West London-based alternative pop band STITCH have been quietly recording new music since releasing their debut EP Welcome to the Dream in March 2018. Known for their electric and energetic live performances, the captivating trio consisting of Nikita, Gray and Kye have built a loyal fan base and continue to grow organically in this somewhat competitive music industry.
I recently had the chance to speak to them ahead of their Isle of Wight Festival debut on 15th June. Read below:
Hey, how’s it going? What have you guys been up to since we last spoke?
Hey, it’s so nice to be back! Wow, where to begin? In a nutshell, we’ve been busy tinkering ‘behind the scenes’ – getting lots of music ready to release, and also really focusing on making our live show as killer as possible. Overall, we’ve made a real effort to improve and balance every single part of being a self-managed band, including a succinct focus on our business skills
That sounds amazing. I’m still buzzing from your last gig at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen in October 2018. You guys performed a few new songs back then, will any of those songs be released as singles?
Honestly, thank you SO MUCH for organising that gig – it was incredible! You know, looking back Hoxton Square was such a landmark for us – it really felt like the first gig which captured the kind of show we want to put on. Yes! So, in May we released “Preying On Your Love” and on the 5th of July we’re releasing “Home”. Both of these will be available to steam at all the usual places!
You’re welcome — I’m glad you enjoyed performing at Hoxton Square, it was a great show! Your current single “Preying On Your Love” is great by the way, what inspired you to create that track?
Thank you! We were actually messing around with co-writing in a rural cabin (as we often do away from the city), and ended up with a really warm feeling couple of chords, and the hook line “but someway I find her on my mind”. This really resonated; with Nikita being LGBT, the lyric applied to all of us! The nostalgic feel and sound from our little synth really felt fresh and reminded us of ‘Fields of Gold’ and it’s evocative vibe. We followed that feeling through to the end really; we wanted the anthemic pop chorus to be married with the ‘golden’, longing-verses so the song really had an emotional contour and journey to it.
Awesome stuff, it’s definitely anthemic for sure. What message were you guys trying to convey on it?
In the vein of “Every Breath You Take” and “You’re Beautiful”, it’s actually a song about obsession, dressed up in a poppy skirt. The hard-to-navigate line where intensely romantic gestures and raw sensual imagination flirt with a slightly unhealthy longing for someone. Obviously the title is a word-play, as ‘preying’ implies the hunt is on – not always a romantic sentiment! (*laughs)
Love that! How long do you guys take to work on a song?
We make everything from start to finish, so it varies really. The initial ideas, chords, melody, vibe, etc. usually come pretty quickly, but it’s the final 20% the track – the polishing of the production/mix which takes the most time. We’re all self-confessed perfectionists with an overwhelming drive to make each of our songs unique in some way, which is time-consuming. It’s definitely something we’re getting better at. Facebook HQ has the motto of finished is better than perfect’ or something to that degree graffitied onto their walls, and it’s an ethic we’re adopting.
This was the first STITCH release in what feels like forever, can we expect another single any time soon?
Absolutely! Our next single is “Home” and it’s coming out on 5th July. We’re so proud of this track – it’s been our ‘baby’ for the past few months and we think it’s the most beautiful and transportive bit of music we’ve written to date. Get ready for a vocal duet and violin solo!
Oh yes you did mention the title and date earlier, really looking forward to hearing it. Although you guys haven’t released a lot of music in the past year, 2019 has already been a year of great achievements. How excited are you to be performing at the Isle of Wight Festival?
It’s unspeakably, electrifyingly exciting. Gray survived the infamously rainy and therefore muddy 2012 IOW fest, but witnessed legends like Pearl Jam, Tom Petty (RIP), Biffy, Elbow, Bruce Springsteen – and it was an unforgettable experience. To be gracing the same, epic stage as your teenage heroes is like a recurring dream, waking up every morning in disbelief. We were in the end stages of two pretty major festival competitions within the space of a month, and it seemed ludicrous and a far cry to win both, but here we are playing Isle of Wight and Camp Bestival! We are so, ridiculously grateful to HotVox for providing a platform where dreams can become a reality, they are utter superstars.
That’s amazing, congratulations! When you won the competition, what went through your mind?
Pandemonium, a unstoppable surge of pride and the overwhelming horror of having to book an Airbnb for 8 people so close to the festival!
I can imagine! (*laughs). What can people expect from you at the festival?
This is the show of our lives so far, so we’ve gone to hell and back to bring the audience 30 minutes of unadulterated, emotional, musical power. We’re opening the BigTop on Saturday at 12:30; expect soaring vocal harmonies, raging synths, sonic atmospheres so lush and emotive you could swim in them, gutting bass drops, outrageous guitar solos, Spanish inspired trumpet mania, heart-thudding – momentous drum grooves, tear-jerking violin rawness and the right front-woman to bring it all home to the audience. We’ve tried are damnedest to make it as engaging and emotional for anyone in the super-massive-tent at the time to get lost in. Come party with us!
Wow, festival goers are in for a treat! Are there any artists/bands on the bill you’re hoping to bump into?
So many! The festival is packed with our personal idols and heroes. However, meeting Biffy Clyro and Sigrid would be unreal – I think we would all get starstruck and no doubt embarrass ourselves saying something stupid! Others we’d love to bump into are Sam Fender and Freya Ridings who are also playing the Big Top stage at the festival.
Get tickets to see STITCH at the Isle of Wight Festival here.
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