I caught up with guitarist Liam Hawksworth to find out more about Azure World and what their all about:-
So, what are Azure World's plans for 2011?
It's not been easy getting off the ground as a band from Barnsley, with there being next to no scene here, and with the only busy gigs being free entry, we've had to play a lot of shows without our costs covered, we've given our Cd's & tee-shirts out for free, and given free downloads. The fact that none of us drive yet makes it a lot harder for us to get places, but we've had some interesting endeavours getting to other towns to play shows but always seem to manage it. Now we're all learning to drive, that shouldn't be a problem soon!
Our plan as a band is to try & play as many shows as we can manage, we want to get our music out to people, we'd rather someone enjoy our CD for free than never listen to it because they can't buy it, that's why we give free downloads to our music and play shows with no payment if it's necessary. We're also planning and continuing writing material for a new release this summer! We all still have commitments to education with us being 17/18 years old, but we try to play as many gigs as we get offered, and summer holidays is the perfect chance for us to progress as a band. Hopefully we'll be booking a summer tour with a couple of local bands and really trying to get ourselves heard.
It's not been easy getting off the ground as a band from Barnsley, with there being next to no scene here, and with the only busy gigs being free entry, we've had to play a lot of shows without our costs covered, we've given our Cd's & tee-shirts out for free, and given free downloads. The fact that none of us drive yet makes it a lot harder for us to get places, but we've had some interesting endeavours getting to other towns to play shows but always seem to manage it. Now we're all learning to drive, that shouldn't be a problem soon!
Our plan as a band is to try & play as many shows as we can manage, we want to get our music out to people, we'd rather someone enjoy our CD for free than never listen to it because they can't buy it, that's why we give free downloads to our music and play shows with no payment if it's necessary. We're also planning and continuing writing material for a new release this summer! We all still have commitments to education with us being 17/18 years old, but we try to play as many gigs as we get offered, and summer holidays is the perfect chance for us to progress as a band. Hopefully we'll be booking a summer tour with a couple of local bands and really trying to get ourselves heard.
You seem to be playing a lot of shows with loads of local bands. What have been your highlights so far?
Our highlights have been meeting the people we have done through our shows. We've found good fans and awesome bands that have helped us out and just generally been a laugh! (Never Cry Wolf, Dead Harts, Malevolence etc)
Other things that stick out to me is just what happens sometimes when we turn up to a town we've never been in before, let alone played in, get on stage and kids go nuts and really appreciate the music & our performance places like Hull, Wakefield, Doncaster and Sheffield where we'd never expect people to be so into us straight away. That's why we wanna keep getting these shows, and build our fan base wherever we can.
Our highlights have been meeting the people we have done through our shows. We've found good fans and awesome bands that have helped us out and just generally been a laugh! (Never Cry Wolf, Dead Harts, Malevolence etc)
Other things that stick out to me is just what happens sometimes when we turn up to a town we've never been in before, let alone played in, get on stage and kids go nuts and really appreciate the music & our performance places like Hull, Wakefield, Doncaster and Sheffield where we'd never expect people to be so into us straight away. That's why we wanna keep getting these shows, and build our fan base wherever we can.
How did you guys form Azure World?
Azure World came about after a few of us decided after we left secondary school (2009) to have a go at writing some music, the result was our first EP which was a melodic metal style. However we've changed our approach now and play a more hardcore-orientated, aggressive, heavier style (also had a line-up change of our guitarist about 8 months ago that brought us Simon).
Azure World came about after a few of us decided after we left secondary school (2009) to have a go at writing some music, the result was our first EP which was a melodic metal style. However we've changed our approach now and play a more hardcore-orientated, aggressive, heavier style (also had a line-up change of our guitarist about 8 months ago that brought us Simon).
What influences you as a band?
Influences are a difficult thing to define with us, as we don't really base our music around sounding like anything else, we want us to like the sound of it, rather than writing to please the scene or to follow what leading bands do. Influenced somewhat in the Better Days EP was our new found love for straight up aggression in our music, combining good dynamics between our guitars and drums with hate filled lyrics and vocals, we have found you don't always have to play endless beatdowns and open chuggs to achieve a really heavy song. This is the reason our music is sounding more hardcore than metal these days, there is so much to explore within a hardcore alternative sound.
