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The Alias Kid Interview

Edge of Arcady | June 23, 2022

“I can only think there is a hidden movement of total bellends that’s maintaining the status quo. If you are one of those people then you aren’t allowed to listen to Alias Kid. Turn off the radio and go fuck yourself.”

Mancunian virtuosos Alias Kid are preparing for a big and boisterous return to the live stage this coming Friday night, 24th June 2022, at 33 Oldham Street, Manchester. They come packing a re-energised sound along with a brand new single in the bag, ready to be released on It’s Creation Baby imminently – a record described by the boys as “fucking rocking”.

Building on the solid foundation of 2015’s debut LP ‘Revolt to Revolt’ the eight singles already in their pocket and numerous massive festival dates and household name support shows – their last release ‘Out With The Boys’ being a fierce wall of total stadium rock sound – the group are ready to launch this next chapter by kicking the dials up again and seriously proving their worth.

We asked the lads if they’d be willing to let us in on the Alias Kid universe and these are the pearls of wisdom they set forth :

Alias Kid, who are we speaking to and how’s your day shaping up?
Maz: Maz… lead vocals.
Tony: I’m Tony Long, the resident New Yorker of the band. The glorified Yank. As far as my day, I just finished rough mixes on the upcoming Alias Kid EP and mastered a single for No Kisses.
Simon: Hi I’m Simon Fort the drummer. I was originally going to watch ‘Top Gun’ with my mate Chez. We got there and couldn’t be arsed so we went on a piss in my brothers and his girlfriend’s pub.
Nick: Nick Baxter, I play the bass and I play it pretty well. Had a pretty good day so far, but it’s still early.

Generally speaking, what are Alias Kid about?
N: So far, my impression of Alias Kid is: it’s all about a long lasting whirlwind romance between Maz and Sean which is being thinly veiled behind a bitter rivalry. But I could be wrong, they could just hate each other.
T: Correct me if I’m wrong, Maz, but isn’t Alias Kid about taking the piss out of all the bands that forgot what rock is? That’s why I joined, anyway…
M: I won’t correct you Tony.
T: It’s about having a fucking good time with your mates. Smoking cigs. Downing pints.
Hugging a comrade and dancing in a sweaty crowd. Loud guitars and smashed drums.
S: Playing drums and rocking and rolling.

Give us a bit of a backstory of the band?
T: My backstory starts when the band came to Big City Jacks Recording Studio to track
Inglorious and Beat Up Your Soul. They were working with Dan Brown (Happy Mondays, Black Grape) and I was still pretty new at the studio. Mind you I was working in a few studios back in NYC, but BCJ is my UK spot.

At some point the guys asked me if I’d heard the record and I told them I hadn’t. When they asked me for my honest opinion, I told them it was good but it was rocking enough for me. Rock n Roll has always needed an edge… kinda like a boiling pot that’s just about to boil over. That’s what a rock band SHOULD sound and be like, but the record didn’t have that.

Fast forward a few months when the guys wanted to come in again, and when I asked them where Dan was, they said they chose to work with me instead. I started as their Producer, but when James left, they needed someone to fill those shoes. Up until that point, I had already been writing guitar parts for the band. In fact, a lot of the guitars on the releases before the last two singles had me all over them. It just made sense for me to join, so I did.

N: Backstory seems to be that this is a very loud bunch of people who are full of energy. A band that has been about, done it all, and now they’re dragging me and Si along too.

A fair few of your songs are filled with frank and cutting social commentary. What are your thoughts on the current state of the country and the world?
M: I think it’s weird you know. Most people you meet day to day are sound but then the people we put in charge are generally scumbags. I can only think there is a hidden movement of total bellends that’s maintaining the status quo. If you are one of those people then you aren’t allowed to listen to Alias Kid. Turn off the radio and go fuck yourself.
S: “Worlds fucked”
T: Yeah, what Si said. This isn’t going to be an expose on our political views, right? We show
up, we fuck shit up, we play songs, and then we disappear into the night. I can’t be bothered with today’s politics cause it just riles me up. Trying to keep it real zen here.
N: I don’t get involved either but everything does seem to be a shit show at the moment. If there is a Revolution, we’ve got the soundtrack ready.

The most recent Alias Kid singles have had a gigantic stadium rock sound. Who are your
biggest influences?

S: I used to play the piano with my grandparents as a young child. It was all a bit
“vaudeville.” I listened to ‘Never mind the bollocks’ and that changed me. Eric Moore. Top
drummer. I’ve got his dopestickz. They are ace.
T: A lot of that has to do with the production I’ve brought to the band. When Maz and Sean
first asked me to produce, I told them quite frankly that the old recordings sounded too… “safe”. The songs needed some hair on them, but more importantly, the recordings needed to sound like the band when they’re live. Since they were playing big festivals before I came along, I figured why not make the recordings sound like they should be heard in a stadium. We want Etihad, Wembley, anywhere where there’s a nose bleed section. My own personal biggest influences for that sound are The Darkness, Green Day, and My Chemical Romance. I like ‘em big.
N: I much prefer the sound that the band has had with Tony producing. We talk a lot about bass tones and we all talk about what we want songs to sound like to the listener and how make them notice sections. I like rock bassists that can do that centre stage moment so everything isn’t always on the vocals or the lead guitar. Les Claypool, Flea, John Entwistle.

