Can you tell us about the origin of the band name, a history of the band and a little bit about the various members?
Robyn: Joined through Kell as we are good friends and went to college & uni together. I stopped playing bass after completing my uni degree in it and switched to playing harp (I busk and steam on tiktok), but got really into metal and knew I wanted to pick the bass up again and play live.
Kell: As far as I know, the band name just comes from Seb’s history of being a little ginger northern rascal… The band’s history of members is all over the shop really, but it feels like we’ve settled nicely now.
I’ve always loved metal but it got sorta sidelined when I went to a jazz/rnb/university; not much of a metal scene there! So I never got the chance to actually play metal live. A couple years after uni I was in a jazz rap group and an afrobeat band, when Seb messaged me on Bandmix. Almost didn’t reply cos I was so busy, but I was bored of not playing metal. So glad I did respond cos the rest is history! Our first gig was the first heat of M2TM London. Quite intense.
This story begins with Seb moving to London in 2017, leaving his life of debauchery behind for a songwriting degree at ICMP. He named the band after memories of his misspent youth and adolescent tomfoolery, though somewhere inside he’s still that rascal and it comes out on stage…
During Seb’s first uni year he wrote our debut album ‘Radical Animals’, whilst simultaneously looking for musicians with a similar drive and love for alt metal/rock.
Seb met Darren Maddox (our previous drummer) working at the O2 Kentish Town Forum, and they quickly bonded over their mutual love of SOAD. With a drummer found, the songs got refined and were ready for the studio! Next up was filling the bass role. We went through a few candidates and landed on Vein – who is now our 2nd guitarist – through a group on social media. He attended the same uni as Seb, fit the vibe of the band, and is a classically trained guitarist with a degree in production – you can see why we wanted him! After the release of ‘Radical Animals’ in 2019 through Blood Blast, we had some major press releases and got featured by multiple reputable outlets including Metal Hammer and Classic Rock Mag! The latter of which gave the album a rating of 8/10 which we were absolutely chuffed with.
Then of course, Covid happened…
The band saw major changes at this point, as we were all separated by lockdowns… Vein in Italy, Darren in London, and Seb in Yorkshire, progress ground to a halt. Motivations were low as everyone thought it was likely the end of live music for a long time. 2022 came along and finally shows started to pick up again, but Darren wasn’t able to meet as frequently due to other commitments now taking priority.
We decided to part ways for the sake of the band, and within the space of 3 weeks we had found Kell ‘Special K’ Hallman (also an ICMP graduate) who was ready to play his first show with us after just 1 practice! This show was our first M2TM London heat, which turned out to be the first step on our journey to the final. Needless to say, Kell blew us away at this gig – managing to get through such a competitive heat after just 1 practice is truly a thing of legend! We give you… SPECIAL K. (He hates this nickname but it’s not going anywhere now).
Gigs were coming in thick and fast at the start of 2023; having 2 sold out shows to start the year was very surreal. We were also preparing to hit the studio with 4 new songs at this time. Going into the studio with Justin Hill of SikTh is always a pleasure but there was something different about this time. We had the special sauce. The songs were sounding great, and we were having an awesome time in Reading. Our first full week spent together could have gone a lot worse! The songs we were recording delve into a more personal and emotional side of Seb’s songwriting, and were really brought to life by Kell’s playing, Vein’s bass lines, and of course Justin’s production! We left the studio desperate to get performing these tunes but really couldn’t fight the feeling we needed another guitarist.
Enter Robyn…
In April this year, we recruited Robyn – coincidentally also an ICMP graduate – to kick Vein off his bass and onto his guitar. Robyn graduated from the same performance course as Kell but on bass, and it all just made sense! She came to a couple of shows before she joined, streaming us to her many TikTok followers across the world; it was only a matter of time before she would be on stage shredding with us! This change has given Seb more freedom on stage and has definitely upped the band’s quality on the whole.
