We caught up with Ayakara ahead of their support slot at The Mash House last night. Give it a read below as we talk new music, Dressed From 67′ and musical guilty pleasures! Hi Guys!
How did you guys form and where does the name Ayakara come from?
Felix: We got together when we were in school, the name is two Buddhist words stuck together because we thought it sounded cool!
Callum: Yeah Felix we’ve got that new story we’ve been telling people. Whenever anyone asks aw how did you form or where did the name come from? We have a new story we’ve been telling people
Felix: Basically we were formed because the options that were put in front of us in school were fucking shit so we basically wanted to escape the drudgery and start a band
Callum: Yeah that’s what we’re going with now cause aw we started a band in school doesn’t sound great
Felix: Yeah saying we just started a band in school is boring!
*Laughter*
So you recently released your single ‘Dressed From 67’, how are you feeling about the reception it has received?
Felix: Really good! It’s probably the best reception we’ve ever had with a single cause it’s the first time that we’ve got proper radio play as well.
Jonnie: Yeah I think the video release did a lot to kinda help the reception that it got
Callum: Its the most press we’ve had so far for a single which was really good!
What was the writing process behind the single?
Felix: I remember we just jammed out, (to Callum) you added in a bass line and then me and Max just fucking added in parts, it was really easy.
Callum: Aye that was in Felix’s bedroom
Jonnie: Where all of the greats were written!
Callum: Yeah it was really simple really, we just started off with the bassline and then just added the offbeats in
Felix: And then Max had one line of lyrics which was Dressed From 67′ and then Callum was like make that the hook. That’s kinda how the song came to be
Alex: I just filled in the gaps!
Where did you guys get the inspiration for the track from?
Felix: Uhm just from like the fact that a lot of people are living lives that they don’t really believe in. Like you just compare that to the 60’s and you had the whole youth movement and people caring about social issues
Callum: Plus as well it was the 50th anniversary of the summer of love so we wanted to get in there before The Beatles with their re-issue of Sgt. Peppers
Jonnie: Musically we tried to make it sound like something you would hear in the 60’s era
Felix: Did we?
Callum: I don’t know, I don’t think we particularly did
Jonnie: Well I did anyway!
Callum: I don’t think it was intentional but we have had people coming up to us and saying that it does sound like it’s been taken from that era. I think because it wasn’t mastered it does sound like it was recorded then because it’s rough.
So you’ve been extensively touring lately, what can fans anticipate from your live shows?
Callum: Some nakedness from Jonnie!
Jonnie: It’s expecting to be able to get involved, a lot of dancing because we like to promote that because people are too afraid to dance nowadays. At gigs you never see it!
Felix: Just trying to promote joyousness really!
Callum: Expect a Rock ‘N’ Roll show
Jonnie: You do what you wanna do, if you want to dance then you dance. If no one else is doing it then it doesn’t matter
Callum: Take a line off Jonnie’s forehead!
Jonnie: Do it!
Callum: Jonnie won’t mind, he’ll just kick off the rest
What was a standout moment from 2016?
Jonnie: Playing London for the first time!
Felix: Aye I’d say that too
Callum: The Voodoo Rooms too
Jonnie: Yeah that was class, wait The Voodoo Rooms wasn’t in 2016
Callum: Aw yeah right enough
Jonnie: London is probably the standout out, when we played the Lexington for the first time
Callum: Just being able to go, cause it’s quite daunting when you go to another city and you’re playing in front of no one that you know and if you can get the whole place moving and getting into it then it’s really reassuring cause it’s quite daunting going somewhere new.
Felix: They were some of the best gigs on the tour London and Newcastle
Jonnie: Ayr as well!
Felix: Yeah and when no one knows you and they are still getting in to it
Jonnie: It’s almost like confirmation of your music being good instead of just your pals coming to you gig
Callum: Which is what’s happening tonight!
*Laughter*
What can fans anticipate from you guys in the next six months?
Felix: We’re going to release a lot more songs and do a lot more gigs!
Callum: Yeah touring and starting to get on the festival circuit
Jonnie: We’ve got a few interesting festivals lined up!
Felix: We’re going to release at least three new singles this year, maybe four
Quickfire!
Your musical guilty pleasure?
Jonnie: Ariana Grande
Felix: Aye she’s decent
Jonnie: She’s so fucking good! We played Into You and it’s a fucking banger
Felix: Side to Side
Jonnie: Fucking get that on the speaker!
Alex: Enya
*Laughter*
Callum: Enya’s class though. How can it be guilty if it’s quality?
Felix: I like some Rhianna stuff
Callum: Aw what’s that Uhm…
Felix: Sean Paul?
Jonnie: SEAN PAUL!!
Callum: Aye Sean Paul. Me and Sean Paul get on brilliantly honestly
If you could have starred in any movie ever, which one would it be?
Callum: Goodfellas
Jonnie: Grease! Fucking love a bit of Grease man. I was gonna wear my leather jacket tonight, it’s too big though! I found it on a bin cause some morbidly obese guy definitely died…
*Laughter*
Jonnie: So the jackets just had to go and they were on a bin and Felix brought them home for me
What was the last song you listened too?
Felix: I was listening to Sticky Fingers, The Rollong Stones album before I left
Callum: That’s really weird, I was listening to Monkey Man off Let It Bleed by The Rolling Stones
Jonnie: Where Angels Play by The Stone Roses
Alex: I was listening to Sultans Of Swing – Dire Straits
Favourite gig or festival experience?
Jonnie: Probably Stone Roses in Manchester
Callum: Aye that was class
Felix: We were all there it was like a pilgrimage
Jonnie: It was fuckig great!
Your last question! If you have one, your most embarrassing moment onstage?
Callum: Aw fucking he’ll, I just always end up standing on my tuner pedal!
Felix: Aw my one is, I was onstage looking for Felix and I just kept shouting into the crowd “Felix, where’s Felix” he walks right on stage and right past me and I’m still shouting “Felix, where’s Felix” everyone was like “He’s behind you!”
Felix: We were playing a show about two years ago to like five people who were all American so I was like “have we got any Americans in” for some shite patter and no one answered so I was like “Good cause we fucking hate Americans”
*Laughter*
Felix: Yeah so they all got fucking raging and left!
Callum: That was a good gig!
Well Thanks Guys!
Club Decode 2017
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