We caught up with Palace ahead of their sold out show at The Mash House, Edinburgh! Give it a read below as we talk Festivals, Musical Guilty Pleasures and their recent European Tour…
Hi Guys!
How did you guys form and what made you want to pursue a career in music?
Leo: I guess just that we were all really old friends, we’ve known each other since we were about thirteen and we’ve all always shared a massive love for music and going to shows. We all started learning instruments at a fairly young age and yeah our friendships kind of always been around music and I suppose being inspired by bands and artists we love is kind of what pushed us into wanting to do this. When we left school that’s when we started the band, we initially started it just for fun and to do something once a week in the evenings. So it definitely came from a very fun and natural place.
For anyone who hasn’t seen Palace live, what can people anticipate from your live shows?
Rupert: Uhm swelling guitars and ethereal wonderment
Leo: Pleasure
That’s the most descriptive response we’ve ever had to that question…
Rupert: Really!?
Leo: Four muscly guys playing…
*Laughter*
You recently released the video for your single ‘Bitter’, how are you feeling about the reception it’s received?
Leo: It’s been Uhm, I mean I only saw the other day *laughs* but yeah it’s been really good so far. It’s funny cause you put stuff out and you don’t really check all the time to see how it’s doing. I quickly had a look the other day and it’s going down really well people really like it. People have been really nice about it cause we’ve had two versions of Bitter, people have been drawn to the first one and have got attatched but yeah people have been saying really nice things on the video. It’s been really positive and all good.
So you’ve recently come off tour in Europe, how was the experience overall?
Leo: Great!
Rupert: Awesome!
What was a standout show/city if there is one?
Rupert: Amsterdam was pretty special!
Leo: Yeah and then Barcelona and Madrid, those were sold out shows and we’d never played their before. When you go to new places you never know what to expect or if anyone is going to turn up
Rupert: Yeah so the fact that people were there and it was sold out was great!
Leo: Berlin was pretty great
Rupert: Yeah I don’t know about that
Leo: It’s really weird because we all seem to never agree on which gigs were the best. We all always have different favourites. Although there were a few where we were all kinda like shit that was amazing. Berlin is always great though because it’s a fun city
Rupert: Yeah it’s definitely a party town
So you’ve been announced for a fair few festivals on this years circuit, are festivals a setting which you prefer playing compared to tour live shows?
Leo: Uhm I guess that, yeah not really because I think there are pros and cons of both. Festivals are always fun because your summer is basically…
Rupert: Hanging around in a field!
Leo: Yeah every weekend you’re going to different places and getting to see your favourite bands and then to have the pleasure of playing your own show there. Then you can just party and have fun, you can’t really go wrong, it’s awesome. Although tour is also amazing. As long as we’re playing gigs then we’re happy!
Do you think there’s a difference between crowds at European Festivals compared to UK Festivals?
Leo: Yeah a big difference, every country is so different in their response. I mean to be honest every city is completely different even around the UK, it’s like noticeable how different the response is. Like Spain it was quite passionate and they were quite rowdy then other places not so much, they just enjoy it and almost watch in silence which is weird sometimes.
Rupert: The funniest one actually was we did Leicester which was really quiet and like behaved and then we did Nottingham the next night and we had our first mosh pit. There’s about forty five minutes difference in journey time…
Leo: Yeah it’s really weird!
Rupert: It’s like what the hell is the difference between those two places to have such a large difference between crowds
Leo: Something is going on!
What was a standout moment from 2016 for you guys?
Leo: Oooh Glastonbury was pretty damn good!
Rupert: Probably just actually releasing an album!
Leo: Yeah that was pretty ridiculous, I think just holding like the vinyl, the physical copy in my hands. That was the best moment, definitely the moment where I felt the proudest. That was the moment where I was like “Fuck! We’ve actually released an album” . Glastonbury as well though, that was just awesome we played on the John Peel Stage and just had the best weekend ever. We played on the same stage as loads of our heroes
Rupert: The Brixton Electric show as well!
Leo: Christmas? Well that’s about it really, those are definitely the stand out ones
What can fans anticipate from you guys in the next six months?
Leo: A synth album
*Laughter*
Leo: A sex pop synth album! No really it’s just loads more gigging, touring and traveling. Probably going to America at some point and maybe Australia
Rupert: Hopefully some new music if we can get ourselves organised
Leo: Yeah new Music! And then recording a new album probably after summer ready to release it next year.
Quickfire!
The last song you listened to?
Leo: I was probably listening to Yellow Days whose a new artist just now
Rupert: I haven’t actually used my earphones in ages. I’m surrounded by music constantly anyway so the last thing I listened to was probably in the van and it was Heavy Metal by Don Felder. It’s epic!
If you could have starred in any movie ever which one would it be?
Leo: Cool Runnings
*Laughter*
Leo: It’s a really good movie!
Rupert: As the coach or one of the guys in the sled
Leo: I’d want to be in the Bobsleigh maybe, that would be pretty cool
Rupert: Star Wars would be pretty great! Doing some of the classic Lightsaber scenes
Leo: Yeah you could star in that as Obi-Wan Kenobi or Chewbacca *laughs*
Rupert: I could play Cousin Itt as well
Leo: Yeah! Or maybe both of us could be in the Addams Family
Rupert: You’re Wednesday right?
Leo: Yeah definitely!
Your musical guilty pleasure?
Rupert: Abba, I love Abba! I’m not really guilty about it to be honest
Leo: Aw who was it the other day that I was going on about being embarrassed for liking?
Rupert: Uhm Smashmouth?
Leo: *Laughs* No! It was someone present day that I was really embarrassed for liking. It’s probably best that I don’t remember to be honest…
If you could have written any song ever which one would it be?
Rupert: Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees, it’s the best song of all time!
Leo: Heart Of Gold – Neil Young. Pretty good
Rupert: Yes!
If you have one your most embarrassing moment on stage?
Leo: We have a lot! He ( Rupert ) got attacked by a fly on stage in Germany when he was doing a solo and the spotlight was on him ripping this solo and there was just a fly round him that wouldn’t get away. That was pretty weird! Oh shit actually two nights ago in Leeds someone threw a sock in my mouth on stage. This kid just threw a sock and it went directly in my mouth.
Rupert: Actually the most embarrassing moment was our drummers Hi-Hat broke at a festival and we ended up standing on stage for about ten minutes while he fiddled with this things and we didn’t really know what to do. Then he just ran off the stage.
Leo: It was like a tent of 800 – 900 people and we just had to stand there while he was running around backstage!
Well Thanks Guys!
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