Sonic Boom Six

Sonic Boom Six have spent the last ten years smashing genres together and trying to find out who they are. Last year they released their self-titled album and it's clear from the album title alone that the band have finally found their sound. With things finally taking off for the band we caught up with them shortly after they played at Hit The Deck Festival in Nottingham to talk about festivals.

Music News: We're here in Nottingham for the second day of Hit The Deck Festival, you played yesterday in Bristol and you've just came offstage, how did they go down?

Laila K (Vocals): Yesterday was really good but we quite flustered going on stage, I hit it quite hard and half way through the set I was telling myself that I needed to tone it down a bit because I was just going a bit too crazy. Today was one of the most perfect gigs you could have at a festival, from beginning to end we were just really relaxed. I just really enjoyed it.

Music News: Hit The Deck was your second festival of the year because you played Radstock in Liverpool last month, how was that?

Laila: Radstock was good, I found it a bit strange having a stage on the balcony, it was a bit disturbing. But it was good, we don't sound like a lot of the bands on the bill for Radstock or for Hit The Deck so if you've never seen us before we kind of get on stage and do our mixture of what we do, there's me with a squeaky voice and Barney (Boom, bass & vocals) with his rapping so I can understand that it can be a bit odd but we seem to be making new fans and that's the whole point of doing these gigs.

Music News: While we're on the subject of festivals, you're also playing Download Festival this year are you excited to play there?

Laia: We're so excited! Barney was jumping up and down because Iron Maiden are playing, he works out to them so I'm kind of expecting to be in that mindset when he's watching them, I might bring some dumbbells.

Music News: So do you have any festival for survival tips for first time goers?

Laia: Baby wipes!

Madfish (Drums): Be in a band and get to go in the VIP camping! It's hard to go back to normal once you've been.

Laila: I haven't, I refuse to camp haha. Other tips? You've got to be prepared to get dirty, don't wear these (points at shiny trainers). Once we played Glastonbury and we didn't have wellies because we're from Manchester, only nobheads wear wellies! It was awful weather and me and Barney got trenchfoot because we had to wrap bin bags around our feet.

Music News: You recently covered 'Let's Push Things Forward' by The Streets as a B side to 'Keep On Believing, why this song?

Barney: Their first album expresses things in a way that wasn't overly fluffy and poetic, just saying what is what in terms of the way that everyone lives and is. We thought that could work really well put against punk music, with the lyrics we tried to do almost a punk version of The Streets, so it's high time we covered it and paid tribute to a bit influence on us.

Music News: You put out your self-titled album a couple of months ago, how have you found the reaction to it?

Laila: Really good, really positive. We spent a couple of years having a line up change and figuring out what sound it's going to be with the new person and we released this album, it's had a lot of positive responses because we're not the same band that we were four to five years ago. Obviously we still sound like Barney and Laila and he still drums like him but it's kind of felt like a bit of a reset. Four years ago we'd never have been on festivals like this with bands like Don Broco so with the new album it's kind of opened up different avenues for us to play. The scene that we've come from is still going but we;re not really part of it any more because we grew out of it like bands do so it's kind of nice that we've been accepted on the rock scene.

Music News: You're signed to Xtra Mile Recordings and recently Charlie Caplow (Owner) said "We put our faith in hard working artists", what's it like to be on a label that believes in you?

Laila: It's great, they leave us to it and we completely do whatever we feel is right for the band. People like Frank Turner (labelmate) inspire us to keep doing it, it gives you some belief in what you're doing and that maybe one day you'll be opening Olympic ceremonies!

Music News: So what are your plans for the summer then:

Laila: We'll be playing Download and we'll be playing a couple of regional festivals and a few in Europe. It's going to be a busy summer.

Madfish: We've got a big show in London on May 1st and tickets are almost going so if anyone wants to come down they'll have to hurry up!

Music News: Have you got any big plans for that gig?

Laila: Yeah we're pulling out all of the stops.

Madfish: We're trying to get as many guests on as possible.

Laila: There's going to be guests, we're going to be be playing some old songs that we've completely forgotten how to play and some new songs that we still can't play. So yeah it's to be a fun night.


Sonic Boom Six will be appearing at Download, Takedown, Burnout Festivals this summer and will be playing The Underworld in London on May 1st. Their self titled album is out now on Xtra Mile