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Love them or hate them, Neck Deep<\/strong><\/a> are one of 2014\u2019s breakthrough bands. After kicking off the year with the release of their debut LP, \u2018Wishful Thinking\u2019<\/em><\/a>, the Wrexham pop-punk five-piece haven\u2019t stopped touring since. With festival appearances throughout the UK and Europe earlier in the year, they\u2019ve recently returned from two months in North America as part of the Vans Warped Tour.<\/p>\n We caught up with the band back on home soil. Having recently supported their idols Blink-182, Already Heard<\/strong> spoke to vocalist Ben Barlow and bassist Fil Thorpe-Evans at the recent Leeds Festival<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Ben and Fil discussed their past festival experiences, supporting Blink-182, their up-and-coming UK headline tour and being \u201cleaders\u201d of the UK pop-punk movement.<\/p>\n Fil: I\u2019m Fil. I play bass within the band Neck Deep.<\/em><\/p>\n Ben: I\u2019m Ben. I sing in the band Neck Deep.<\/em><\/p>\n Ben: Well it\u2019s our first time playing but we\u2019ve attended before so we sort of know what to expect. I know Leeds crowds can be pretty rowdy. I know, if anything, Leeds is the messier half of Reading and Leeds. I\u2019m expecting some rowdiness. I\u2019m just expecting a lot of kids to come down. I\u2019ve seen a few t-shirts knocking around. I think we will have a decent crowd.<\/em><\/p>\n Fil: There\u2019s been a lot of build up to it because it\u2019s been so long since we found out, it\u2019s been growing and growing, now we\u2019re here. So it\u2019s like, \u201cOk, so how many people are actually come and see us?\u201d Originally there was talk of us doing main stage, (and) we decided that wasn\u2019t really for us. We didn\u2019t think our crowd would \u201cget it\u201d on there and it would be too for us. Ben: Yeah it would be too early for us to get out of bed. <\/em><\/p>\n Fil: We thought we would do the ranks at the Lock Up and work our way up. We didn\u2019t want to go straight to the main stage. We\u2019re really looking forward to it. <\/em><\/p>\n Ben: I think it\u2019ll be good.<\/em><\/p>\n Fil: I came to Leeds when the Kings of Leon headlined. It was the year I finished my GCSE\u2019s because I remember my Mum called me with my results whilst I was camping. I did early bird ticket and went mental. So sick! I spent most of my day at the tent we\u2019re playing today; the Lock Up tent. I saw Alexisonfire and Set Your Goals; that was tight.<\/em><\/p>\n Ben: I\u2019ve been the past two years. Definitely the first year I came to Leeds Fest was one of the craziest times of my entire life. <\/em><\/p>\n Fil: Oh The Prodigy! That was the year I went. That was crazy! I remembered being absolutely lethered watching them. I was so far back but I was going crazy. I was like, \u201cThis is the best thing ever.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n Ben: Last year was decent. The first year I didn\u2019t watch that many bands because it was that mental. We just fucked around all day. But last year I did actually go round and watch some bands. Biffy Clyro were sick, Green Day were sick last year. I saw Hacktivist and Eminem. Last year was fucking sick. I\u2019m glad to have experienced from the mental side of it and the musical side of it. <\/em><\/p>\n Fil: I\u2019ve only done it the once because it usually falls on my birthday, so I\u2019m usually doing something when its on. <\/em><\/p>\n Ben: It\u2019s just a good mix for everyone. It\u2019s a good festival. It\u2019s a really well-balanced line-up. <\/em><\/p>\n Fil: You just feel at home. <\/em><\/p>\n Ben: Yeah. It feels like this should be our festival in terms of the festival I would choose go to. Like Download is a heavy festival and I like it but sometimes the crowd there are a bit more \u201crock-orientated.\u201d I think we fit more into this. <\/em><\/p>\n Fil: Yeah and it\u2019s the sort of bands and music we like to listen to. <\/em><\/p>\n Ben: If there was a festival for us to play in the UK, it would be Reading and Leeds.<\/em><\/p>\n Fil: Blink obviously. A Day To Remember, Paramore, You Me At Six.