Your artwork has been remarkable, especially the covers of ‘Through The Night’ and ‘Out With The Boys’. Who is it by and can you tell us more about it?
S: Not a clue mate. But I’ve seen it and its good.
N: I love the tattoo style design, I think it’s class.
T: That would be my buddy Jack Jerz from Brooklyn. He’s a sick comic book and tattoo artist. Funny story. I used to live with the guy and was begging him for a tat, but he was exploring different avenues or some shit. Then one day, I’m sat on my bed minding my own business when he kicked my door in and said, “Today’s the day!” He ended up inking my ribs right there in my bed. I’ve had break ups that were less painful than those four hours of hell, but totally worth it. I ended up hitting him up to see if he’d like a crack at designing the covers, and he was game.

Artwork by: Jack Jerz

Which Alias Kid song are you proudest of and why?
S: I love ‘Out With the Boys’ great opening number.
N: I absolutely love Messiah and love what me and Si have done to your beautiful song. It has swagger and then at the end it just explodes.
T: I’m biased cause I did the last two, but the one that I love most from ‘Revolt to Revolt‘ is ‘She Don’t Yeah Yeah Yeah‘. It’s not cause of the mix…I think it’s pretty meh…but it’s because of what it’s become since when we play it live. It’s fucking huge. There’s a great guitar solo on it now, more harmonies, and it’s just so full of energy. We usually play it second and it’s probably my favourite part of the show. The fact that both Simon and Nick can also sing have added to it, too.
M: I’m most interested in the new ones we are working on in the studio. They’re class. As for a live gig tune they are all top. If they weren’t great we wouldn’t have them in the set.

What has been the highlight of the band’s gigging career so far?
S: Let’s see on the 24th.
T: (laughing) Yeah, Si can say that cause it’s his first. For me it was opening for Black Grape at the O2 Ritz Manchester. I had THREE monitors in front of me. I could hear EVERYTHING coming off my guitar, and it was glorious.
N: I wanna play o2 ritz…
M: Been all over Europe, UK and Ireland on tour. You can’t pick one highlight just loads of good times.

Any gigging disasters you can think of to tell us about?
M: There are no disasters, only variations from the norm. That’s what keeps things interesting.

Alias Kid have a new single release in the works. What can you tell us about it?
S: Its fucking rocking.
T: That it is. It’s kinda like an updated Motley track but for the ladies.
N: New single is gonna be just a lot bigger sounding too. Really looking forward to it getting radio play.

What’s currently happening on the Manchester music scene?
T: Since I work at a recording studio, loads! I just finished mastering a track for the opening band on Friday. They’re called No Kisses and it’s kinda like Yeah Yeah Yeahs meets The Kills, two bands I’m a huge fan of. Shout out to Karen O…I’ll make you an Old Fashioned any time. Some other bands to check out are Adventures of Salvador, The Red Stains, and Man & Boy.
N: I like how there’s a big surge in grunge bands at the moment, especially with female singers, I keep seeing a band called A Void every time they come up here. There’s some great bands like Cottons and Fuzzy Sun coming out of south Manchester/Stockport way too that are great but totally the opposite of that with like 80s synth and loads of reverbs, lolly’s of good bands doing this ever since Blossoms and The 1975/ Drive Like I Do.
M: I’m fairly sure the Manchester music scene is as it has been for a while; loads of good
underground bands working hard and doing great music while simultaneously being ignored by record companies who prefer to keep their rock and roll sanitised and under control.

You’re signed to It’s Creation Baby records who are boasting an utterly banging roster right now. How did you get signed to the label and what are your thoughts on your label mates (The Gulps, Cat SFX to name a couple)?
M: You’d have to ask Alan McGee why he signed us. I’ve heard it’s because he thinks we are a great live band, I’ve heard it was as a social experiment and I’ve heard it’s because he thought it was funny that Sean set me on fire on tour. Maybe a mix of all three.
S: Went to see The Gulps last Wednesday and they rocked it.
T: They were so good. Lots of good vibes off those guys. I’m pretty stoked to be on a label
with them. McGee’s also tops. Just a really sound dude who loves great music.
N: I really like The View but have no idea if they’re still with McGee.

Are there any more upcoming plans for the band at the moment or any other news you want to fill us in on?
N: It’s all happening.
M: There’s plenty coming up that we can’t even talk about yet but hopefully we will be mixing it up over the next twelve months.
S: Come and see us on the 24th .
T: We’re at 33 Oldham in Manchester. We’re also playing the Made In Manchester Festival in Romiley on the 17th of September.

Alias Kid play Manchester’s 33 Oldham Street on Friday 24th June, supported by No Kisses with tickets still available (for the time being). We reckon the show’s going to be REALLY FUCKING GOOD!

Stay tuned into Edge of Arcady for more info on the new Alias Kid EP release as we get it. Find the video for the latest single Out With The Boys below:

Written by Edge of Arcady

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