You may not have heard of Guildford-based four-piece Seasonal too much, but they’re certainly a band that should be on most alt-rock fans radar. Blending bits and bobs from rock to pop into a coherent, confident alternative sound, the group deliver dynamic tunes not too dissimilar from the style of bands likes of Deaf Havana and Fatherson. Their 2017 debut EP ‘Bloom’ gave fans a taste of what the four-piece are all about, while their freshly-released new EP ‘Weathered’ confirms their progress across a delightful selection of punchy, groove-ridden tracks.
The outfit hail from Guildford in Surrey, a historic town that’s home to some well-recognized famous faces, like comedy actor Simon Bird and actress Lily Collins. On the musical side of things, the town is also the birthplace of legendary punk group the Stranglers, as well as being an integral place in the early careers of the Jam and guitar hero Jimmy Page.
We spoke to Matt, Max, Alex and Alex from the band all about the group’s beloved hometown.
The City:
We’re from Guildford. I think the thing that makes us proud to be from here is the local community coming together to save our venues like The Boileroom and The Star when they were threatened to be closed, due to complaints from nearby housing developments.
Its People and Culture:
If you’ve seen The Omen, you would recognize the cathedral here. It’s a bit of a landmark and can be seen if you’re driving past on the A3. Luckily most people here don’t share the demonic traits of Damien! It’s also home of the Academy of Contemporary Music, so there is a wealth of new up and coming artists playing in our venues regularly. The venue the Boileroom won Grassroots Venue: Spirit of the Scene award at this year’s Music Week Awards. It’s a great small venue that’s had some massive acts come through in its time.
The Music It Inspires:
Being home to a music school definitely helps with producing a lot of quality bands and artists of all genres, and having great small venues allows a platform for these artists to showcase their talent at their own shows as well as supporting better known touring acts. There’s definitely a solid community here based on the live music scene in the area.
The Local Music Scene:
The music scene here is definitely heavily live band based, so a variety of rock and pop bands are on the circuit. We’re more aware of the pop-punk and metal bands locally, but you’ll rarely be stuck for finding something to check out if you’re at a loose end any evening.
Its Most Famous Musical Sons and Daughters:
The Stranglers are one of the most notable bands who are actually from Guildford. They were originally called the Guildford Stranglers and recently backed the petition to save the local venue, The Star, saying it was where it all began. ‘Golden Brown’ is obviously an iconic tune.
Its Unsung Heroes:
There was an incredible pop-punk band called Fastlane from here. They had two albums, ‘New Start’ and ‘Overdrive‘ and they’re both awesome records. They did a one-off show a few years back at a venue called Backline, which was a massive staple hangout for anyone who wanted to check out any new bands back in the day. It was absolutely packed and everyone had a nice time. It was a good memory, so definitely go check them out.
The Bands To Watch Out For:
We did a few dates earlier this year with a local band called Wild Tales. They are all incredibly talented and friendly dudes who recently released their first single ‘Hourglass’. If you’re a fan of math-rock, emo, or pop then this will be your new favourite band.
The Venues We Played:
We’ve played The Star and The Boileroom numerous times. There are not many other smaller venues to play in Guildford which can facilitate full live bands, so it’s particularly important, as we’ve said before, about keeping these open and thriving. As individuals, we have all played in a variety of bands of different genres and frequented these venues from a young age. Local crowds are always great and we have been lucky enough to be able to showcase our newer material and ideas regularly to them in these venues. It’s great when that can become part of the writing process as a band.
If I Wrote A Song About My Hometown:
Funny you should ask because we actually did do this. The track is called ‘Headphones’ off of our debut EP ‘Bloom’ and is a reminiscent song about growing up in Guildford and reflecting on all the places we used to hang out when we were kids. We shot a video for it too which was a lot of fun just strolling around all our old haunts.
‘Weathered’ EP by Seasonal is out now on Undead Collective.
