The Indiependent: What instruments do each of you play?
Violet: I play bass, Melissa plays drums, Havni plays guitar and Izzy is our singer! The rest of us do vocals from time to time as well.
The Indiependent: I know there’s been some name/line up changes in the past, how did BOYS come to be?
Violet: Oh man it’s been a long road…
Melissa: Violet and I were previously in a three piece band named Traveller And The Bear, but after a few label run- ins and a lot of clashing with our music taste we decided to split off and create a new band. Sadly this took a while so we are starting pretty much from scratch again, but we definitely don’t regret it as we now get to express ourselves much more as a whole.
Havni: I found out through a friend that this all girl band were looking for a guitarist and of course I was immediately interested. I was looking to be in a band anyway and because it was an all girl band it made me even more keen to try and audition. As soon as I met them and we played together for the first time I felt we connected and we could create great music together.
Violet: I remember giving Melissa looks like “Yes! This is our girl!”
Izzy: I actually put up an ad online to see if anyone was interested in having a singer in their band, and Melissa found it and contacted me saying ‘’Hey I’m in a girl band, would you be able to send in some videos of you singing’’ and so I did and ended up auditioning and becoming a part of the band. It all happened really quickly and I’ve only been part of this band for a short while but it feels like I’ve known them for much longer
Melissa: I think that we are really happy about how we all ended up!
The Indiependent: How would you describe BOYS for someone who has never heard your band?
Izzy: Well, I would say we are a mixture of rock, indie and alternative, but we have only just started and are still figuring out our sound. Personally I think what we are trying to get across is just for people to really be able to listen- to the sound, the lyrics, everything, and just to feel free, let loose and be who they are. Growing up in this generation, everybody has such high expectations, and I guess BOYS are here to show that you can say no and be your unique self.
Melissa: I think what we want the most is to be strong female role models in the music scene for other girls who maybe don’t quite realise that being a girl in a band is one of the coolest and most original things you can do. I’d definitely tell others that we’re a band that’s not afraid to showcase vulnerable emotions in all our songs – we like to make people feel something. We’re a group of girls on a mission.
The Indiependent: What is your song writing process like?
Melissa: it’s a mess. It’s funny because our band all have talents in overlapping areas so there’s lots of sharing of roles.
Violet: I write lyrics most of the time and Havni sends guitar parts. I then edit them so they fit. Melissa has also written a few songs, which we then work on, as well as often sending some vocal ideas and harmonies. Havni actually wrote the bass line for a song coming up called Natural Selection– it’s so groovy.
Izzy: Other times Violet sends a bass line or Melissa sends some drums and we write around that. I usually sing through the lyrics and try and work out a tune but for some songs they already had tunes. For our oncoming EP it was a pretty messy process but worked out pretty equal.
The Indiependent: Is there a message that you’re trying to convey with the band?
Melissa: I’m sure you’ve noticed that the name of our band is BOYS, and we’re all girls! It’s ironic – there are many more boy bands than girl bands out there, and that creates a division between girls and boys in the music industry. We want to show people that anyone can get behind a drum kit, sing or play guitar or bass regardless of their gender. It’s really messed up that certain instruments are so male dominated. Basically we want to show people that you don’t need to be a dude to be a musician in a band.
Violet: Yeah, empowering girls and being badass!!
The Indiependent: What’s it like being a young band in London?
Violet: It’s so over saturated! Anyone can be a musician these days, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but that means that it’s hard to be heard.
Melissa: I agree. Our band’s ages range from 15-18 so sometimes I feel like we’re undermined by older musicians and they look at us and don’t expect us to be any good. We love to prove them wrong…
Izzy: It’s all such a new experience, navigating through the industry, so we are working it out as we go. Every day is a weird experience!
The Indiependent: What’s the reaction to the release of your first single Not A Love Song (I Promise) been like?
Violet: It’s kind of odd! It was such a long time coming that when people actually heard the track I didn’t know what to do with myself.
Melissa: Yeah, that song’s come such a long way since we first wrote it about two years ago. So far the reactions have been overwhelmingly positive. I’ve had tons of friends and family members telling me that it’s stuck in their heads, which is crazy! Putting something you’ve worked so hard on is terrifying, but it’s really been worth it.
Havni: Same! a lot of people have been telling me it’s very catchy and I sometimes notice people I know, quietly humming it without realising. Its exciting that people are really enjoying our first song.
Izzy: I was kind of worried at first about the reactions we were going to get, but when it got released all of that just went away, I mean, we just released a single! Whats not crazy cool about that?
The Indiependent: Finally, how are you feeling coming up to your first gig at the Borderline on September 2nd?
Violet: The Borderline is massive- we have only played to like… 20 people…
Havni: Yeah, it’s a ridiculous step up from the crowd before. We also get to open for some pretty cool acts!
Melissa: I’d really recommend coming – supporting small acts is not only such a nice thing to do, it’s a cool thing to do.
Izzy: We have planned some pretty cool things too. I just feel so lucky to play such an iconic venue.
All: Agreed!
Find BOYS on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! If you like what you hear, you can catch BOYS at their first gig in London next month, get tickets here.
Interview conducted by Zoe Cooke