Among the warm lights, plants and sofas that looked like they were from the set of Friends, BBC Radio 1 Presenter Phil Taggart conducted a one-off live recording of ‘The Slacker Podcast’ with special guests You Me at Six. I have to say that initially that I was quite confused watching something that’s usually tuned for the ears, as it seemed more like a talk show than a podcast.

Nevertheless, it delivered as we rode the wave of life alongside the band from their first demo to their most recent album – ‘VI’.  They started out discussing the process of their first album from crowding around their phones in the middle of a room listening to the first demo. They discussed how they went from the two years of practising together to recording.

Initially, the band wouldn’t hear the lyrics to a track until after lead singer Josh Franceschi had written and recorded it. Then he’d book gigs on Myspace to gain traction from a wider network of people. Josh continues “No one’s ever opened the door for us – we’ve had to smash it down.” This DIY attitude and starting the band whilst they were still at school helped them grow through the industry to where they are today.

In light of the current digital music climate, they spoke about how to get your music out into the world. There’s been a dynamic shift from trying to get media traction and using word-of-mouth through networking to being on the right playlist and ‘the Soundcloud generation’. Drummer Dan Flint expressed how easy it is to become a bedroom musician, “It’s so readily available to you that anyone can do it.”

But they continue to emphasise that you have to put in the work to reap the benefits of it which was a theme across the whole board of talks. The way in which you produce music (or anything creative) should be approached by being yourself, creating your own style and working hard at getting to where you want to be. You Me at Six started out unable to afford to go to Reading, so one year…they just ran in. Their determination got them to later play at festivals like Reading, and Download, whilst sticking to their sound, “For us, we stuck out like a sore thumb in a pool of bands.” With their diverse sound, they could play with almost anyone in the rock scene.

Now, with their latest album ‘VI’ they’ll be showcasing their developed sound on their Winter tour with the Marmozets.

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Categories: Music

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