Photo Credit: Leila Rummery
We recently sat down with Charlie Herridge, Ollie Horner and Lainey Loops a.k.a. SNAYX who opened up this year’s 2000trees in the Forest. With their debut headline tour set to come later this year and plenty of new music around the corner, find out why SNAYX should definitely be getting your attention.
Hey SNAYX, you opened up 2000trees yesterday, how was it for you?
Charlie: What a privilege, it was great.
Ollie: One of our favourite festivals ever.
Lainey: My favourite.
O: To be invited back for a second year in a row, we feel very honoured to play again.
C: Such a good vibe here. It’s one of our favourite festivals. Everyone’s so close and so nice and we know everyone. We call it 2000 mates don’t we? We spend a lot of time; we can’t get anywhere because we spend every two minutes just stopping to chat to someone new.
Have you managed to catch any bands yet? We know you’ve just been to see Kid Kapichi.
O: Yeah, we’re very sweaty and my vest is ripped. We crowd-surfed.
C: We were getting beaten up in that pit.
L: We saw Lambrini Girls.
C: Tigercub last night.
L: Graphic Nature.
C: Projector, Gaffa Tape Sandy. We’ve seen loads of bands. I was up at like 9am to do some podcasts. I’ve been at work all day.
For people who don’t know SNAYX, can you sum up your sound in five words?
C: Five specifically.
O: Bass, bass, bass, bass, bass.
C: Bass, Buckfast, bangers.
O: Brexit
C: And bouncy. All the BS.
O: Anti Brexit by the way.
C: I think you’ll get that if you see us once.
You released Weaponised Youth: Part One earlier this year, can you talk to us a bit about the recording process?
O: So, we recorded Weaponized Youth: Part One at Brighton Electric.
C: Yeah, we recorded at Brighton Electric with George Harrison. It was just really nice to get in there and just work with a producer because we hadn’t really done that before. We sort of went through and just sort of put the songs together in the studio.
O: And yeah, I mean, one of the songs Weaponized was basically, written in the studio at that time.
C: I’d had like an idea before we did it. I was in the shower and I had this idea of a music video for like kids who have guns and stuff. It was about these kids rising up and confiscating guns from adults. I don’t know. There’s this thing where like, kids were kind of sick with the way everything’s run. But we didn’t have any music for it really did we? We just had this idea and you must have thought I was mental. Then we had some time in the studio where we were like, ‘alright, let’s go and record something about it’. So, we were like what we got, we found some riffs and put together the idea and then it became it literally just hashed out in like an hour.
O: The idea was sort of gun violence in America. Yeah, children dying following it.
C: And I sort of wrote the lyrics following that and I wanted to be a bit of an epic where it about a lot of topics and it sort of references the murder of George Floyd. Plus, I think it references the media and fake news, Donald Trump and that sort of like Trump’s America, and then also how the media can sort of certain like newspaper tabloids and stuff you can really attack people. There’s Caroline Flack. Yeah, it’s sort of like referenced in there in the second verse, and then everything bad like Brexit, Trump’s America we just wanted to make one epic that kind of covered everything.
Have you had any negative reactions to some of the things you sing about in the tracks?
O: I mean, we’ve got a song called Boys in Blue.
C: Yeah, so that one is a criticism of the Met police and we won’t be the first to say that ever, you know even in the news, even internally, they know that there’s corruption there. We’re not saying anything new. It might offend some people but back to the facts it’s time for better reform. I think we’ve never had anything like come back but I’m sure there are people out there that have strong views the other way. But ironically, I do know someone who works for the Met police.
O: But they all say the same and criticise them.
C: They know that there are problems there so I don’t think we’re saying anything too outlandish but yeah, it does reference a particular case and the way that the police handled it. We’re just shouting about it a little bit louder.
You mentioned it already but you released H.A.N.G and Boys In Blue a little while ago, do you think this is indicative of the new SNAYX sound to come?