<\/em><\/p>\n Ben: We miss Arctic Monkeys because we\u2019re staying here tomorrow and then because we\u2019re playing Reading on Sunday and they\u2019re here. So we don\u2019t get to see them which sucks. But yeah Blink, The Wonder Years, Flume. There\u2019s a couple of DJ\u2019s I want to see. There\u2019s some really good bands. I think this is genuinely the best line-up since I\u2019ve been going. If I wasn\u2019t playing this year, I would probably still be here.<\/em><\/p>\n Fil: That was incredible. <\/em><\/p>\n Ben: It already seems so long ago. <\/em><\/p>\n Fil: It really does.<\/em><\/p>\n Ben: We\u2019ve only been home for two or three weeks.<\/em><\/p>\n Fil: It\u2019s kind of got a similar vibe to this but it\u2019s a lot more alternative. It\u2019s a little smaller, and we were doing that everyday for two months.<\/em><\/p>\n Ben: And everything moves around. Everything has to be this well oiled ship. Like today we\u2019ll play and then we\u2019ll fuck off, have a good time and not have to worry about getting anywhere tomorrow. We can just chill whereas on Warped Tour, it\u2019s like \u201ccool, play, fuck around for a bit BUT be back here at this time otherwise we\u2019re fucked.\u201d You\u2019re always on the move. As much as I don\u2019t want to complain about being on tour, the travelling element can making it tiring. So this will be a way more chilled festival, but Warped Tour in general was sick. It was obviously a dream come true for any sort of alternative band, especially a pop-punk band.<\/em><\/p>\n Fil: Especially a band from the UK.<\/em><\/p>\n Ben: Yeah especially from the UK. Obviously there has been UK bands that has done it, and have done it really well but I\u2019m glad we come be that band this year. We can be that British band that went out there and did really well. I know Marmozets did really well too other there. It\u2019s cool to see British bands going down out there. All round a great success.<\/em><\/p>\n Ben: That was top of the bucket list!<\/em><\/p>\n Fil: That was probably one of the best days of my entire life. It was so much fun. Getting to meet them was amazing. Some would say \u201cdon\u2019t meet your heroes\u201d but they were so great. <\/em><\/p>\n Ben: It literally was probably one of the best days of my life. They\u2019re nice dudes, not assholes. It was very strange, ticking something off the bucket list which is genuinely at the top. It has been my wildest dream since I was kid. I think the only thing that would top of is if we wrote a record with Blink, or if we toured with them. <\/em><\/p>\n Fil: It was incredible to be there and not be like some little kid in a competition-winning scenario. We got to meet them on a professional level.<\/em><\/p>\n Ben: They were aware of us like \u201chey guys thanks for being on the show.\u201c<\/em><\/p>\n Fil: They\u2019re like the Godfathers and we\u2019re like little ants compared to them but it wasn\u2019t like \u201cAahhh!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Ben: There was somewhat of a mutual respect there. It was cool.<\/em><\/p>\n Fil: Yeah I didn\u2019t feel like a kid who had a won competition to meet them, which I was worried that it might be like. I acted like a little kid. I struggled to get words out but it was amazing.<\/em><\/p>\n Fil: Yes the Intercontinental Championships tour.<\/em><\/p>\n Ben: Championshipssssss for copyright reasons. Add the S.<\/em><\/p>\n Fil: I\u2019m so looking forward to that tour more than any other tour I can think of right now because it\u2019s our headline tour. We\u2019ve done a headline tour in the UK before and it was when we were a bit smaller. They were just standard headline shows whereas this is a full tour where we\u2019ve put a full theme and idea behind. We\u2019re not just going to walk out on stage, play the songs and walk off. We\u2019ve been thinking what can we do to make this fun? That\u2019s why we came up with the whole wrestling thing, like we did adverts you might of seen for the tour. That\u2019s not where it\u2019s going to end. The show will be themed along them lines and there\u2019s going to be more to it than \u201cwe\u2019re Neck Deep, song, song, song, bye.\u201d We\u2019re trying to put on a show now.<\/em><\/p>\n Ben: Yeah like \u201cwow remember when Neck Deep did that, that and that. That was cool.