FOR FANS OF: Neck Deep, The Story So Far, Linkin Park
Octopus Montage are a pop punk, metalcore band from Blackpool, England, consisting of brother and sister Dec and Davina Naylo, Alex Jennings, and Cain Dylan. They've released track "Voices" last week, and last month they released single "Dopamine."
This interview focuses mainly on the workings behind "Dopamine," with all questions answered by Alex Jennings, the lead singer/screamer of Octopus Montage.
1) Okay I have to ask, how did you come up with your band name? I feel like there’s a great story there.
I'm afraid there's nothing really to it! I think Dec was about 16 and just wrote a bunch of random words down in his notepad and boosh we're lumbered with this stupid name for the rest of our career!
2) What led you to choose the voiceover you have in the bridge of "Dopamine"?
Well the song touches on all things to do with growing up and I think a big thing that comes from that is that whenever your brain isn't occupied by anything it can start to think about things like 'why are my friends so much further ahead in life than me' etc,etc and one the times your brain is most idle is when you're trying to get to sleep or can't sleep. Originally that part of the song was just instrumental but Dec suggested adding that voice over since it was 'super Pop-Punk.' As soon as I heard it I got Neck Deep vibes from it and it just worked due to the subject of what the guy is talking about - To this day I don't have a clue who it is or where it's from!
3) Is insomnia something any of you suffer from? If so was that something that inspired part of this song?
Funnily enough no. I wrote the song when I was just in a bit of a lull about life in general. I was fresh out of college and all my friends had gone to university and I was still at home and I remember just thinking 'well, this is what life is now.' The song obviously touches on those sleepless nights that we all have but i wouldn't say it was the main reason I wrote it, although I love the fact that it's being interpreted in different ways!
4) “Dopamine” feels like a lighter song in comparison to others in your discography such as “A Shortcut” or “How Does It Make You Feel” both in terms of instrumentation and overall delivery. Is this indicative of what’s to come on your upcoming album or will we get a mix of these sounds?
This is my favourite thing about this band. We have made it somewhat normal for us to release something ridiculously heavy and follow it up with something super poppy. In terms of the record, every song we have released since September is going to feature which I think sums up the vibe of the record, it doesn't stay in one space, or one style, for too long.
5) What’s a moment that makes the walls close in for you?
Often quite menial things that my lovely brain turns into massive ordeals - Fun times!
6) Who is it that you’re trying to build the nerve to call?
Originally the line was 'it means a lot to carry on and I don't know where it all began' but when I sent the song to Dec to start pre-production and stuff that was the only bit he pulled up and suggested we change it to what it is now. I think he went off 'disappointed with all my phone calls for that bit.' I was happy with it because it still fits with the theme of the song and made me think of someone I was trying to get over at the time, but there's an entire song on the new record about that.
7) You sound like you had a successful run of touring back in 2019, what are you most looking forward to when you’re able to get back out on the road again?
It was fun yeah! Especially since I'd just come out of college, that was my first experience of being an 'adult.' Honestly, i can't wait to just be in the van, fucking around with my best friends that also happen to be my bandmates, wondering what each city will look like and where the nearest McDonalds is.
8) Are you able to tell us if the album has been wrapped up yet or is that top secret info?
Dude, it's been done for so long, like we've been sitting on it since about June 2020. We spent some serious time looking into how to promote properly and coming up with a solid release strategy, of which I am happy to report has worked really well so far!
9) And what has been your favorite part of writing and recording a full length album?
I'm not the biggest fan of recording music purely because of the monotony of it, I mean I started writing this record in the summer of 2019 if not before actually so it's been around for a long time but only now is it finished and ready to be put out. I think that's mainly because we were doing things slowly to make sure we got it right and it didn't help that we kept finding better recording techniques and upgrading equipment meaning that we had to re-record pretty much everything multiple times. To actually answer your question though, by far my favourite part is when the song drops and a piece of me is out there. As much as people can relate to the songs and develop their own understanding and interpret them, I relish in the fact that there are so many sentimental parts of me just out there hidden in plain sight, I think there's something beautiful about it.
10) What’s the plan after this album comes out? Can we expect a break or are you eager to get back in the studio?
Music videos for every song and then more music and lots of it, it's already being written!
留言