like the natural next step. We didn’t think about it being something that many people would hear. It started out being for ourselves.

Your sound could be described as having a grunge revival influence. Was the grunge era something that inspired the Splashh sound?

It’s more the nostalgic spirit of the 90′s than just grunge itself. We want to make music that is heavy and exciting dynamically. We love music from the 90′s because it was an era of pop that was the last of it’s kind.

Do you have any influences that people would be surprised about (don’t be afraid to name some guilty pleasures too)?

Oasis, Primal Scream, Deerhunter, LCD Soundsystem, Smashing Pumpkins and J.T. (you know who it is)

Rock music seems to have been cast under a bit of shadow with electronic sounds taking the forefront, a hype, which you haven’t bought into creatively. How would you convince someone that there’s something special about good, old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll?

We connect with rock music because there is real human personality on show through the lyric and the melody. We take influence from electronic music as there is so much goodness in there, but ultimately our idols are The Stones and The Beatles… Have a listen to Abbey Road if you’re still not sure.

What’s your creative process like?

It’s actually quite similar to how people would make electronic music. We layer guitars, drums, synths etc as we go to fit what feels right. There’s no arguing at band practice..

What’s the last thing that made you think, ‘I’ve got to write a song about that!’

I never think “I’m going to write a song about that”! It’s more like music is the outlet for whatever is in my head to come out in some vague form.

All the attention you’re receiving is deserved, but how does it feel from the inside looking out: getting a spot on the NME and the Guardian must be amazing but maybe a little shocking as well given that the band’s still quite young.

Well, thanks! It definitely puts pressure on us to keep coming up with new material but that can be a good thing. You really have to ignore that stuff as much as possible and remember why you make music in the first place. Getting your picture in a magazine is always kind of a laugh though for sure!

You’ve been touring with Spector and Swim Deep, and playing some of your biggest venues to date… what can people expect from your live performances?

We don’t do a lot of talking! It may sound cheesy, but we’re all about playing the songs as hard and as best we can. We’re still young but we’re playing a lot and starting to hone our sound.

When can we expect a full-length album?

We plan more releases soon but a full length album is looking like next summer. We have most of the material and we’re totally vibing on it and can’t wait to share it with everyone.

Lastly, describe Splashh in no more than 5 words.

Distorted grooves. Dreamy nostalgia. Melody