Meet...The Baltics
"I think it’s fair to say we’ve proved everyone wrong which is the best feeling in the world."
On the back of their debut single 'Carbon Theme Park', The Baltics aren't letting lockdown stop their journey, as they storm the indie scene in the UK.
With their catchy indie melodies, distinct melodies and a fused mixture of synth-pop and Brit-pop, The Baltics have developed an electric sound that is entirely compelling.
Influenced by the likes of Oasis, Blur and The 1975, the four-piece band produce unique anthems that have made them one of the North-East's must-see acts of 2020.
Luckily Vibez Music was able to catch Josh Thurlow - lead guitarist - about their journey, latest single 'Carbon Theme Park' and how it all started.
Firstly, what have you been up to since your debut single 'Carbon Theme Park' and what has the reaction been like from your fans?
We signed a management deal which is very exciting for us. He’s helped finance us and supplied merch. We’ve got T-shirts, CDs, and facemasks made which is very cool. On August 3rd we went into the studio to record the next tune. We’re dead happy with how it’s coming along. We didn’t have a fanbase before 'Carbon Theme Park'. It was mainly friends and family who weren’t fans of the music, they were fans of the actual band members. We saw a shift from that to real fans virtually overnight
and since then it’s been unbelievable.
How did The Baltics start and when did you know as a band you wanted to pursue music?
It’s quite a prodigious story, to be honest, so it’ll shorten it for the sake of this interview. I [Josh] got kicked out of my old band and fell out with them. A girl who I know felt a bit bad and after talking for a while, she set me up with Shay because she knew we both liked Oasis. I had known Guy for years before this but was oblivious to him being interested in music so when I found out he played the guitar, I dropped him a message. As fate would have it, Guy was already playing with a drummer, so I asked him and Adam to come jam with us and the rest is history.
With being a rising indie band, what is the main thing you’ve learnt when you started out?
The biggest rule in music. Don’t let the bastards get you down. We had a change in the line-up in March and became a 4 piece. Before that, we were a joke. That’s not being self-critical. I don’t exaggerate when I say we were the biggest laughingstock in Newcastle. Success comes with resilience and talent. You can’t have one without the other. I think it’s fair to say we’ve proved everyone wrong which is the best feeling in the world. There’s plenty of other things we’ve learnt too and there’s stuff we’re yet to learn.
What are your main influences when it comes to songwriting and producing music?
We take inspiration from whatever we think is cool. So, at the minute, Radiohead is a big influence and before that, we had Oasis. Both are/were huge bands and there’s a reason for it so it wouldn’t hurt to take parts of their sound. The new song we recorded has an Arctic Monkeys vibe. Shay always gets told he has a Billy Bragg or Sam Fender lyric style so you can add them on too!
How would you describe your sound to someone who hasn't heard about you?
Familiar but unique. It’s the same vocal, guitar, bass, drums that have been around for decades. No one who likes indie music is going to listen to us and feel alienated but they’re also not going to feel like they’ve heard it a million times before. It’s hard to describe our sound because we as a band are still finding out what our sound is.
Hailing from Newcastle, who are some of your favourite upcoming artists in the area?
Off the top of my head, Spilt Milk, Andrew Cushin and The Midnight Drive. There doesn’t seem to be loads and loads of great bands in Newcastle. Other bands we respect are The Red Room and Car Boot Casino, but they don’t have any tunes out yet, unfortunately.
Finally, what is the top spot on your bucket list and where do you see yourself in five years?
I’ve got lots of things I’d like to do. Most of my goals are for the band. I think crowd surfing while headlining Glasto is a good shout for the top spot. Who knows where we’ll be in 5 years? I’d like to say top of the billboard charts with a couple of Brit Awards. Definitely ambitious but that’s what gives us the motivation.
Don’t forget to check out their debut single here.
