PLAIINS are a band who refuse to be pigeonholed and that’s more than evident on the band’s recently released Puppet EP. We caught up with vocalist/guitarist Chris Reardon following the EP release, to discuss the band’s formation and ambitions, his first musical memory and more.
Firstly, tell us a bit about yourself and your band.
Hi, I’m Chris I sing and play guitar in Hamburg -based band PLAIINS. I was born in Coventry, grew up in Hong Kong ’til my earlier teens then moved to Reading in the UK. Spent some years in Bournemouth and London then moved to Hamburg, Germany in the summer 2020. PLAIINS is four-piece alternative rock, punk and hardcore band.
How did the band form and how long have you been together?
I initially moved over to Hamburg for a solo project I was working on, but after a few months I started writing a lot harder and aggressive music, very different from what I was working on at the time. I started demoing and sending them out to friends and the whole thing built from there really. So I would say PLAIINS started in November 2020 with the song The Wolf.
Can you remember the first time you realised you wanted to make music?
I don’t remember that so vividly, but I remember when I wanted to start playing the guitar. I was about 11 years old and my Dad gave me Led Zeppelin III and my whole world changed. It was also around the time of the nu-metal and pop-punk boom and then the emo scene. I was just veraciously obsessed with everything in the rock guitar world and would want to know who influenced Green Day for example, and go all the way back to The Clash and then Ramones, and would do that with each new band obsession. I remember when I was about 12 I wanted to write my own music, learning songs and playing covers didn’t scratch the itch that I was feeling. I would learn a song then try and re-write it fifty times over in different ways. I guess my brain was just obsessed with figuring out the puzzles. What made these chords work with this lead line? Why these chords work with those chords.? Why does this beat fit so well with that guitar riff? kind of thing. The time I was 13 I formed a band at school and we started writing our own songs, playing shows and recording in proper studios when we were around 14 or 15. With each new adventure deeper into being a band, we all became very driven and passionate about making music and playing music.
Who and what are the band’s main influences?
That’s quite a hard one because the influences are quite varied and also sub-conscious in many ways. For me after being in punk/hardcore/emo bands then indie/pop, then singer/songwriter, blues and folk. With PLAIINS I went full circle back to my roots, but with all the learnings from my previous projects. But to narrow it down to a few for PLAIINS it would be Reuben, Queens Of The Stone Age, Turnstile, IDLES, Amyl and the Sniffers, Thrice, Viagra Boys, Teenage Wrist. I don’t know, with songs like Puppet there are influences from the Sex Pistols so it’s a bit everywhere haha!
What do you aim to achieve as a band?
Make great music we are proud of and will stand the test of time. PLAIINS as one of our main income sources. Tour the world.
For those who are yet to see you live, what can they expect from a PLAIINS show?
Energy, madness, pogoing, mosh pits, circle pits, love and smiles on everyone’s faces.
What’s next for PLAIINS?
We’re currently recording our third EP and starting work on the fourth. We have our headline tour in Germany in September/October which we’re excited about and hopefully some UK shows later this year!
PLAIINS‘ new EP Puppet is out now, available to stream or purchase HERE.
See PLAIINS live at one of the following dates:
August 2023
Fri 4th – OLDENSAAL, NL – Flycatcher Festival
September 2023
Thu 14th – STUTTGART, DE – JuHa West
Fri 15th – NÜRNBERG, DE – Club Stereo
Sun 17th – BERLIN, DE – Badehaus
Wed 20th – DÜSSELDORF, DE – Pitcher
Thu 21st – KÖLN, DE – Stereo Wonderland
Fri 22nd – MÜNSTER, DE – Sputnik Café
Sat 23rd – ALFELD, DE – Alfeld Rockt Café
October 2023
Mon 2nd – HAMBURG, DE – Molotow Skybar
