Echoes Of The Future 29 – Everyone An Army

Perhaps appropriately, as they hail from the Steel City, Sheffield, Everyone An Army make dense, heavy yet epic rock music. Here at E&D, we are big fans of their brilliantly titled new EP ‘The Thundering Triumph of Knowing What’s Right’ so we spoke to Lee & Martyn from the band to find out a bit more about them.

(((o))): How long has the band been together and how did you all meet?

L: This line-up has been together for three years now. We all knew each other in the local music scene and we ended up forming this band because we didn’t like what anyone else was doing at the time, really.

(((o))): Where did you get your name from & what does it mean?

L: I don’t think that everything requires an explanation, and to me this is one of those things. Folk can figure it out for themselves, I reckon.

M: I like the idea of certain things being open to interpretation. It was the first name we said out loud that didn’t make us piss ourselves.

(((o))): Describe your sound for us & who would you say were your biggest musical influences?

L: Forward-Thinking, without losing its feet. There are bands which we all love like Oceansize, Radiohead, This Will Destroy You… But each of us are in to wildly different music. I like droned ambient atmospheres and electronic, glitch music. Hollow Mountain, Themuru, Nils Frahm, Aphex Twin, Conquering Animal Sound. My favourite bands/artists are the likes of Public Image Limited, NIN & Shoes and Socks Off.

M: I’m into more “traditional” sounds i guess. I love guitars and the state of guitar music is quite appalling at the moment. I’d like to see bands like Future Of The Left and The Joy Formidable knock Rihanna of her throne but unfortunately that won’t happen.

(((o))): And what about non-musical influences?

L: Liam Neeson’s speech when his daughter is taken & Renton, climbing out of the worst toilet in Scotland.

M: People being dickheads and using excuses like “I’m young and don’t know what i want” to be horrible to people. Also grinning and bearing it.

(((o))): Music can be a fickle mistress, what is your biggest high & low as a band so far?

L: Lows are times when gigs get cancelled, it’s almost always never our fault – We just want to gig! As for highs, a couple of years ago we played a gig augmented by a 20 piece Jazz orchestra, and that was fucking mega. We’ve also just released our third EP, The Thundering Triumph of Knowing What’s Right, and in the spirit of progression I’d say that that’s our collective high point, we’re still doing what we want and shall continue doing just that.

M: I don’t like that we get overlooked because were not called “A Wave Of Broken Horses” and aren’t covered in tattoos. But i like when people finally do listen and go “Fuck…yeah, good one”

(((o))): What one fact about the band do you most want to share with the world?

M: We’re not as moody and pent-up as we think we are.

(((o))): The old model of record demo-do gigs-get signed-make millions is pretty broken these days, what’s your plan to deal with this?

L: Most bands are lazy, and bands that think that that’s how it all still works are lazy. As for a plan to deal with it? We’re very much a DIY hands on kind of band. We do almost everything ourselves with the help of friends. I’d like to be successful, but I don’t let my brain run away with itself regarding the whole getting famous bullshit, it honestly sounds like a headache we don’t need.

M: I think a lot of bands rely on the false currency of Facebook “likes” and not on honing their craft as a live band and getting out there and playing. I think it’s good for bands to use social networking to market themselves where possible and to make yourself a “Brand” but the only real way of getting people to notice is through playing live and word of mouth.

Or to march into the EMI offices with a crossbow and ram your CD into the face of every A&R man in there. Good for PR.

(((o))): We journalists like to use easy labels to describe bands, what’s the worst thing you’ve seen yourselves described as?

L: I can deal with the odd musical comparisons, the worst thing for me is every single person that gets our band name wrong. Everyone. An. Army. We’ve had all sorts; Everyone’s Army, Everyone is a Army, Anybodies Army… Baffles me.

M: A reviewer in the early days said we sounded like Korn playing Radiohead songs. Now if that isn’t a backhanded compliment.

(((o))): We’re loving what you do but who’s floating your boat right now?

L: Shoes and Socks Off. Check him out, real honest music. He’s a busy one.

M: The first British Theatre (ex Oceansize) EP was lovely. Also, there’s a lovely Mathy, proggy band called Firesuite from Sheffield who we’ve gigged with and they’ve just been in the studio. Expect more from them.

(((o))): What’s up next for you guys?

L: When we released our 2nd EP Coastal Dance, the 3rd was already written. Now we’ve got to the point where the 3rd is out, the 4th is already waiting. So it’s just a case of ironing out the creases and doing the same thing, same time next year if not sooner. If the wait is any longer than that though, don’t hate on us, we just refuse to release anything that we consider to be shit. Too many bands are already doing that.

M: We’re playing Tramlines in Sheffield on the 21st July and we’re booking more gigs right through to Autumn, so you’ll no doubt see us somewhere!