On March 6, 2012 we did a little chat with Hungerford, UK’s melodic post hardcore band THE AFTER AFFECT. Here’s what guys have to say.
Hello. How’s it going, guys? What have you been doing as of late?
Hey not bad, we’ve been quite busy with the build up to the release of our first single/video “Taken Alive” which has been a busy time but worth it for us.
Tell us about Hungerford music scene. Where do you go to shows?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a music scene in our hometown really, just the occasional show to play in front of friends and family. Most of the time we have to travel out of our area for gigs like Reading or London etc.
Oh, that’s a pity. So, what are some of the things you like to do in your hometown?
There’s not much to do really in Hungerford as its quite a small town. I guess meet up with friends and go for a drink at one of the local pubs or something like that. During the week Lydon and Alvin go to the gym quite regularly, Lewis usually stays at home or sometimes goes for a walk round the countryside as its really nice round here but thats about the best bit of our hometown. Oh and I know Jamie and James like to go skateboarding. Generally you have to travel away from our town to find interesting things to do.
You’ve been shooting your first music video. Tell us a bit more about the footage. What’s it going to be?
The video was shot in Plymouth on the Moors, by a guy called Dan Broadley. If you haven’t seen any of his work yet do check it out on youtube. He’s produced some wicked stuff. The videos basically us performing in a massive open area with some really cool visuals of the moors with live performance shots.
“Taken Alive” video:
How many shows have you played so far? What’s your touring schedule for the coming months?
We’ve played quite a few shows but not as much as we’d like to have played. It can be difficult without the right contacts. We have shows booked for each month through to July when we’ll be doing our first 7 day tour as well as returning to Guilfest Music Festival for the second time which we really enjoyed last year.
How do you manage your promotion?
Generally we all do some promotion but James is the main one for everything. Without him we would’nt have had the opportunaties we’ve had so far, so we owe him alot.
Tell us about the craziest thing you (as a band) have ever done?
Nothing too crazy as of yet but I’m sure there will be plenty of stories to tell in future.
You’ve won some competitions in the past. Some might say it’s not punk at all. Your modern type of post hardcore emerges from hardcore punk. What’s your view on metamorphosis of the genre?
None of us have a punk background really so we can’t really comment on the genre. We never set out to brand ourselves with any particular genre and only recently now have been put in that genre.
There’s a number of different musical styles in your work. Do you have any major influences? I mean even those that are not audible while listening to THE AFTER AFFECT.
I would say major influences would be, WHILE SHE SLEEPS, ARCHITECTS, DEAF HAVANA and YOUNG GUNS. Each are definitely are big influences to our sound but as far as the influences that you don’t hear we’d say some of Lewis’s influences on vocals would be singers like Freddie Murcury, Sebastian Bach and Jeff Buckley really.
When will we hear new music from you guys?
We currently have a couple of new songs that we haven’t yet recorded alongside some more new material which will feature on a new mini album we’re working towards for the summer. Keep your eyes peeled for updates on our Facebook page and in the meantime, enjoy our new song/video “Taken Alive”.
What kind of future do you see for THE AFTER AFFECT? What do you guys do besides the band?
Hopefully we will get our name out there more, support bigger bands on tours, be playing more shows and maybe play more festivals this summer. We’re basically really dedicated to this band and want to see it through.
Thank you for taking time with us. Final thoughts?
Thanks to everyone who has supported us over the years and if your a promoter, booking agent or a manager looking for a new band then get in touch. You will find we’re a hard working band who will prove ourselves time and time again and just want a chance to show what we’re about.
