Charly Coombes & The New Breed

• Posted: Fri 17 Dec 2010
• By: Joe Stratton

It can't be easy following in the footsteps of a famous sibling, but Charly Coombes seems to be making a very good fist of it.

Brother of Gaz from Supergrass, he's enlisted his more famous family member as a producer, has put a band together called The New Breed and is stepping out quite successfully as Charly Coombes & The New Breed.

So we sent Joe Stratton along to ask him some questions, read on for the full interview below.

Tell us about the band.. How did you form? did you play in bands together before?

We all got together in the Summer of 2009 - I'd been living on Brighton for a few years and doing various session work while I kept writing. But Oxford is where I grew up and had a few contacts for other musicians, so I moved back with a view to starting my first band since about 2001.

So I got together with our first drummer (who has now moved on to other projects) and through him I met Dave (Guitar) and Jake (Bass). There was instantly a strong connection and we just took it from there. Our new drummer, Rich, joined us in September and since then we've stepped it up a gear!

What's your history in the music industry?

I love playing for people - different bands and artists, so I've been mainly doing that for the last few years. I was a member of 22-20s from 2003 - 2005, then played with Supergrass for a couple of years on second guitar, which was a lot of fun. But I've always kept writing since I was in my early teens.

What are the biggest influences on the EP?

Lyrically, a lot of what I write comes from my own experiences, as with a lot of songwriters - Love, loss, insomnia..etc..! The lead track, "Jungles & Tides" was written about the frustration of a long distance relationship.

It's based on the time I was getting together with my wife. She's from Brazil, and our first year together on the phone or on Skype! It was a tough time for both of us - But it always amazes me what people will go through when they love someone!
Musically, there is influence coming from all over. We all like different music which shows in our playing. But we like to keep the energy levels up and we feel there's a lot of energy on this EP.

Tell us about the recording process, where did you record? Who with?

We did the EP in Oxford - My brother, Gaz, has a great little studio in his basement. He's recently been producing more and more and we were lucky to pin him down for a week to do the EP!

I think it all worked well because we'd been playing the songs live for a while, which gave us a chance to hone the parts on each track before recording them. It also helped to give the EP a live feel.

Any particular recoding techniques you'd like to mention?

We're pretty straight up - Press record and try and get through it in one take! We did use one of Gaz's favourite toys a lot - A great tape-echo box. I think he uses it on everything.. but it's sound great!

What do you think about the scene in Oxford at the moment? What other bands would you like to mention that are worth checking out?

The scene's getting really healthy in Oxford. There are so many great bands now - After seeing so many venues close down and promoters give up, it's great to see such a strong reaction to that. There's always been a lot of talent in Oxford - I just think it needs more support. Go see Spring Offensive - They're one of our favourites - And lovely guys, too!

How has the touring been? Any funny stories from the road?

We always seem to pick our tour for the same time it snows! Earlier in the year we were stuck in the van in the snow for about 4 hours! This time, we broke down in the middle of Leicester Square when we went to do XFM. Band vans - you need to be patient!

Did you get stuck in the snow?

Thankfully, not this time - Although I think Dave (guitarist) wishes we had, as it took him 2 days to find the snow chains and we never got to use them!

With all the protests against the cuts etc how much do you think music can play a part in politics? Where do you stand on the budget cuts to the public sector and large corporate bodies evading tax bills left right and centre?

I've always tried to stay out of politics - We all have our role to play and I'm a musician. Everybody needs a soundtrack and I'd like to think we can provide that. I think politics is something you need to know a lot about to get involved, and I don't know enough!

Where do you see yourselves in a years time?

Things are steadily growing for us at the moment, so we're all excited about the future. A year from now, it would be nice to have done an album, and I'd really like to play more in Oxford. As the scene grows, it's great to watch it all unfold, and we'd be really happy to be a part of that.