(Glastonbury Festival 2009)Being in an unsigned band can be a tough old life. The work is hard, the pay is lousy, and the commitment required can leave some packing up their guitars and heading home.
However, Essex band States of Emotion are full of confidence at the moment, and I met up with lead singer Olly Hookings to see what all the fuss was about.
At first glance it is easy to underestimate the man; his slight figure and quiff of blonde hair are certainly an unexpected feature. But once we started talking, I started to realise this was a guy who was passionate, and driven to get to the top.
“The band’s our lives. I dreamed of being in a rock band when I was 8 years old and that’s when I first came up with the name States of Emotion.”
“I met all the members of the band at school and we considered changing the name at one point, but because of the history and the story behind it, I got emotionally attached to it.”
As we continued to chat, I noticed the array of posters on show in the kitchen, and we got onto talking about some of the bands main influences.
“Well I’d have to say Kasabian are definitely a favourite band of mine from the last 10 years. I’ve seen them live quite a few times and I think they’re the best thing out there at the moment. I grew up listening to a lot of Oasis and Stone Roses but all the guys in the band are into different things.”
He then blushingly admitted, “I must say I do love my pop music too, I’m not ashamed to say that Abba are definitely a guilty pleasure of mine!”
The 23 year old has enjoyed a successful year thus far, and as I started to learn more about the band, I went on the subject of their debut single ‘Fight Them on the Beaches,’ which was named the ‘Hottest Track in the World’ on Zane Lowe’s Radio One show.
“I was absolutely buzzing. It came at a really good time for the band. We were writing and finishing the album at that time and to have that kind of exposure was unreal.”
“Fight them on the Beaches is one of the older tracks on the album, and is definitely a favourite for the people who have followed us from the start. So to hear it on the biggest radio station in the world was unbelievable.”
After finishing a quick tour of the house, which ironically is on a road aptly named ‘Essex Way’, we were interrupted by Olly’s cat ‘Figaro’ whose energy and demeanour was indicative of his owner’s performance at last year’s Glastonbury Festival.
“On paper it’s our biggest gig but there were only really 80 to 100 people in the tent. At first I was disappointed with the way it went but on reflection I’m really proud of what we achieved. We were lucky to be able to play such a big festival so early in our career, and it’s a really good one to have under the belt. We’ll go into the next one with a hundred per cent more confidence.”
As my time with the charismatic front-man came to an end, he gave me an insight for his vision for the future of States of Emotion.
He confidently said, “Every new band promises things, but I really believe we’ve got the commitment and the songs to break through. Sometimes it’s hard to keep that passion after being together so long, but to be honest it still feels fresh, we’ve got the tunes and we’re aiming for big things. We’ve always set out to play the big gigs and get the big record sales, and I fully believe we’ll do that.”
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