Like any good band, ‘Elysium’ turned up late. Having said that, what else would you expect from four teenagers, who are currently navigating the art of balancing GCSEs with life in a band? Thankfully, they were willing to give us all a fascinating insight into the latter, and you may even have the chance to experience them for yourselves.
If you were to ask Lara, the guitarist, how the band began, she would confidently declare that “the band started with me,” and despite the outraged cries that this statement evokes from her fellow band mates, she isn’t entirely wrong.
Lara and Farah had been eager to start a band for years, however this has been undermined by the unfortunate absence of two key components, namely: a drummer and a bassist. That was, until about 6 months ago, when they began to channel their efforts into recruiting members. This in itself proved a challenging task, and they joking recall “consistently terrorising and blackmailing ” Charlotte, their now drummer, into learning the drums. Thankfully, she chose to take up the drums and join the band, although I’m under the impression that there was little ‘choice’ involved. Jess, the bassist, was later enlisted into the band on the basis of their, “good music taste,” (fortunately, they also happened to play the bass), and so, the band was complete.
Upon asking ‘Elysium’ why they decided to join the band, (if they were one of the few members given a choice) I was met with a series of varied responses. Their replies ranged from the classic, “I wanna get really really famous,” to a satirically toned, “it’s all for the music.” However, beyond the surface level jokes, I was astonished to discover that this band has been in the making for generations. All four of the band members’ fathers, also played in a band, and have therefore influenced them all in their pursuit of music. Coincidentally, they have also all taken on the same instruments as their respective fathers. To add to multi-generational nature of this endeavour, Charlotte remarked that all of their musical households “seem to be living vicariously through their experiences.” Which is an aspiration that I can definitely empathise with, who wouldn’t want to be the first groupie (or interviewer) for a potentially famous band?
As for the genre of the band, each member predictably champions their own individual musical preferences as “the best”, meaning that this group’s unique sound originates from a combination of different genres. Overall, they concluded that “it usually ends up being Brit-pop from the 90s/2000s,” as this happens to be where their tastes intersect. Since ‘Elysium’ doesn’t ascribe to a defined genre, their style is ever evolving and fluid, affording them complete artistic freedom.
This contrasts with the intensely popular, somewhat formulaic, internet sensations currently dominating the music industry. Leaving little space for others, such as ‘Elysium.’ On the other hand, as they astutely surmised, “the atmosphere of performing live isn’t the same anymore.” We’ve become accustomed to rising ticket prices and hours of queuing, just to jostle among the masses, to the beat of another overplayed radio song. Often, you’re so far away from the artist, that even when straining towards them, you may as well be watching them on your phone. This means that supporting smaller-scale musicians, like ‘Elysium’, has the potential to afford people an entirely different and rare ‘concert experience.’ Surely this more personal form of live music is something everyone wants to experience, at least once?
Fortunately, you can buy tickets to the band’s debut gig, at the Amersham Arms on the 20th of November, alongside a host of other young and aspiring musicians. They may not have enough songs ready yet, but who I am to question their creative process? With their confident promise of “the best stage presence,” and their enthusiasm to gain experience, you’d be foolish not to attend. I’ll see you there.