Don't know if this could be classed as influence but often we find it a lot easier and more productive to get high before we write a song together. We don't like to set ourselves boundaries when writing new material, and for some reason just helps us get rid of these mental barriers and personally makes me kick out some sweet ass riffs. As long as we like the sound of it, we're fine, because we feel a lot of bands these days are held back by expectations & boundaries within the scene.
Influences are a difficult thing to define with us, as we don't really base our music around sounding like anything else, we want us to like the sound of it, rather than writing to please the scene or to follow what leading bands do. Influenced somewhat in the Better Days EP was our new found love for straight up aggression in our music, combining good dynamics between our guitars and drums with hate filled lyrics and vocals, we have found you don't always have to play endless beatdowns and open chuggs to achieve a really heavy song. This is the reason our music is sounding more hardcore than metal these days, there is so much to explore within a hardcore alternative sound.
Don't know if this could be classed as influence but often we find it a lot easier and more productive to get high before we write a song together. We don't like to set ourselves boundaries when writing new material, and for some reason just helps us get rid of these mental barriers and personally makes me kick out some sweet ass riffs. As long as we like the sound of it, we're fine, because we feel a lot of bands these days are held back by expectations & boundaries within the scene.
What do you think about the state of the UK metal/hardcore at the moment?
We feel that the hardcore and metal scenes aren't as good as they once were. A lot of kids that used to go to gigs just lost interest and there doesn’t seem to be any major support like there once was when we were like 15 and used to go to gigs every week. We don't this is down to bands but just generally down to trends in teenage years; kids would rather go get drugged up or whatever and go round the town than go to the show and support music they like.
We feel that the hardcore and metal scenes aren't as good as they once were. A lot of kids that used to go to gigs just lost interest and there doesn’t seem to be any major support like there once was when we were like 15 and used to go to gigs every week. We don't this is down to bands but just generally down to trends in teenage years; kids would rather go get drugged up or whatever and go round the town than go to the show and support music they like.
I think you're one of the first bands I've come across from Barnsley. What is the metal/hardcore scene like there?
To be quite blunt, the scene in Barnsley is non-existent. There will a gig every 2 months maybe, but even then the turnout wouldn't be enough to cover the costs and the bands are simply just dreadful Metallica replica bands or copy cat As blood runs black bands.
That's why we gave up trying to gig in our hometown; anyone that cares already has heard us so we may as well focus on spreading in other parts of the country.
To be quite blunt, the scene in Barnsley is non-existent. There will a gig every 2 months maybe, but even then the turnout wouldn't be enough to cover the costs and the bands are simply just dreadful Metallica replica bands or copy cat As blood runs black bands.
That's why we gave up trying to gig in our hometown; anyone that cares already has heard us so we may as well focus on spreading in other parts of the country.
Can you give us any tips on bands to check out from Barnsley?
Our bands to check out in Barnsley would be;
Debts (www.myspace.com/debtsmusic)
Redmist Destruction (www.myspace.com/redmistdestruction)
however there has been some internal problems with both those bands recently and so I’m not sure as to how long they'll be around.
However bands I’d recommend near to us are;
Never Cry Wolf
Malevolence
Grazes
Closure
The guys have an EP available for download through Mediafire. Go to - http://www.mediafire.com/?70ymilgpgobgm and check it out.
The EP is called Better Days, and will be available as a physical release through their BigCartel page soon. Check http://azureworld.bigcartel.com/ for their merch.
The EP consists of four tracks, Which begins with an Intro which is more like a proper song. It's a heavy track which includes raspy, hardcore vocals and good time changes and leads into title track - Better days. It's a fast paced song with relentless, screamed vocals and a great rhythm section. This is mosh at it's best! Third track Desolation is an interlude of sorts which leads into final track Fall, which starts with what could be described as tribal drumming and leads into the main song. This shows the bands originality really well, with a doomy mid-section and chugging, low end guitar. This is great, hardcore influenced heavy metal and shows that Azure World will be a force to be reckoned with on the live scene very soon!
Give these guys your attention by going to either http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=127870410134#!/pages/Azure-World/127870410134 or http://www.myspace.com/azureworlduk.
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