The Sheffield Scenester

Felicity Crook caught up with Oliver Tooze, Thomas Payton-Greene, Will Adams and Callum Darley of Blue Lip Feel and young rapper Nathan Gordon, before their gig at SOYO to ask them about the band, their influences and their plans for the year.

Sheffield Scenester: How long has the band been together?

TPG: When did you two start?
WA: When we were about 15 I guess
OT: So about three or four years ago
TPG: And then I joined about two and a half years ago and then Callum about four or five months
It’s one band that’s kind of developed over time and different people have come and gone.

Sheffield Scenester: How has the last year been for you?

OT: It won’t be as good as this year. Towards the end’s just been recording and getting a new sound
TPG: We’re not very good organisers so that’s why we’ve got Ben Hartley, its been a big change, he has been organising gigs for us, all the stuff we’ve wanted to do and been planning to do.....like booking gigs and stuff.

Sheffield Scenester: What music influences you?

OT: Everything, we’ve all got different tastes it goes from 1960s to now.
TPG: I love Rihanna and Elvis they’re my two......
OT: Strokes, Thin Lizzy, The Doors… yeah everything… Pearl Jam......

Sheffield Scenester: Are there any local bands that particularly influence you?

TPG: Generally speaking our influences comes from not really being like anyone else.....
OT: That’s what we’re aiming at definitely!

Sheffield Scenester: How do you feel audiences respond to your music?

TPG: We’ve never really done a gig where it’s been our own audience if you know what I mean, all the gigs we’ve played so far have been new audiences that only get to hear us once, that haven’t heard our recordings or anything, but generally I think we appeal to the older crowd......
OT: I feel like a lot of people do like us it’s more bands dislike us because I don't feel like we’re on the same wavelength as a lot of bands in Sheffield, I think we think outside a different box....
TPG: I think more people would like us on the bigger picture rather than just here. Yeah a lot of bands in Sheffield are just in Sheffield, stay in Sheffield, and that’s as far as they go, we hit a wider audience, but obviously because we’re only in Sheffield we hit that a little bit......

Sheffield Scenester: What are your plans for 2011?

WA: Just get our name out there
OT: Just literally gigging all over
TPG: Hit the UK
OT: Hit as many festivals as we can and just keep recording, try and get on some festivals and stuff, and just get some things released and just get our name around not in just Sheffield but everywhere,
WA: Just get a fan base......

Sheffield Scenester: What’s your favourite song at the moment?

TPG: The Strokes ‘You Only Live Once’, that’s what I’m really into at the moment Rihanna ‘What’s My Name’… that’s a pretty big one.
WA: I’m going to say… ‘Rearviewmirror’ by Pearl Jam
CD: I’m gonna have to go for… ‘Running Back’ by Thin Lizzy
OT: I’m gonna say ‘Metal Guru’ by Marc Bolan
NG: That ‘Next Lifetime’ song by Erykah Badu
TPG: Oh yeah that one!

Blue Lip Feel are playing at The Plug on Friday 4th February and at The Leadmill on Friday 25th March.