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Interview: Jamie Saggers of Native Eyes

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Natives Eyes are an indie-rock band from Carlisle, UK. Melding the likes of Blink-182, Brand New and more to create a sound that’s all their our, this British quartet are ready to break out into the scene. Recently, Legendary Kids Press was able to speak with member Jamie Saggers about the band’s influences, their upcoming EP and the support shown by the BBC.

How would you describe your music to those who have never listened to the band before?

Indie rock, definitely. Imagine a big cocktail of Arctic Monkeys, Blink-182 and Muse - there’s influences from all over!

How did the band come together?

When we wrote our first EP, Illuminations, there was just David and myself recording over the course of the summer. We had a couple of practises with Ben and Mike, and things just began to flow really well.

Who were your musical influences growing up?

All four of us had semi-similar influences. Ben’s were Bombay Bicycle Club and Everything Everything. Mike loves Red Hot Chili Peppers and Biffy Clyro. [Myself] and David have a shared adoration for Blink-182. [The] band’s influences come from a load of different genres and bands, from Brand New to Bloc Party, pop-punk to blues. There’s a lot of inspiration!

How would you describe the UK music scene? Do you feel there is a lot of support for up-and-coming bands?

There’s been an overwhelming amount of support from the gigs we’ve played and a lot of warmth for both Illuminations and Metanoia. There’s a thriving scene and community in the UK. It’s good to see so many other bands appreciating each other’s music and promoting it.

You released your second EP, Metanoia, mid-last year. How has the fan response been overall?

It’s been great! Metanoia was the first time we’d been on anything but Bandcamp, and being iTunes, Amazon and Spotify gave us a bit of a push out to open water. It’s still bizarre having people from France or Sweden saying they appreciate the music. [It’s] lovely though.

Where did the lyrical inspiration for the songs on the EP come from?

It was meant to be a lighter, happier EP than Illuminations. The lyrics and the songs themselves revolve around change and growth, and it’s a pleasant middle ground between the first EP and the more recent music we’ve been writing.

You had a few tracks played on BBC Introducing. How did it feel to have your music on BBC?

It’s crazy! It’s so strange to hear yourself on the radio. Every time we get a track put out, I just frantically text my mum and pace my room before it comes on the station. It’s good that the BBC have such easy access and promotion for unsigned bands. It’s really helped us!

You’ve begun work on your third EP. How far into the process are you?

We’ve got a rough outline of the songs we want to bring to the table and we’re just building riffs and melodies, diving through progressions and art work ideas. We’ve got plans for a music video too, so it’s starting to form around the edges.

Do you have an idea on the direction you hope to take it? How will it differ from Metanoia?

The songs are so much more upbeat and fun. It’s another chance to progress with our recording and production (we like doing it ourselves), and it feels like the perfect step after Illuminations and Metanoia.

Do you have any touring plans for 2016?

Not yet. We have plans to tour, but the year is still early. A big summer/autumn tour would be the ideal way to release and promote the EP, [as well as] just drive around playing music for a few weeks!

Any last words?

Thanks for having us! Both our EPs can be found on Bandcamp, and Metanoia [is available] on all music streaming services. Here’s looking to a grand 2016!

You can follow Native Eyes of Facebook and Twitter.

By Clare Fitzgerald

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