Lots more Mishaps on the way!
ROB FIDDAMAN SPEAKS TO A NEW LOCAL BAND CALLED MISHAPS AS THEY PREPARE TO RELEASE A FIRST SINGLE
■ Introduce the members JJ:
I’m JJ, the lead singer who occasionally dabbles in rhythm guitar for some of our originals. Lew is our awesome lead guitarist and backing vocals if required. Lucas is our cool-as-a-cucumber bassist and also backing vocals if needed. Ru, our wicked drummer, is also the only person able to carry all the heavy equipment for us during gigs. Sorry Ru!
How did you come up with the name Mishaps? JJ:
We all searched deeper into what we wanted to stand for as a band, and I recalled a name that has been floating around in my head since I was about 12. Mishaps. I had some trouble with bullying growing up and felt as though I didn’t really have a place to belong, so when somebody asked if I could use one word to describe myself, instantly I thought ‘Mishap’, and the name stuck. I saw the band being somewhere for me to belong, and once the name was suggested to the guys, they took a liking to it.
Can you talk me through the writing process? JJ:
Each song varies. We all write music, really. I believe that lyrics are just poems that found their soulmates in individual sounds, and as a songwriter, my bandmates are my soulmates. If I write some lyrics I’ll bring them to the guys and Lew will get a riff or a progression going, then Lucas is immediately there plucking away writing a bassline, then Ru will start trialing beats until we all find a groove and the rest of the song writes itself.
Where are you currently recording and rehearsing? JJ:
For about a year we’ve been rehearsing and recording at a place called Venombase Studios, Shelton.
What dynamic in the band makes you different from other bands? Lucas:
You’ll never find four weirdos like us grouped together anywhere else. Who we are as people, what we do as a band, we all come together and have such a natural flow of ideas and a genuine connection with not just each other, but every person who comes to our gigs.
So where are you all from? Lucas:
Myself, Lew and JJ are all born here in the UK and have remained Staffordshire based pretty much our entire lives. Ru is actually Irish, but was born in Heidelberg, Germany, and spent a portion of his childhood growing up in Ireland before moving here when he was eight.
I saw on the band’s Instagram that you played the Sugarmill. Lucas:
Man there is nothing quite like playing a fully decked out stage, and the Mill certainly didn’t disappoint! It was just phenomenal to have had that chance and the crowd was just beautiful. When we started our set you could just hear how good the sound techs were in giving us the purest sound to send full force to the audience, really crisp and professional. We were also lucky enough to be the opening band for Marma, who are a great band!
I understand your debut single is being released this month ? Ru:
Yes, Cavities, is being released on July 29! This has been a long time coming. Cavities is only the beginning of what we have to offer.
How did you put the band together? Ru:
JJ, Luke and Lew met and formed the beginnings of the band at NSCG college while studying music performance; then I came along through a previous school connection with Lew. Me and Lew knew each other for a while and actually had a couple of failed attempts at bands prior to Mishaps, but when Lew messaged me asking if I would be interested in joining a band with his college friends, I said: “Sure, but this one better work this time”.. and up until now it has, and I know it always will.
Where would you like to be as a band in a year? Lew:
I’d like us to have released a few more singles and maybe our first EP. With the frequency at which we compose music and the unfinished projects we have, all of this is possible. It would also be great to partake in a few festivals and branch outside the local area with gigs. Either way, more gigs, more music, more Mishaps.
When can we see you next? Lew:
Our next gig is at The White Star on August 28, then September 3 at The Captain’s Bar.