Interview with The Worry People

Interview from 9/22

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

Hearing Stitch shred on that ukulele to Devil In Disguise was the first time I remember reacting to music in that way. Plus a steady stream of country and Motown being played in the house growing up. I’ve always needed a creative outlet and like photography. I’d probably be pursuing a career for National Geographic (you can blame The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty for that).

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

I like getting outdoors whenever I can. Hiking, camping and paddle boarding are a few ways I like to get out of my own head. I think it can really take me away from my own music that it allows me to clear my mind and approach music in a more clear headed way.

How long has your band been around? Also, please tell me about the dynamic of the band of what brought you all together.

We met in school, but we only started playing together during the pandemic. We started off as a blues-rock band but had a complete shift in direction when ‘Homesick’ was written. We scrapped the lot and started fresh with our producer and now good friend, Charles Creese, working with us on a batch of new songs. I think we all share a common goal of making music that appeals to a lot of people and shows off all of the influences that bring us together.

Where are you based and how did that influence your music?

We are based in Kent, UK. I’d say that the only way that influences our music is that it doesn’t. Neither of us experienced much of a gig culture growing up and there’s not a particular genre that comes in spades where we are. I think that’s let us just make the music that we like instead of feeling like we should be writing in a certain way.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

I think I came up with the name before I even made any music haha! I was a bit of an anxious kid and my mum bought me this little bag with these little stick figures inside. There was a slip of paper that called them ‘Guatemalan Worry Dolls’, You tell them what you’re worried about before you sleep, put them under your pillow and when you wake up, they would’ve take your worries away. It helped me as a kid so this is my way of paying homage to them.

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

So many from this year alone. Playing the hottest gig ever in The Vic Inn in Derby, we had to take it in turns watching the other bands because it was so damn hot haha! Then there’s Little Buildings in Newcastle. The applause at the end of the show went on for longer than we’re used to and it left us speechless. Feeling that warmth come from a room of strangers was pretty incredible. I just think in that moment they really got us in a way that not many crowds have. Last up is our first hometown headline show at the end of the first tour. After weeks of anxiety about whether we could pull it off or not, all of our family and friends came together and see what we’re about and I think everyone had a good time!

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

The Lighthouse in Deal is a staple venue for us. It’s a fantastic size for us with a great system and team that work there. It’s a venue that we instantly feel comfortable at. We’ve been really lucky in the regard that most of the venues we’ve wanted to play at has been arranged by our manager, Lauren Townsley-Gray. We’re about to play The Green Door Store in Brighton, but we’re also back at Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh. Some venues that we’d still like to play are Boileroom in Guildford and The Deaf Institute in Manchester.

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

A tough question, and I’m sure this would change depending on the day you ask me. Right now I’d say Inhaler and The 1975, but also Kings Of Leon. Don’t make me choose!

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

Keep writing songs, they will get better. Also practising to a click is not a bad thing and will come in very handy when you start recording in a studio!

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

Homesick means the most because it’s the one that set us on this new trajectory that has brought us to where we are now.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

My favourites have got to be ‘Wait For You’ and our latest single ‘Naked’. It gets the room going and it signals to me we’re in the home stretch, so I feel a bit looser and have more fun. ‘Eden’ is a track that gets requested quite a lot!

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

A lot of the time I’ll just make a demo at home. The music always comes first and normally on a guitar, since that was my first instrument. I generally let the music inform the lyrics so they come last. What normally starts a song off is feeling inspired by a few different tracks that I’ll use as references. It normally goes off in a different direction to the references, but they’re good for helping me stay on track and can help me with the song structure.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

I find myself writing a lot about identity. Being in your 20’s is a constant state of change. Everyone up around is you is growing up, growing apart, coming together. I think I write about how I fit into all of that.

Do you have any new singles, videos, or albums out that you would like to tell me and your fans about?

We have a brand new single called ‘Naked’. It’s one of our favourite songs to date and we’ve got a music video for it too. It was shot in an empty walk-in freezer using an old smoke machine and two torches. I think it turned out pretty well, but I’ll let you be the judge of that!

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

More shows and more music. We’re on tour again across October-November in the UK and have a lot of new friends to make. We’re up for playing wherever anyone will have us so let us know if you want a show near you and we’ll try our best to make it happen. I think we’re going to try for European dates next year too so stay tuned.

How can your fans best keep up to date with you, any socials you want people to check out?

We can be found on all socials @Theworrypeoplemusic and YouTube @TheWorryPeopleMusic. We would’ve dropped ‘Music’ from the handle, but it’s being held hostage…