Shane – Burn So Bright Interview

We had a chat with Shane, the guitarist from Essex band Burn So Bright.

Where did the name ‘Burn So Bright’ come from?
Our name comes from the song ‘Burn This City’ – Cartel, as a band it’s one of our favourite songs and the first song we ever covered together as a band. The song is about not giving up on what you are passionate about regardless of the consequences. We think it’s quite a cool underlying message to have in a name as it reflects exactly how we feel about what we are trying to achieve.

How long have you guys been together as a band?
We originally started practising together in November 2008 with the exception of Mitch. Mitch joined us on vocals in February 2009 and that’s when we started to write original material. Our current and final line-up has only recently been completed when Danny joined us on bass in December 2009. Since December we have been booking shows and writing for our first EP.

When did you guys start learning to play your instruments and sing?
Most of us started playing our current instruments from about 12 year old onwards. Jamie started playing piano at five years old before becoming a bass/guitarists in his slightly older years. As for Mitch he has been singing his whole life.

What inspires you to write songs?
It’s mostly other bands that inspire us to write songs music-wise. Our favourite artists range from loads of different genres so when we hear something we really like it makes us want to write something and become better at what we do. Lyrics-wise Mitch gets his inspiration from a range of things, from real life experiences to an outsiders perspective on different topics.

Is there a main song writer in your band?
When it comes to the music Jamie is our main writer and he has really created our sound. But everyone else chips in to make the songs their own, for example by creating a new guitar line or laying down a new drum beat or bass fill. Mitch writes all of our lyrics and vocal melodies, he has made our songs what they are. He has such a good ear for how to play a vocal pattern down.

How do you guys record your songs? At home? Recording studio?
We record our songs at Rock Factory studios. We’ve made good friends with the producer, and have such a good working environment there. The songs always come out amazing!

What’s the best thing about being in a band?
The best part of being in a band has to be playing live. That’s what we love to do, and what we want to do all the time. It’s cool driving up to a venue with your band and a few extra friends then hanging around until we play later on.

Do you guys enjoy the attention you get from being in a band?
Yeah attention is always cool! If kids want to talk and hang out after a show it’s always awesome. It’s always cool when we get to meet new people through playing music.

Where did the names for the albums come from?
At the moment we are just about to record our first EP called ‘Sparks’. The name has come from the idea that all you need is a spark to start something. Just like a sparks start a fire we are planning to name future albums after the development of a fire as our experience and fan base builds. As well as this the theme of fire links with our band name.

What sort of music are you all into?
We all listen to loads of different music. Mostly we all listen to pop punk and metal! I’d say they are the most listened to genres. Mitch loves his southern rock though.

Who would you most like to share the stage with, dead or alive?
Between us there are loads of people we would like to share the stage with. For example Queen, JLS, Aqua, Rick Waller or Guns N’Roses! On the other hand we would love to be able to play with Paramore or Blink 182 as they are like the biggest bands out there playing our type of music.

If you guys could’ve written any song, what would it be and why?
More Than Words by Extreme! Enough said.

Finally, where do you see yourselves going in the future?
It’s hard to tell now, but we are really enjoying what we are doing, and want to continue for as long as possible, so it would be really cool if we just kept building our fan base and getting more successful!

Click here for more info on the band.

Interview by Natalie Milne.