\u201d Whenever you walk away from a show and you say \u201cdo you remember this bit, this bit, this bit and this bit\u201d. You go to a show to see a band play but you also go to see them to be having fun like you want to see your band do. <\/em><\/p>\n Fil: We want to be interactive. We\u2019re slowly getting to the stage now where we can do that type of thing, come up with ideas and actually make them happen. I think this is the first step in a new kind of era for us to do that.<\/em><\/p>\n Ben: Yeah we\u2019re stepping it up. We\u2019re playing bigger venues for the first time and headlining in some we\u2019ve supported in before. It\u2019s definitely a step up in terms of touring for us, what we can pull off headlining a tour, knowing we can play some Academy rooms, Electric Ballroom in London which is a big venue. Knowing we can headline those and potentially do really well is a cool thought. Considering we come from playing some club shows, even though I love the intimacy of those, but to be able to step it up is good.<\/em><\/p>\n Fil: Yean and now we\u2019re going \u201chow can we make this really cool?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Ben: Yeah. It\u2019s pretty much why we got them on there. We thought \u201cwho can we tour with? Who would make a tour interesting who hasn\u2019t been to the UK before? Who deserves to be out in the UK? Who would do well?\u201d And it was those three bands.<\/em><\/p>\n Fil: It\u2019s a proper balance. Some bands get a really weird band on the bill because it would be good for the show, then you get bands who only bring there friends and you\u2019ve seen them together so many times. We want to try and find a balance between that. We\u2019ve got bands we feel that fans of ours are waiting to see. People have been waiting for Knuckle Puck, we\u2019re also really good friends with them. Same with Seaway and Trophy Eyes. It\u2019s the perfect balance between \u201cthese are going to be sick on the tour, kids are going to love it, it\u2019s going to be great for them and all we\u2019re good friends with them.\u201d I think we nailed it.<\/em><\/p>\n Ben: Yeah I think all criteria was covered with that. I think it really is a strong, strong tour. Kids will come along for the support as well and they\u2019re support bands people want to see. So people will come along and enjoy them. <\/em><\/p>\n Fil: Yeah. <\/em><\/p>\n Ben: Yeah essentially. We\u2019re not there for people just to see us, sure we\u2019re headlining the tour, we want to give bands that opportunity out there and to get some exposure, as well as for fans out here. We want to be that band that can say, \u201cYou want Knuckle Puck over here? Sick we can bring them over on tour.\u201d So that makes everyone happy.<\/em><\/p>\n Fil: I think if people think that then we\u2019re super proud and thankful of that.<\/em><\/p>\n Ben: We never intended to be that.<\/em><\/p>\n Fil: We don\u2019t super back ourselves or promote ourselves as that but it seems to be the way that it\u2019s falling, and if people think that and are happy to call us that, then we\u2019re proud to be that.<\/em><\/p>\n Ben: We\u2019ll take that mantle on. We\u2019ll wear that crown. I\u2019d love to be that band tha kids look up to and go, \u201cYeah Neck Deep were the British band that made everyone listen to my band\u201d, or \u201ceven consider my band\u201d or even open peoples eyes to pop-punk. If we can be that band that open doors to the next generation of UK pop-punk bands then that would be sick. I don\u2019t think we want to dub ourselves with that because we don\u2019t want to say \u201cyeah! we\u2019ll fucking do that for you\u201d but if people want to say Neck Deep were that band for us, then I\u2019ll be stoked.<\/em><\/p>\n Fil: I think it\u2019s already started. I think a resurgence of pop-punk bands has already started. There\u2019s a lot that\u2019s up and coming and ones that I keep hearing about are sick.<\/em><\/p>\n Ben: Roam. They\u2019ve just been recording recently. They were recording in my brothers room. They were at my house, the bastards, for like five days. They\u2019re fucking awesome dudes, and their new stuff sounds fucking sick.<\/em><\/p>\n Fil: They were on our last UK headline tour. They\u2019re awesome.