Words: Danny Gillies / @danny_gillies
Bandit are a band making waves in the UK. Their previous releases are hitting tens of thousands of streams on Spotify, they’ve recorded in the famous Parr Street Studios in Liverpool and they’re getting airplay on Radio 1.
Bandit’s latest single ‘Peppermints Don’t Hide Everything‘ is an indie tune packed with guitar riffs and plenty of rock’n‘roll attitude, and it‘s helped the band grab the attention of music fans across the country. We chatted with the band to pick their brains about their new single, their influences and their plans for the rest of 2021.
Hey guys! Thanks for taking the time to chat to What The Funk?. Can you sum up Bandit for anyone that hasn’t listened to you before?
Hello Danny, cheers for having us mate! Yeah sure, we’re an indie band, but on the grungier side. Our latest music is a culmination of Cage The Elephant and Fontaines DC.
Your latest single ‘Peppermints Don’t Hide Everything’ came out last month, can you tell us about the inspiration for the track?
So the inspiration came from a girl I liked, who had an arousing aroma of mischief about her. One of types to give you those bastard butterflies. I wrote the tune the next day after walking home with her the night before.
Parr Street Studios has seen some big names (Blossoms, The Verve & Echo and the Bunnymen) walk through its doors, how was it recording with Alex Quinn there?
Recording in Parr St was great, we felt so at home being in there which helped us craft something we’re all dead proud of. Quinny is THE MAN, we’re so happy that he’s getting to experience all the love on the new single with us and he’s taken us all the way to Radio 1!
You studied at LIPA in Liverpool which was set up by Paul McCartney. With artists like The Wombats and Circa Waves amongst the alumni, was there any pressure as guitar band coming out of the institution?
Not so much pressure, no. There was a sense of friendly rivalry but it was all dead supportive. I think if you’ve got the drive to want it, then you’re gonna start ticking off goals. We’re all still very close with some of the faces we went to LIPA with and will continue to support our mates, wishing all of them the best in the world and I’m sure they do the same.
With gigs back on the horizon, do you have any plans for live shows? It’s been far too long!
Yeah for sure, it’s been ages. Oh, how I’m longing to be swigging a red stripe on stage! We’ve started getting some dates towards the end of the year which are gonna be BIG!
Thanks for talking to us, any words of wisdom you’d like to leave us with?
Close your eyes, you could be anywhere.
Bandit clearly have big plans for the rest of the year. They’re also in the perfect position to make them happen. Keep an eye out for them in the coming months because when gigs are on, Bandit aren‘t going to hold back. The band’s latest single ‘Peppermints Don’t Hide Everything’ is out now.