Estrons - Interview

Estrons are a Welsh band of misfits full of attitude and stories to share. Their unique blend of indie rock and riot grrrl vocals works perfectly to create a sound akin to the likes of Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Blood Red Shoes. Their latest single 'Make a Man' is an extremely thought provoking song about female objectification as well being an absolute head-banger. We caught up with the group to see what's in store for ESTRONS next.

You met as strangers on a beach in Aberystwyth. Did you know straight away that you would work as a band?
No. When I (Tali) first came into the band, they'd already been together for a year, then Hugh and Rhodri moved to Cardiff, leaving their old singer Dan behind. Rhodri asked me, a total stranger in a pub one evening whether I'd be interested in coming in for a trial session. That trial session was the most awkward thing I'd ever experienced. Looking back at it, I can't believe something that started off with such uncertainty has become something that I love so much. Not only did it end up working, but the music has accidentally on purpose become exactly the type of music I can relate to, it's a great creative outlet and very cathartic to perform.

Who are your main influences - musical and non-musical?
I don't have any real influences, I have bands that I love and aspire to be as good as, but I don't think any of us ever take direct influence from a another band creatively. We have such different tastes as members it would just clash. My mother is the one that influenced me to be strong, and she always taught me that you don't have to be sexy or beautiful just because you're a woman. She always taught me to be myself, which has turned me into a bit of an oddity, but without her encouragement I don't think Estrons would be what it is today, and I wouldn't be as forward with concept choices.

Tell us about your latest single 'Make a Man'?
It's the story of a heterosexual female's battle between desiring a man, whilst simultaneously finding herself having little respect for his self-important ego and misogynistic attitude towards women. I retaliate by objectifying him myself. The song expresses a lot of anger, and the riffs are so fast it really gets your adrenaline going, even for us still. It'll be released on December 4th along with our EP the following week.

Your music seems very honest and pushes the boundaries of contemporary music - was this always your aim?
No way. As I said, I thought at best when we first met that we might write some catchy rock songs, but as we were all complete strangers, it was very hard to imagine that we would ever write anything really personal to us, you always imagine doing that when a bunch of friends make a band, but not with people you don't know. I think if anything in hindsight it pushed us to do more than just write decent music about general or obtuse subjects. The fact we didn't know each other meant the pressure was on for me to write lyrics, and make it interesting, well the only way I knew how to do that was to get over my nerves by drinking a few beers with the guys, and then writing out from experiences that really meant something to me. Now I can't stop. It's great to see how it's evolved.

What are your plans for the next 12 months?
Gig more, write more and release more. We want everything we did this year times one hundred. Or maybe ten.

You're all from a mixture of heritages, where would you most like to perform if you could anywhere in the world?
Vancouver, so my family can come watch us and meet the band. I think we've got our eye on Berlin for February too; the music scene there is amazing.