Wheels

Wheels are George Runciman (Vocals/Guitar), Felix Howes (Guitar), Yacob Andersen (Bass) and Stirling Mitchell (Drums), a band of fresh-faced London boys who emulate Britpop cool and create credible guitar pop - think Blur, not Busted. Their influences span at least five decades and include David Bowie, The Beatles, The Verve, and The Smiths. After reviewing their impressive single 'Feel About Me' I cought up with Felix to find out a little more about them.

How did you get together and Stara playing music?

We were all in bands before together that didn’t work out. Me and George decided to start something fresh, we advertised for a bass player on gumtree and ended up with Yacob. Best find ever! Stirling who I’d been in a band with before was looking for a band so we snapped him up.

Which are your main musical influences?

We don’t have main ones. All our favourite bands are slightly different but we all love a bit of everything, new and old.

Describe your sound in a few words.

Spacey, guitar monster.

Many critics have compared your music style to the likes of The Beatles, what do you think about that?

It’s news to me. That would be a huge compliment and I would like to shake their hand, but at our core I don’t think we sound like the Beatles: but we love them to bits.

Britpop doesn’t usually succeed outside the UK. Do you think you can be different and go worldwide? Any plans in the near future to take your music to USA?

Of course. We want go everywhere. And I wouldn’t class us as Britpop so I think we’ll be fine.

Feel About Me has had a great critic response. Were you expecting it? How does it feel?

Whatever else they said about it, I definitely wasn’t expecting them to say it was a bad song, because I know it’s a good song. And it’s one of the best feeling’s in the world getting good reviews.

What do you think you can bring to the current musical panorama, which is dominated by pop and dance music?

Big anthemic guitar based hits that people can really get behind. Everybody in the whole world has an affinity with the guitar because it created popular music, it’s the most played instrument and it’s easily accessible. However many DJ’s and drum machines patrol the country a guitar band for every generation is always going to spring up and bring it home.

Do you write your own music? Take us through the process of creating a song.

We’re just like anyone else we take an idea and put it down then build on it. But it always varies song to song. It’s a magical business songwriting.
If you could sing with any artist, dead or alive, who would it be?

David Bowie. Or Meat Loaf because he’d be a great laugh.

Where do you see yourselves in a couple of years?

Headlining Glasto?