Robyn’s first 2 shows were 2 days apart, with the 2nd being our M2TM Quarter-Finals… Clearly TBK loves a baptism of fire! This QF had the most STACKED lineup of underground bands. She absolutely blew up the stage, and was already singing along and getting the crowd involved on her second gig. With this new lineup we got through the QF, through the Semi-Final, and on to playing our biggest stage yet at The Boston Music Room for the Grand Finals of M2TM London. We’re hoping that the momentum from the M2TM competition keeps rolling with our upcoming EP and 14 shows lined up for 2023 so far. It doesn’t stop there for TBK!
Are you all from the same area? How did you get together as a band?
Actually none of us are from the same area at all! Antonio is from Lecce, Italy; Seb is from Scarborough, Yorkshire; Kell is from a little village in Hertfordshire; Robyn is from Harlow, Essex. Somehow, despite the fact that we all went to uni together, Seb & Antonio never met Kell & Robyn. Seb met Antonio through a forum on Facebook while looking for a bassist. Seb found Kell through Bandmix and we met Robyn through him!
Who are your favourite artists/bands and how have they influenced your own sound?
Robyn: I grew up listening to Kerrang, but started loving funk, disco, and acid jazz (e.g. Vulfpeck, Jamiroquai) in college. Later I got back into some of the old Kerrang favourites like My Chem and Fall Out Boy, but also heavily into bands like SOAD and Korn.
Kell: My music taste is bizarrely eclectic. I’d say my favourite genres are hip hop and metal, but I love neo soul, funk, jazz, afrobeat, disco, punk, stoner rock, and too many more to mention… I couldn’t possibly name favourites, but some random notable mentions that come to mind are SOAD, QotSA, Tool, Talking Heads, A Tribe Called Quest, and Cattle Decapitation.
Seb: Personally I was a huge rock and indie fan in my teenage years, so catchy choruses have always stuck with me from that time in my life. If I had to name some bands they would be Franz Ferdinand and Kaiser Chiefs, but later I got into metal with bands like SOAD. Their ‘world’ music influences have definitely impacted my writing with TBK. Muse are also worth mentioning for their use of melody and chunky riffs – especially in earlier albums – both things I value a lot in my own music. Finally of course metalcore/emo bands like Bullet For My Valentine and My Chemical Romance had a huge effect on my songwriting. The ability to keep songs catchy yet simultaneously bring the heaviness really stood out to me as a songwriter.
Antonio: Since my teenage years I was always in love with the complex and dark textures of bands such as A Perfect Circle and Korn. I believe they keep shaping the sound and the style I tend to like, which of course keeps being shaped throughout the years.
Did you always have the ambition to be a musician and in a band or did you originally have other plans?
Seb: Yeah, for me music and performing have always been where I wanted to end up. As a kid I loved the limelight and performed in every school production and attended every arts-related summer school I could. Being on stage is such a thrill, and singing/playing music is all I’ve known since before I can remember. No question I’m on the right path.
Robyn: Yes, always! I’ve been playing music since I was 8, and have always dreamed of being in a band and performing on stage.
Antonio: Yes, I always wanted to be involved in the world of art, and growing up in a family of musicians I believe the path was quite clear from the start! Although, the real turning point was the year in which I completely abandoned music to finish my degree in IT. I was about to surrender to the idea of having a plain, normal, secure life… Clearly (and luckily) it didn’t work out, since I decided to move here and am now a full time musician and sound engineer!
Kell: Well I loved music as a kid but didn’t actually start playing until I was 12, maybe? My family played quite a mixture of music around the house. I think I had one or two guitar lessons when I was younger and absolutely hated it. I took up drums because my friends were musical and didn’t have a drummer in the group. Unfortunately I got bored – mostly of grade exam style learning – and almost went fully into IT like Antonio… I got properly back into drums during my A Levels, and fortunately I absolutely flopped them. That’s what led to music college, which led to uni, which led to my current life as a drummer and teacher!
What songs or albums are on your current playlist?
