Warm as the Sunshine

For anyone who hasn’t heard you, how would you describe your sound, and/or vibe?

Poppy: It changes from album to album, but I’d probably say that our sound is ramshackle pop. But we are always striving for pure pop. Always.

Over the course of three albums you’ve gone from indie rock to balearic pop to guitar-driven disco. Why do you keep changing it up?

Poppy: I suppose it is a bit unusual to change our sound so much but I honestly think it's just for our own enjoyment. If we were to repeat the same sound over and over again, it would get a bit boring.

What are the core elements of your sound then?

Poppy: There's often a dreamy, slightly out-of-tune harmony going on in the background of all our tracks. And then the fact that more often than not we’re all playing live as a three-piece on the record is quite unique to us.

Your singing teacher once derided your vocal style as being too breathy. What do you have to say to them in hindsight?

Poppy: I’d say “Look who’s laughing now.”

When you start a band while at school, it’s pretty hard to know if you’re really good or awful. At what point did it become clear that you were really good?

Iris: I always thought we were good. 

Poppy: Yeah! When we started I think we thought obviously we’d be as big as The Beatles or something. At 16 you just think that's what happens and you have no realistic expectations.

Iris: We’re a bit more humble now.

Poppy: The fact that anyone even wants to listen to us is really cool. We’re more appreciative of that now.

Did you ever think you’d be playing venues like Alexandra Palace when you started out?

Poppy: We grew up ten minutes away from the venue, so that was really big for us. We played one of the outdoor stages in a thunderstorm, so all our equipment was getting soaked — which was slightly stressful. But when we actually played it was a kind of insane, pinch yourself moment.

Do you have a bucket list of venues to tick off in the next few years?

Poppy: Headlining Ally Pally would be good. But I don't know how far off that is. The Kentish Town Forum was the place we'd always go to for gigs when we were growing up, so that would be really cool.

Festival season is upon us. How do you feel about that?

Iris: We’re pretty up for it this time. It's been a while since we played back-to-back weekends through the summer. It’s going to be a really nice change from the quite intensive touring that we did at the end of last year for Prestige. Hopefully we can get some good sleep and be really prepared for the shows.

Are you the kind of band who loves trekking around Europe in tents or would you prefer the comfort of a tidy hotel?

Iris: Before when we were playing and got free festival tickets we’d always stay for the whole thing. But that gets tiring, so now we’re happy to play our set and leave.

Poppy: We've got so much gear and everything and I think mentally, to add camping on top of that is quite a lot. I wouldn't feel guilty getting a Travelodge these days.

How does your set change when you’re playing outside?

Iris: We definitely try to play more upbeat songs and cut the slower numbers.

Poppy: Yeah, you often only have 30 to 40 minutes, whereas when you headline you’d get at least an hour, so really you have to roll out the greatest hits, which is quite fun.

Do you ever feel an element of risk playing to people who might not know your work?

Iris: Definitely, but I guess that's what’s fun about it — surprising people and getting those people excited who would never normally come to your show.

Do you have a pre-show routine that you follow before going onstage? If so, what does it involve?

Poppy: We’re a bit better behaved these days in terms of doing warm-ups, and it does always help to have proper stage outfits. We’re converts to the religion of stage outfits because it really puts you in the right zone. When you put on that outfit you’re like; “Okay, it's about to happen.”

Sonically, Prestige was like a hot summer in the city. Was this intentional?

Poppy: 100%. That was the intention. We wanted the whole album to be super fun and danceable and for people to feel like going dancing in the summer.

Will you be leaning heavily on songs from Prestige in your sets this summer?

Iris: Definitely. We’ll milk it for all we can.

What other seasons do you enjoy?

Poppy: Spring! I feel like once you get to summer it’s like; “Oh, I can see this ending soon.” But in spring it feels like there’s just endless, endless fun to come.

Girl Ray headline Turning Tides Festival on 10 August 2024