The ZineUK meets... Thunder on the Left
Thunder on the Left are a London based 3 piece band with lots to shout about, they are Carla (Guitar/Lead vocals), Adam (Bass/Vocals) and Arun (Drums/Vocals). Recently seen on the same bill as ZineUK favourites SONS and Family Jools, their live performances are loud yet melodic, mixing riff-laden rock with intelligent lyrics.
The ZineUK wanted to find out more and caught up with the band for a chat....
What is the origin of your name ? The band is named after a book called (da dah) Thunder On The Left, by Christopher Morley. How did you decide on that name and is it because it describes your music? The themes of the book (disillusionment with society) are in parallel to our views, and concurrently underline a lot of the themes within a lot of our songs. Where are you all from, how did you meet and form the band? We are all from Belfast (Carla), Beijing (Adam) and Berkshire (Arun). We met by answering a deep yearning call within our collective hearts to study the behaviour of wolves in the night. The band was formed when we found out the wolves needed new rock music to listen to, they asked us to create it and the rest is history. Please describe your sound, do you have any musical inspirations? Our sound is a mixture of (mainly) riffs, prog/alt rock and hip hop elements. Experiences are ultimately what inspire us to write. Musically, we are inspired by artists with the courage to push boundaries, as well as in their attitude and conviction. We are not just inspired by music artists, but any creators across the various art mediums that we are inspired by. Where do you get your ideas for lyrics? (Carla): I don't, they are channeled from spirits that come to me in my dreams and take over me - I wake up and they are just there, by my bedside - already written. I constantly live in fear that one day they will stop coming. Who writes the songs or is it a joint effort? Carla writes the vocal melodies, lyrics and guitar parts, Adam writes the basslines, Arun writes the drum parts. Are there any favourite songs you enjoy playing? The newest song we wrote (The Cognitive Map) is probably our heaviest, angriest and contains the most rage yet and is very fun (and tiring) to play. Plus, Carla gets to put her guitar down so the three of us are like hell breaking loose, personified, when we play it live. You mentioned an album soon, are you recording at the moment? We have already recorded our debut album. Release date is TBA so stay tuned We definately will !
Thunder on the Left next play The Old Blue Last on 28th September
Stream their debut EP on Spotify now.