Robyn: SOAD are always in there, especially the first album. But recently I’ve been listening to Electric Callboy, Stevie Wonder, Cory Wong, and Tricot… Quite a strange mix!
Kell: I’m currently digging the band Ingested a ton. Other notable mentions would be Chelsea Grin’s ‘Suffer in Heaven/Hell’ double LP, Burna Boy’s ‘Love, Damini’ album, QotSA’s ‘In Times New Roman, Cattle Decap’s ‘Monolith of Inhumanity’, and an A Tribe Called Quest album that’s somehow new to me: ‘Beats, Rhymes & Life’.
Seb: I’ve been making my way through the London Metal Coalition playlist and checking out the wealth of musical talent the London music scene has to offer! Some personal favourites would be Imperium’s new ‘Iron Thunder’, Aggro’s ‘Take a Stand’, and Halberd’s ‘Aftermath’. Outside of the LMC there’s Webb’s new release ‘You’re Going Down’ which has been in my head since our show with them last month! From bigger bands, pretty much anything Viagra Boys release I’m down with. I’ve also recently been put onto Cattle Decapitation by our very own Special K, and I’m hooked on that new album ‘Terrasite’ – absolute banger!
Antonio: I’m a huge lover of video game and anime soundtracks, and currently I’m going back and forth between the music from ‘Hollow Knight: Gods and Nightmares’ and the composer Yuki Hayashi.
Do you sing in the shower?
Kell: I don’t sing in the shower… But I do sing (and scream) in the car. I love extreme vocals so much, they’re great fun. Practising so I can make a wide variety of lovely horrible noises on future TBK records and other projects!
Seb: Sadly not anymore. I live with 4 other blokes, all of whom work at different times. I have to go into my garden shed/studio to do the shouty shouty screamy screamy stuff.
Robyn: No, not even a little bit!
Antonio: Nope, never did. But I whistle… A lot and loudly! Seb and my other flatmates are used to hearing me whistling along while I’m blasting classical and orchestral music at full volume around the house. They’ve never complained though to be honest.
Do you have any plans for the band for this year and into next year?
We have a new EP on the horizon! Release dates TBC and announced soon… This along with 14 more shows booked for the end of this year already! Next year there are rumours of a European tour, but we can’t really say much about that yet… Other than asking: where do you want us, Europe? We’ll come to ya!
Do you currently have any new songs/albums ready to be released?
Yes, we recorded our next 4 tracks a few months ago! 3 of which will feature on the next EP, plus 1 spicy little single that was a ton of fun to make. We will be shooting 2 videos for the next 2 singles next month, so keep your peepers on our socials for updates.
If you could play at any venue in the world where would you choose?
Kell: I’d probably pick Wembley, because that’s where I saw my first ‘proper’ gig with my dad. We went to see Foo Fighters! Bizarrely, they had Cee Lo Green supporting them. Very weird.
Robyn: I don’t really have anywhere in mind honestly! It would be awesome to play on big stages, but really I just love playing wherever it is.
Seb: I’d probably say Download Festival main stage. After going countless times and staring at the main stage, dreaming of playing it year after year, I just know one day soon we will be there.
Antonio: I would love to have a sold-out show in a big stadium in Italy, like the Arena in Milan. This reason might be stupid, but I feel it would be a way for me to go back to my origins and say loud and proud: “I made it! Fuck you all!” to the people who used to tell me things like “It’s too difficult. Don’t waste your life with music”.
Do you have a favourite album? If so, what is it?
Robyn: It changes a lot but Scars on Broadway right now; all the songs are bangers, no skips at all which is rare for me.
Kell: Favourite album is too hard because my preferences change so much… Most influential on me is probably Undertow by Tool, while the most listened to in recent years is definitely Matriphagy by Tallah. Great band, check em out! Their drummer is Mike Portnoy’s kid.
Seb: I’d have to say SOAD’s self-titled debut album. It absolutely slaps and honestly I never tire of listening to this. The emotions are so raw and powerful, I love it to bits. It’s on constant rotation and has been for 10 years.
