The first song I ever listened to that was defined as “punk” would be in 2004. There was a TV show called Top of the Pops, which would showcase the hottest music videos and the biggest bands performing their best singles, and this year was the dreaded year when the Crazy Frog craze kicked in. And yes, it’s as bad as it sounds. Look it up if you don’t believe me.
At this point in time, I distinctly remember the opening guitar riff. The distinct backdrop of the American flag that’s painted green. The bass guitar thickening up the guitar riff as green ooze pours over the musicians. Yes, I’m talking about American Idiot by Green Day. Since then my tastes have evolved with a love of all things from The Ramones to The Clash, and Leftover Crack and Citizen Fish to name a few. However, just recently, a new band crash landed on my radar as one of the best sounding groups around.
At a local gig in my area, a three-piece band called IDestroy came on and they tore the place apart. The sound was intense, the music was straight up, and no bullshit and they were fantastic. The reason for the band being here is simply that, as a three piece, they’re entirely unique. The have the looks, the sound which can be compared with The Buzzcocks infused with the WOW factor of The Runaways, and that as soon as you see them stroll onto the stage, you know you’re in for a good time. Not only that, but it’s hard to just point them out as just a straight up punk band, various elements from pop punk to rock and roll are all incorporated into a blend of feisty girl power. I spoke to Bec (lead singer/guitarist) about the bands inspirations, how they met and where her love of punk came from…
How did you three come together to form the band?
We first met whilst studying in Bristol and were all friends before forming the band. I’d written a bunch of songs I knew would suit a three piece, rock and roll band and so IDestroy formed!
So, IDestroy, what exactly are you destroying?
Everything, because we enjoy the feeling.
What would you say makes your band stand out from the rest of the local punk rock scene?
Well the obvious one is that we’re all female. There’s not too many all-female line ups around our local scene in Bristol, but I’d hate for gender to be the only thing that sets us apart from the crowd. I’d like to think although you could call our music punk rock, there are also other elements to it. Pop, Rock, Punk, Riot Grrrl with big attitude, all in one rock n roll show…
In My Vanity music video
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What was it that got you into punk rock music?
I remember playing a Tony Hawks skateboarding game on a PlayStation One when I was very young, Blitzkrieg Bop was on the soundtrack [Insert writer’s fanboying expression to both a shout out to Ramones and one of the best PS1 games out there]. That was probably the first time I listened to punk music. I still love that song!
Your list of influences seems to be quite varying, ranging from anything from David Bowie to The Runaways, and from Bikini Kill to Queens of the Stone Age. How do you try to incorporate your influences into your songs?
I don’t make a conscious attempt to fit all of my influences in each song I write. But I think it’s extremely important as a songwriter to have a varying list of influences and artists you enjoy. It’s interesting for me to hear the IDestroy songs being compared to other bands as well. Sometimes people come up with bands I’ve never even listened to. I’ve only recently discovered I like ‘Garbage’ after a several different fans had been comparing us to them.
Your debut EP, Vanity Loves Me, has been extremely well received by numerous publications from around the UK. Were you expecting such a positive response from your first outing?
It’s been great to read so many positive reviews of the EP, particularly as it’s the first thing we’ve ever put out into the world. Obviously with everything you release you hope people will enjoy it, but we’ve been really happy with the response so far. It’s not only been super cool for us to read reviews from big websites such as Fred Perry and Classic Rock Magazine, but so many independent blogs who have all said kind things about us.
State of the Art music video
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Bristol is known for being diverse in the arts, with various venues such as The Fleece, The Attic, and The Louisiana to name a few. How hard was it to get noticed in Bristol before your name started spreading?
A few local shows and support slots at The Fleece started to get us noticed in Bristol and from that we’ve be able to book shows elsewhere in the UK. It’s always going to be hard starting off and getting noticed but I think we’ve made a good job of it so far.
You have a variety of shows planned all over the summer, from having already played Anfi Rock Sound Fest in Spain, to playing the S.O.S festival in Manchester and the Outsider festival in Cheddar. How rigorous are your touring schedules normally? And what was it like being able to play in Spain?
We’ve been touring pretty much nonstop since the EP was released in February. Although hard work, it’s definitely the most enjoyable part of being in a band. One of the highlights for us was definitely Anfi Rock Festival in Spain, the people are so kind and positive towards new music out there.
On July 9 th , you played the Pride Festival in Bristol. Seeing as Bristol is quite possibly the most cultural city in the UK, what was it like to play there? What does Pride mean to you and to the band?
Bristol Pride is a festival I’ve wanted to play for quite a while now. With so much hate and violence in the world, it is extremely important that festivals celebrating love and equality exist. Pride was a brilliant day, everyone was well up for a party and there was a massive turn out. It was probably our biggest show to date.
What can we expect to see from you in the future?
I’ll be writing new material over the summer and we’ll be back in the studio soon to work on our next release. And of course more tour dates will be announced after the summer…
If you like what you’ve seen/heard from the band, make sure you check out where to follow them for more updates or where to buy their debut EP, In My Vanity, below…
