It is widely known the UK underground rock scene is full of young bands craving for attention, wanting to get to the next level. Reading four piece Echoic are one of those bands. Formed out of vocalist Connor John Turner solo project, the quartet have spent their first year as a band fine tuning their sound before recording their debut EP, ‘Testify’. The end result of that EP is a promising collection of upbeat, layered rock which draws upon a wide range of influences. Throughout their elements of pop-rock and indie with Turner’s vocals proving to be a stand out amongst the bands promising instrumentation.
To learn more about Echoic, we recently quizzed the band on a number of topics; how they formed, working with Jason Wilson, mixed reviews and future plans.
AH: First of all what’s the story behind Echoic? I understand you formed in 2013 and recorded your debut EP, ‘Testify’, last December.
Echoic: Echoic formed after Connors’ solo project ‘Connor John Turner’, which slowly started developing into a band. We all began to start writing together and wrote music which reflected our personalities and individual influences.
AH: For those who haven’t checked out the EP yet, how would you define your sound?
Echoic: We’re essentially an alt rock band, but that is such a broad term now! We work a lot with space in tracks contrasting subtle melodies into big sounding driven sections sparkled with Connor’s unique vocals.
AH: The EP was recorded with Jason Wilson, who’s also worked with bands such as You Me At Six, Don Broco and We Are The Ocean. Was his experience a useful resource when you were working in the studio?
Echoic: Being able to draw on his experience has really shaped us as a band. He helped us take our songs to a new level and bring all the new ideas we had in our heads, work on the tracks. The process in the studio was very thorough and he really took the time to help us achieve what we wanted on this EP.
AH: What song from the EP would you consider a good introduction to Echoic and why?
Echoic: ‘Burn’ has always been a song that represents our mixed style of music and includes the key components of our sound. It has a chilled out vibe and starts to build until it hits a big, powerful finish. It shows off Connors versatility in his vocals. It’s also a song that appeals to a wide range of people due to it not being too soft or too heavy. The lyrics are relatable to a lot of situations in life that we all experience.
AH: I see reviews have been mixed so far. Does that bother you or do you find it constructive?
Echoic: Positive reviews are always great and negatives ones are also great. If everyone liked the same thing there would be a soulless lack of diversity. As long as we believe in what we are doing, and use any critiques to help us move forward that is all that matters. It gives us a push to better ourselves for our next release. We always find constructive ways to approach criticism.
AH: How do you want new listeners to approach ‘Testify’?
Echoic: Approach it with an open mind! We all drew on a wide range of influences and genres whilst writing it. All of the tracks on the EP have a slightly different vibe going on. We’d like to think there is a little something for everyone in there.
AH: Let’s talk about your local scene. How are things in Reading? What bands should we paying attention to from the area?
Echoic: There are a lot of supportive music fans in Reading. Every time we play our hometown, hundreds turn up to support us. It’s an amazing feeling to have that, and our shows keep getting bigger and better! Reading has a talented and diverse music scene with lots of interesting projects always going on. We love it! We highly recommend checking out a band called ‘Greyhaven’. They have big things going for them!
AH: What aims do you hope to achieve the near and long term future?
Echoic: In the near future we’ll be heading out on the road to play some more great shows and get touring again. Longer term we’ll be releasing an album and love to play further afield!
‘Testify’ EP by Echoic is out now.
Echoic links: Website|Facebook|Twitter
Words by Sean Reid (@SeanReid86)