Antonio: I don’t think I have a favourite one, but if I’m forced to choose I’d go for ‘In Utero’ by Nirvana. Simply because it was my first love and the main reason I got into Rock music. I remember randomly picking up a ripped copy of it which had been abandoned in a walkway on my way back from school when I was 11-12 years old.
Do you have any guilty pleasure songs/albums?
Robyn: I’m not ashamed of it or guilty over it, but a mildly weird band I like is Russkaja, a Russian ska punk band. Especially the album Energia.
Kell: I try not to have guilt about things I like listening to really, and I like a lot of cheesy non-metal stuff. So no guilty listens. But perhaps what I’m most hesitant to tell people about is my love for the band Infant Annihilator… I think if you get the point of them – taking deathcore to its logical conclusion in a very silly way – you’ll love them. If you don’t understand that and aren’t a metal/horror fan, you’ll probably steer clear of me from now on.
Seb: I don’t really class it as a guilty pleasure because I play it in front of everyone regardless of their reaction, but Richard Cheese with Lounge against the machine! Hilarious and consistently good vibes. One for upping spirits on long car journeys!
Antonio: I wouldn’t call it “guilty” since this artist is genuinely an insanely talented singer, but people could be surprised to hear my passion for ADO. She is a Japanese singer who has a very eclectic and versatile style. Give a listen to songs such as ‘Usseewa’ and you will probably be positively surprised.
If you were putting together the greatest show on earth, who would be playing?
Seb: Tenacious D, Viagra boys, System of a down, Avatar, Thy Art Is Murder. Yes it’s chaos, yes I love it.
Antonio: Lately I’m fantasising about a big show with Björk as the main artist while she is surrounded by a cinematic orchestra performing masterpieces from metal and rock history, or even heavier re-arrangements of her own songs. How cool would it be to have this Icelandic queen accompanied by artists like Chino Moreno, Robert Smith, Tarja Turunen, Maynard Keenan, and Serj Talkian alternating on stage? Pretty epic.
Kell: This is a hard question… Maybe Cattle Decap, SOAD, Tool, and A Tribe Called Quest.
Can you remember the first album you bought with your own money? What was it and do you still have it?
Robyn: You’ll be shocked to hear I’ve never actually bought an album, but the first album I owned was Demon Days by Gorillaz.
Kell: I actually don’t remember the first one I bought myself! I got a lot of hand me downs from siblings, and a lot of albums as birthday/christmas presents. The first one I was gifted that really sticks out in my memory is Toxicity by SOAD.
Seb: I remember very clearly. I was in Austria visiting my family, we went to an electronics shop. I had some pocket money and I was set on buying an album before I left as there were so many to choose from. I left with a Brian Adams Live album… I’m sure there were far better albums I could’ve gotten; I look back and think what on earth was I doing?! Summer of 69 is a tune though….
Ant: Of course I remember. Even if I always used to stream music rather than buying physical CDs, I could never forget my copy of ‘Dark Passion Play’ by Nightwish which I basically consider personal memorabilia at this point.
As your fans will be reading this, is there any message you would like to send out to them?
Kell: For fans… Listen to more local bands’ music on streaming platforms! It’s easy to forget about them with all the fantastic bigger artists, but there’s SO much great music out there from small bands and they could really use the support.
Seb: I’d say thanks so much for your ongoing support of TBK. We love each and every one of you, and we can’t wait to show you these new songs! These ones come from a place closer to our heart. Keep going to local shows, keep buying merch, keep the dream alive for us and other small bands, we really appreciate everything you guys do. You’re the reason we can do what we do!
Finally, let us know all your social media sites so your fans, old and new, can find and follow/like you!
FB: https://www.facebook.com/TBKUK
Instagram: @tbkuk
TikTok: @thembloodykidsuk
This interview is the property of The Metal Asylum
Metal Planet Media 