C: I think actually, we’re still evolving. If anything, I think we’re still evolving as we go. The sound is that was probably our heaviest stuff to date and it was our heaviest most political stuff, but we definitely have a fun side and we definitely want to explore more electronic stuff but we definitely always have we like to have a voice still so.
O: We’re using out platform for topics we think need to be reported. We’re not going to go on about politics only but want to talk about escaping and the fun stuff too.
C: Yeah, it’s finding that balance I mean. Lainey what would you say about the new stuff?
L: Which new stuff? What am I allowed to say? The stuff we’re working on.
C: Just describe it without saying too much.
L: The new stuff like, like one of the tracks it’s just about wanting some more like nicer time. I’m trying to not drop the track name.
C: Well maybe if you’ve seen our tour name you might get an idea.
L: Oh yeah, yeah Better Days. I don’t know what I’m allowed to talk about!
C: But like no, I mean, like, just describe the sound. I guess, we’re moving more towards electronic sort of influences.
L: There choruses and stuff are more melodic. Trying to get a bit more commercial.
C: Nostalgic, melodic, electronic. But still SNAYX. It’s so hard, like talking around it. I think people will be quite interested to see what’s coming next, because it’s definitely still us but it’s going to contrast nicely to those last two.
O: It’s an evolving sound.
C: If you want to get an idea think like The Prodigy and think Gorillaz.
O: Still bouncing. Still talking about important things.
C: We’re really excited for the next steps.
You’ve mentioned it already, you’re going on your debut headlining tour in October, can we expect to hear new music then?
O: You might do.
C: All these songs we’re talking about. They have to be in the set.
O: You’re in for a treat.
C: We’ve got a month of pre prod in August where we’re just gonna get everything like nailed down for live. You’re gonna hear a fair few new ones in the set. It’s gonna be great. I can’t wait because we’ve been playing this set for a while now and I think it’s time for a refresh. We’re very excited.
If you could make your dream festival line up, obviously you’re on it, who else would be on it?
O: It’s all the mates surely?
L: Bad Nerves.
C: Mates fest. Nova Twins, Kid Kapichi, Lambrini Girls, Bobby V, Monakis. Just like all of the above and more. We just want all the mates, all the people just bringing the vibes you know. We don’t need any like huge headliners and stuff. We’re the party!
O: The music scene right now is just incredible. It’s all love. It’s great time for new music. Just good vibes.
L: Oh and obviously Tigercub.
O: We’ve been playing music for a long time in various different bands.
C: Everyone is working towards the same goal and everyone is supporting each other it’s beautiful. Especially in Brighton, there’s somebody in the water down there I think so we’ve got we’ve got real like collective energy down there which is so exciting I love being part of it.
And finally we talked about it a lot already but what is the plan for 2023 and beyond?
C: Bigger and better. Bigger and better days. Dropping the hints here! We just we just want to like party do some bigger shows and it’s all about the shows really.
O: I swear we love the live. As live is where we do thrive. Live is where we thrive, more live shows bigger.
C: Keeping busy. We’ve already done four tours this year. We’re gonna do another one later so!
You can read our review of 2000trees 2023 here – Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
See SNAYX live at their debut headline tour later this year:
October 2023
Sat 7th – CARDIFF Clwb Ifor Bach
Sun 8th – OXFORD – The Jericho Tavern
Tue 10th – ST ALBANS – The Horn
Wed 11th – LONDON – The Old Blue Last
Thu 12th – MANCHESTER – YES (basement)
Fri 13th – SHEFFIELD – Sidney & Matilda
Sat 14th – TBA
Mon 16th – NEWCASTLE – Bobiks
Tue 17th – GLASGOW – SWG3 Poetry Club
Wed 18th – NOTTINGHAM – The Bodega
Thu 19th – BRIGHTON – Patterns
Sat 21st – ST LEONARDS – The Piper
Mon 23rd – SOUTHAMPTON – Joiners
Tue 24th – BRISTOL – Exchange