<\/em><\/p>\n Ben: Yeah. And Me vs Hero are another UK pop-punk band but they\u2019ve been doing for a long time. All these UK pop-punk bands are putting out new material for people to listen to, so soon there\u2019s going to be a bunch of new shit for people to be like \u201csweet! I\u2019m going to listen to the new Me vs Hero album, go and check out that new Roam EP.\u201d As long as kids are loyal and are willing to listen to new music and want to listen to new music, then it\u2019s awesome. I think UK pop-punk could do really well just as long there\u2019s the support there, and people don\u2019t go \u201cfuck them\u201d and have that typical UK attitude some people have sometimes. If we can put that aside, and people show some live then it\u2019ll be cool. I think there is a lot of strong, budding UK bands out there that are just waiting to break through. I think we\u2019ll see a lot more of them in the next year.<\/em><\/p>\n Ben: Yeah of course.<\/em><\/p>\n Fil: I don\u2019t think it\u2019s quite got to that stage yet.<\/em><\/p>\n Ben: That\u2019s fate though. If your band is the one that breaks out or people start noticing and recognising, then that\u2019s just the way it is but that doesn\u2019t mean if they don\u2019t you should give up. You should always try and pushing for it because what are you going to do? Work and do a normal job? Is that going to make you happy? Just as long as people are willing to push themselves and be in the band for the sake of being in a band and having fun, then that\u2019ll be cool. I would love a scene out here like they have in America, where there is a lot of support for local bands. We should be proud of it but the UK doesn\u2019t want to show pride in things because we\u2019re too reserved. People need to step up, show some pride and support some up and coming bands. UK pop-punk could be really, really good.<\/em><\/p>\n ‘Wishful Thinking\u2019<\/em> by Neck Deep<\/strong> is out now on Hopeless Records<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Neck Deep<\/strong> links: Website<\/a>|Twitter<\/a>|Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n January (support from Knuckle Puck, Seaway and Trophy Eyes)AH: For starters can I get your name and role in the band?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
AH: This is your first time at Leeds. What are your expectations?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n<\/em><\/p>\nAH: You mentioned you\u2019ve attended previous festivals. What are your memories from them?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
AH: Are there any bands you\u2019re wanting to see whilst you\u2019re here?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
AH: You\u2019ve just returned from the Vans Warped Tour. How was it?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
AH: When you came back you played with Blink-182, which I guess is one to tick off the bucket list?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
AH: Next up is your UK tour with Seaway, Knuckle Puck and Trophy Eyes.<\/strong><\/h2>\n
AH: Are you looking forward to these shows?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
AH: You want something where fans can walk away and remember it.<\/strong><\/h2>\n
AH: You\u2019re bringing three overseas bands for the tour. \u00a0I guess you are friends with those bands?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
AH: I guess it goes back to having the whole package?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
AH: You\u2019re seen by many as the leaders of the current UK pop-punk movement. What are your thoughts on that?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
AH: I was going to ask you what UK pop-punk bands would you recommend?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
AH: They\u2019re touring with Me vs Hero then Man Overboard.<\/strong><\/h2>\n
AH: Do you reckon the problem is when there is so many bands coming through it\u2019s hard to stand out from the crowd?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n26 Cardiff Solus
\n27 Birmingham O2 Academy 2
\n28 Newcastle O2 Academy 2
\n30 Glasgow Garage
\n31 Leeds Cockpit
\nFebruary
\n01 Manchester O2 Academy 2
\n03 Bristol O2 Academy
\n04 Norwich Waterfront
\n05 Brighton Concorde 2
\n06 London Electric Ballroom<\/p>\n