Words | Greta Kaur-Taylor
@gretaktaylor
Press Photos: George Stephens
Tall Stories are the new post-punk offering from the depths of Birmingham, a band that doesn't settle. Tall Stories can't help but bounce around the metaphorical walls of the brooding atmosphere that they create for themselves and those that listen. With upcoming single Nosebleeds set for release in a few days time we got chatting to Louis Griffin, the bands frontman, about the new single, the current climate and more.
Hey Greta! Louis here. Just wanted to say thanks for doing this!
Okay so Tall Stories has been together since 2018, although our current lineup has been going since Christmas 2019 (we gained Jim Marson on lead guitar).
Tall Stories is:
Louis Griffin (Vocals, Rhythm Guitar) Fran Hall (Vocals, Drums)
Ollie Hill (Bass)
Jim Marson (Lead Guitar)
We’re a post-punk band from Birmingham, and have 3 singles out to date. We played Truck Festival last year alongside several headline gigs and festivals, and are currently in the process of writing our debut EP.
'Nosebleeds comes from a place of paranoia and cynicism. It reflects the unease I was feeling at the time'
Your new single Nosebleeds is set for release on the 24th of July, what’s behind that song?
Nosebleeds comes from a place of paranoia and cynicism. It reflects the unease I was feeling at the time (late last year) with the political climate, as well as the scene itself. The General Election made all of those feelings much worse, partially because I was so invested in a socialist future, and partially because I felt disillusioned with the self-congratulatory nature of the people I was seeing and engaging with, on both sides.
Internally, the lyrics are heavily steeped in Cold War-era politics and culture, that sense of deep unease and paranoia. I became obsessed with the symbols and ephemera of that time, for instance the nosebleed itself is a very potent image. I’d been reading up on the Chernobyl disaster, and nosebleeds are a tell-tale symptom of radiation poisoning. It felt perfect as a signifier that something beneath the surface was very wrong indeed.
Do you feel commentary on the current scene and over saturation are things you feel are important to address in your music, such as with Nosebleeds?
Absolutely. I have to preface anything I say with the fact that us as a band, and myself personally, are massively indebted to the post-punk resurgence at the moment. Bands like IDLES and Bambara cut through the malaise of mid-2010s UK guitar music, with an incredibly direct sound and message. It spoke to me, and I’ve never felt more safe and more seen than at IDLES gigs, for instance.
But, with any cultural movement comes inevitable over-saturation. Couple this with how difficult it is to make a living making music these days, and you reach a point where the scene is telling each other that what they’re doing is incredible (which, at least to begin with, was true) and eventually you end up with a cycle of self-congratulation. Nosebleeds is meant, at least in part, as a critique of how comfortable the genre has become. But, I have to say, I would always rather the scene be kind than the alternative; I think guitar music has never been more accessible and welcoming.
How have you found the music scene as you begin to work your way up and feel your way through a scene that has so many up and coming Post-Punk bands?
How do you feel you set yourself apart, do you set yourself apart?
Despite any criticisms I might have, the scene at the moment has been unbelievably kind to us. The fact of the matter is, in this day and age, being in a band is an incredibly difficult thing to make work. Don’t get me wrong, we’re so grateful to do what we do, and to have the support we have, but you have to work and work to get anywhere. The people we’ve encountered on the way recognise that, and so every band, promoter and venue (in our experience) tries to help everyone in whatever way they can.
In terms of setting ourselves apart, I think we try to blend certain aspects of post-punk that we find most exciting into something new, and something different. Some of the most exciting bands right now don’t fit neatly into one box, one genre, and that’s what we strive for.
What’s it been like as creatives in the current climate? Has it affected you as a band, if so how?
It’s been tough, as it has been for everyone. We all feel very lucky that the extent of our hardship has been cancelled gigs and shortened university terms; we’re painfully, painfully aware that people have had a much harder time of it. But, like many people, lockdown hasn’t been great for our mental health. We’ve all struggled with social isolation; our lifeblood is gigging and getting out and seeing people, so it’s been a shock.
Having said that, we’ve been very productive indeed. We’re releasing the single, but we’ve also been writing nonstop, sending demos back and forth. We’re working towards an EP, and times like these are perfect for getting your head down and finishing tracks.
I think that COVID will be devastating for the arts. We live in a country that chronically underfunds the arts at every opportunity and at (nearly) every level, and so COVID has spelt doom for several parts of the industry. The package announced a few weeks back is a start, but it’s also much too late for some; the closure of venues such as Gorilla and The Deaf Institute are devastating, and I think it’s a very grim forecast indeed for other small venues.
By the sounds of it last summer was a bit of a whirlwind for Tall Stories, can you tell us a bit more about that rush and what it was like for you?
Last summer was a whirlwind. Myself and Ollie were in the midst of A-Levels, a hectic time anyway, when the call came through to support Swim Deep at one of their comeback shows on the day of our final exam. They’re indie royalty in Birmingham, and we immediately knew we had to do it. That was a huge gig for us, and led on to even bigger things. Soon after we found out we were on the shortlist to play Truck Festival - which we were planning to go to as punters anyway - and when we were picked to play it felt like a real moment for the band. Truck was, and still is, the biggest achievement of the band to date, and was huge for us; being on the same stages as idols of ours was something else.
We capped off the summer with our biggest headline to date, at The Sunflower Lounge in Birmingham, the same venue we’d supported Swim Deep at months before. It was a busy, busy summer.
Are you inspired by any music at the moment, who have you been loving recently?
We’re always inspired by so much music; myself and Fran are music journalists outside of the band, and so we’re constantly raving about whichever artist we’re obsessed with that week.
I’m currently rinsing the new Protomartyr album; those guys are the gold standard of post-punk for me, and I think it’s their defining statement so far.
Outside of post-punk, we’re huge fans of Sorry, I think their album is hands-down the debut of the year, and we’re also in awe of Phoebe Bridgers’ latest record, it’s a step up for an already incredible artist.
What is the future of Tall Stories looking like? What can we look forward to seeing from the band?
At the moment we’re writing an EP, so hopefully new music as soon as that’s possible. That aside, we’re starting to plan gigs for after lockdown, and we can’t wait to play in some cities we’ve not played in yet.
You can end this interview with anything you want, what’s the first thing that comes to the top of your head.
This hasn’t been off my mind lately; support your local venues, support the artists you love. It seems a tired statement by now, but without our help these institutions will be gone forever, and we simply won’t have the next wave of bands. It’s really that simple. So if you love music, put your money where your mouth is, buy merch, buy tickets, save the industry.
Nosebleeds the latest single by Tall Stories is set for release on the 24th July
@tallstoriesband
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