I caught up with Lancashire based indie-rock band Taxi With Strangers consisting of members David Morton-Jones, Toby Weatherill, Jake Bellamy and Niall Graham.
Formed in 2017 and later fully established in 2018 with a change in members, the band have refined their sound and are now venturing into a new era. Having released 'TIME' last year, the band are back with a brand new single titled 'Let Loose', a bright feel-good track that experiments with new sounds. In this conversation, the band share the inspiration behind 'Let Loose' and how the pandemic has affected their plans to gig and play in live venues.
Hi Taxi With Strangers, tell us a bit about yourself!
We’re a four piece from Lancaster playing indie rock/pop with David Morton-Jones on vocals/bass, Jake Bellamy & Niall Graham on guitar and Toby Weatherill on drums. The origin of the band name is a bit of a long winded one so to save you all the details, Jake and his friend Matt had to quickly get a taxi to Liverpool station after the initial train broke down and were able to share a taxi with a few strangers. When making the train with a few minutes to spare, the band name just came out of nowhere and it was sorted!
How did you form as a band?
Jake and his friend started jamming in 2017 but were always on the lookout to form a full band. When Toby got involved in 2018, he brought in Dave after he finished university and things were looking up. However, it wasn’t until the summer of 2020 when Niall got involved. It’s been a long journey so far but it seems to be finally all coming together.
Do you have a similar taste in music, or do you all have different musicians
who individually influence your musical style?
We all have our own different tastes but it’s guitar music that puts us on the same wavelength. To that end, we all have our different influences as well. For Jake it’s the night café, circa waves, the Stone Roses etc. For Dave it’s Sports Team, Fontaines D.C. and New Order. For Toby it’s Foals and London Grammar. And Niall it’s Dry Cleaning, Black Country, New Road and The Fall.
You have just released your brand new single ‘Let Loose’, could you tell us a bit about how you came to write this song?
Dave: I wrote it around the end of July, I was starting to get back to work in hospitality and noticing people were short fused and irritable. I came to the conclusion people were stressed about the pandemic, and unsure of what was around the corner. The lyrics are based on how it's important to enjoy yourself once in a while. Of course, it's a pandemic
and we need to follow the rules, but we wanted to remind people to have fun and not dwell so much on the negatives. When this is all over, we'll all let loose!
You recorded this song during the first lockdown last summer, what challenges did you face when trying to make this single given the restrictions?
It was just after the first lockdown in the UK and we were able to go into the studio for a short while. When we started 'Let Loose', we only had a general idea of where it was going and so we were able to be a bit more creative with it in the studio. Things like the trumpets at the end were only added later on to help bring the song out even more.
How has the pandemic changed the way you work as a band? Have you found it challenging to adapt during these unprecedented times?
It’s obviously been tough. The first lockdown was particularly bad because it was the first time in a while when we couldn’t rehearse every week. Getting used to that routine of just sitting inside all day was (and still is really) weird to say the least. We’ve said it before but we had more gigs booked for 2020 than we’d ever played so it was a particular kick in the teeth for us to have to cancel everything and not know when we’re able to get back on stage again. Not to say we haven’t been writing in lockdown though, 'Let Loose' was written in 2020 and we’ve been cooking up some exciting stuff we’ve yet to share…
"The lyrics are based on how it's important to enjoy yourself once in a while."
Compared to your previous single 'TIME', would you say that 'Let Loose' is a track that displays a new direction in your music?
I think so yeah. Before, when we knew we had a good song we didn’t really add anything
more to it when we were in the studio. But now we’re experimenting with different instruments - which is very evident in the latest track. When you compare it to 'TIME', it’s like chalk and cheese lol. Not saying you shouldn’t go listen to 'TIME' , but I’m sure everyone can hear a stark difference listening to them back to back.
Will 'TIME' and 'Let Loose' feature as part of a larger body of work? Are there any plans to release an EP or an album?
We haven’t really discussed it as plans are changing all the time nowadays. I think we’d really love to release an EP at some point this year, and obviously an album later down the line would be an absolute dream!
Are there any plans to release visuals for the songs?
We’re cooking up a few things, don’t you worry ;)
From your personal experiences of being an independent band, how would you say that success is measured in the music industry?
It’s tough to say. Making a career out of music is somewhat harder than it was before. The music scene, particularly in the UK, is saturated with so many bands influenced by the same artists and recreating the same sounds as a result. I’m not saying we’re not guilty of that but looking for an outside perspective you can accept there is a lot going on. Some bands wait to get signed by label and others go it alone hoping for the best. You see some bands who have thousands of followers on social media but then no listeners on their Spotify - where their music is going to be listened to. Success is whatever you make it though really. When the band first started, the only thing I (Jake) wanted to achieve was play gigs and make some kind of mark on the industry by making some music. Technically we have done that but when you reach your goal, you always want more.
What would you say are the main obstacles of being an independent band?
When you’re starting out, you can get ignored by a lot of different venues, radio stations etc. It’s something you get used to, so just have to keep on grafting to make sure people will notice you. I suppose another obstacle is that you really do need to be different from everyone else to have an impact. As I said before, a lot of indie bands in the UK will be influenced by the same musicians and as a result have similar sounds. So it’s kind of like you’re fighting each other to get the limelight haha.
What advice would you give to someone who may want to start a band and pursue a career in music?
100% do it. There’s a lot of competition but the payoff is unbelievable. Even if you never “make it“, as long as you’re happy with the music you’re making and you set out what you wanted to achieve, it’ll all be worth it.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
“Don’t be an idiot, changed my life.“ - Dwight Schrute, US Office.
Check out Taxi With Strangers and their new single 'Let Loose' in the link down below!
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