Exclusive Interview: Ephemera talk “Somewhere Between Order and Chaos”!

Yorkshire Hardcore quartet Ephemera have been generating a lot of noise of late and rattling a few cages with their sophomore EP “Somewhere Between Order and Chaos”. Mixed and mastered by Beauty School guitarist Grant Beeden Clayton and landing via Kingside Records in late December, it includes big single “Sick” with the band building on their experiences with debut EP “Why did you come here? Part 1” and shows opening for Last Hounds and Hell Can Wait to Thrown Into Exile. Luckily for us the quartet were able to take some time out from their evil plans for World domination to have a chat with us about the new record…

You’ve been vocal about the highs and the lows of previous bands you’ve been in so what makes a group of seasoned musicians start a fresh band? “Firstly thankyou for taking time to look into our band. We are super surprised with your questions, some really awesome ones too. So we have come from different bands and styles…Olly our drummer was in Man can’t fly, a cool indy band. Adam our bassist comes from playing the blues circuit, for Mason our vocals this is his first ever band. Cris our guitarist was in Acolytes which is still online somewhere where Olly from static dress guest fronts a song. We started Ephemera in the pandemic just messing around with demos keeping busy as 2 of us are full time tattooists and we were forced to close. The name ephemera means exactly that, “things that exist or are used or enjoyed for only a short time.” The band was never ment to move to a live stage, it was to create while isolating. We cannot believe still now what it has evolved into”

Listening to your debut EP  “Why did you come here? Part 1” and 2022 single “Dragged Up“, there is a clear style shift to the band becoming less arty and more straight up Hardcore. Was that a conscious thing or just natural when the four of you smash your instruments up in the rehearsal room? “I suppose it wasn’t a conscious direction. The simple fact is that the first ep was only made with Cris and Mason. We weren’t allowed to even be in a room with anyone outside our chosen bubble. Once the restrictions were lifted we asked our 2 friends to come attempt to learn the first ep and within a month we wrote dragged up. We considered taking down the first ep as its not where we are as a band. However we are also super proud of creating that in such a mentally difficult time and it shows our progression and direction that we occasionally go back to in skits and samples live. It’s part of our journey. Our new ep has “ditto” which is a nod to the first ep acknowledging we still have these  “arty” routes”

If we are made up of our genes and our influences, what is in your jeans and who would you consider your influences? “Awesome question and an easy thing to answer… dirty early MySpace beatdown. We have various influences to name a few, heart in hand, kublai kahn, liferuiner, counterparts, underoath, early architects, being as an ocean, hands give me rest, holding onto hope, hero in error, heights, gallows and early nirvana to name a few”

When people talk about the modern Metal and Hardcore scene, people talk about numbers. What does 3.425k YouTube streams in the first two days of the release of the music video for “Sick” do for you? Does it spur you on and make you proud or does it also open the door for some bigger and better shows? “I have to approach this question slightly cynically but truthfully. So the scene has changed over the years. And it seems music only goes where the money does. We paid to upload sick to a YouTube channel with reach. Unfortunately you don’t get anywhere in this scene now without either buying on tours, slipping djs a wadd of money to play the songs they have no clue about. Or getting a gig in general. Its fickle to say the least. This interview is the first time in the duration of this band when someone actually took an interest without us having to pay them to care. Most bands don’t want to be outdone by their support and we are too small to headline currently so it leaves us in complete limbo begging pr and managers to take us on. Sadly we don’t fit the agenda. As a result we have decided to be true punk and start guerrilla gigs. We are going to find tours that ignore us and play the the crowd queuing for the gig on the street outside the venue. It’s the only way to get our new audience as exposure requires alot of money. As always”

How did your signing with US label Kingside Records come about? “We were speaking online and they were really excited about releasing our ep. We have 1 more record with these guys and I can tell you that it will be a full album. This will be our greatest project to date and we start the writing in February”

What’s next for Ephemera? “Guerrilla gigs, writing an album, and playing live. We refuse to pay people to care. We miss the john peel mentality where innovation surpasses safety. We will be playing radio stations, pr and managment offices, playing shows in places we shouldn’t. And antagoniscically forcing our hand in this very gatekeepery scene. Making people hear what we are so proud of creating, and making the world aware we exist and refuse to just go away”

“Somewhere Between Order and Chaos” by Ephemera is out now via Kingside Records