Today, we sat down with the band Leaf to discuss their inspiration to write music, heroes and much more! We enjoyed this interview hard with the band as they go in-depth on their creativity and advice for young musicians as well!
Interview:
What is your inspiration to write your music? Is it your
surroundings?
Our inspiration to write music comes from a mixture of sources really, we write a lot of the music in the old-fashioned way of jamming in the rehearsal room, or someone will come in with an idea or a finished song and we will constantly work on it either adding or cutting a song down until we are all happy with it. I think we are inspired by the state of the world today and by our personal experiences. Let’s face it, the world is a bit chaotic these days and hopefully a new listener to Leaf will feel the anger, passion and frustration that I feel that we channel into our music, we definitely have a lot to say about the world and aren’t shy about reflecting it in our songs. In fact, I think some of the best music has come from when times are tough. I think coming from Stoke-on-Trent too, which is a working-class area has an influence on the band. There is no time for ego bullshit here, its about keeping it real. These days our musical inspiration comes from a huge melting pot of influences ranging from iconic bands like AC/DC, Black Sabbath and Led Zep to newer bands like Idles, Rival Sons and Cleopatrick.
What type of music did you listen to growing up?
For me (Mark) it started with Elvis, then ABBA and then at 10 years old I heard Highway to Hell by AC/DC. That album started off a lifelong obsession with rock music for me and by the time Back in Black came out I was going to see bands like UFO, Iron Maiden, and Ozzy. I think music captivated me at an early age as I would tape the Top 40 every weekend and save them to cassette. Showing my age here! Colin’s first love was AC/DC as well, although he loved Glam and showy stuff like Kiss and the New York Dolls – now he listens to modern post-punk, gnarly stuff that is about a million miles away from the sequins and big hair. Jarad has always been into the heavier side of life, Killers by Maiden being the turning point steering him towards Pantera and Cannibal Corpse! Dan is a bit younger than us, and his loves are the kinds of late 80’s/early 90’s bands that we all grew to love like Soundgarden and Pearl Jam – although he likes his classics too!
Is there someone you looked up as a hero?
Clive Burr, Cozy Powell and Tommy Lee were my early drumming inspirations but if you are talking about a hero that would be my Grandad who spent 5 years away fighting for his country during World War 2. He typified the strong spirit of that era and taught me many invaluable lessons about life. Colin’s heroes are Paul Stanley, Iggy Pop and Bon Scott, ego, attitude and songwriters par excellence…hmm maybe Paul is not the best lyricist, but all three are/were showmen. Jarad? Lemmy (totally cool and local to boot), Bowie, Hendrix and Bruce Lee! Seriously, Jarad is as hard as nails and has spent way too much time watching, learning and practicing some kick ass moves, ironic really, as although he looks like a mass murderer he is as soft as a fluffy kitten. Dan had a thing for magic, and he used to mention the Great Soprendo, but his bass playing God is ?
If you weren’t a musician, would you be doing today?
I have worked with people with learning disabilities for a long time and more recently as a Well-Being Practitioner supporting young people with mental health support needs.
Alongside music working with people is my passion, both can be equally rewarding.
Genuinely, I think our day jobs don’t fully reflect our musical alter egos, but they have a part to play in who we are, and we need them to pay the bills! Colin is a talented and inspiring teacher working at a high achieving school, so the band is a cathartic release for him because he cannot stand up in front of the school and holler his angsty lyrics at full volume, but he loves the vibe, energy and banter from the kids. He is also slightly obsessional about parking, so he would make a great traffic warden. Jarad runs his own business – he has a great head for figures, is crap with paperwork but sits thinking about guitar riffs all day and drops them to the group chats constantly. I think he would probably enjoy a career in meat. Dan is a professional bass player who does it for a living, and he is the guitar tech-type who constantly fiddles with pedals and the suchlike – we can’t see him doing anything else!
What advice do you have for our fans out there that want to create music?
We would all say be a leader and not a follower, be unique and not a copy. Do it because you love and enjoy it and with people who are equally committed and passionate or it won’t work. Leave your ego at the door and be a team player. Get out there and play and build up a following. Keep your chin up when times are tough and believe in yourselves, be prepared to take the rough with the smooth.
Be creative, these days there are more opportunities than ever to get your music out there to people. It’s all about the music for us, if the songs are good enough people will want to hear them again. Have you listened to our latest single (nudge, nudge)?
