Crashface: Trial & Error
Alternative punk band CRASHFACE launched into the British scene in 2020, and haven’t slowed down since. For the Brighton-based band, their second EP was written in the spirit of finding their sound and pushing to be better, right from the beginning. When the two-piece began making Prototype, they knew it would only work if they could use it to discover exactly what it was that they wanted from their music, and to make something they could be proud of.
Sitting down with vocalist Charlie Hinton, and bassist Otto Balfour, they discuss how Prototype came about, and everything that went into making it. Otto explains, “the energy has carried over, I just think it’s more finessed, more refined.” Charlie continues, “there were some good moments and there were some bad moments, and ultimately there was a delay in the release, so we’ve been sat on these songs for ages now. So, it was really us finding our feet as a band in the music industry while trying to put out these songs that we really wanted to put out.”
As CRASHFACE began writing, the feeling at the forefront of their minds was dissatisfaction. With the weight of the cost of living crisis, political unrest and the pandemic, the band were becoming increasingly frustrated, and were aiming to make something that would ease this anger, and something that would bring them some satisfaction. Charlie explains, “the vast majority of people get up and go work a job that they don’t actually enjoy, but it’s the only way they’re going to pay for their crappy flat. I just had this underlying feeling of, there’s got to be more than this. I want to be doing more.”
Of course, this isn’t a new phenomenon, and political dissatisfaction is something that fuelled the punk movement around fifty years ago. The band relate to this, calling themselves ‘punks from the ground up’, but explaining how that inspiration has developed as they’ve grown up. Charlie says, “we have that foundation, but with the glitzy electronics on top. It’s a really unique sound and it definitely has a lot of the punk process, which is as rife as ever with the way this country is being run. I’m just glad that people are angry about it now.” While Prototype as an EP is many things, above all it acts as a protest and a release, which seems to also embody the reasons CRASHFACE are making music.
Throughout making Prototype, the band found that they learnt a lot from their first EP, Heavy Infectious. Without the pressure of a debut, CRASHFACE realised that they were finally in the position where they could put themselves first, and prioritise making the kind of music that they wanted. Otto explains, “it’s just having that confidence now. With the first EP we were imagining how things would work live, but after such a heavy touring year, we saw what worked and what didn’t. We just built on it and made this absolute fiend of an EP. Art is about the individual, and nobody else can create what you do. Why shy away from that?” Charlie continues, “it’s been a big lesson, coming into this scene and trying to make an impact during the pandemic, putting out the most likeable thing you can and hoping everyone will stick to it. But now we have a lot more to offer, and we’re trusting our guts because at the end of the day, the most important critic is yourself.”
Throughout the EP, and in some of its more experimental moments, the defiant, self-assured foundations are what make it work, and its origin story correlates to the sound seamlessly. At the same time, the band make it clear that they are aware some elements they wouldn’t do again, but that trying new things was the most important aspect. After all, it is a prototype.
In just speaking to the band, it is clear their friendship and mutual understanding is a vital part of everything they do. From the way that they bounce off of each other to the way that they complete the other’s thoughts, it seems pretty obvious that CRASHFACE couldn’t exist in any other way, with anyone else. Echoing this, Otto says, “we have a weird amalgamation of so many different things already, it would be wild to see what anybody else could add.” Charlie explains, “that’s half the reason we’re a two piece as well. When we have song ideas, the only people we have to put them through are each other. If there was like two other dudes in this band, trying to get them on board with an idea sounds like hell. Well, it is hell, we’ve done it before. This way is pretty streamlined.” In the same way that the two of them are vital components, so is the importance of DIY. Although they admit affordability is stopping them from recording in a studio, they pride themselves on the fact that the whole EP was made in Otto’s bedroom, and recognise the advantages of this, including the no-pressure approach, being able to experiment in every way, and having the whole experience on their terms.
Above all else, CRASHFACE are a live band, and if they’re sure of anything, it’s their ability to transform a crowd of strangers into CRASHFACE fans. Otto says, “winning over an audience that wasn’t necessarily yours before, and seeing that happen over the course of a set is really cool.” When describing their live show, they want to make clear the energy they put in, and the level of thought that goes into something that appears so effortless. Ahead of their appearance at Download, which they are more than excited to discuss, Charlie explains, “we’re going to have so many people there that have no idea who we are. It’s always been about emotion, and taking people on a ride, and we’re really going to play on that. I’m really excited for it. The last thing I would want is for people to think it’s just us playing songs, because it’s not.”
If live shows are the best thing about CRASHFACE, their fans are in luck, as they’re adamant that they aren’t slowing down. Charlie says, “I’m really happy with what we’re putting out and what we just put out, but I still feel like we have a lot more work to do in terms of leaving our mark on the UK.” Otto finishes, saying, “lot’s more touring. Maybe. Definitely.”
Prototype is out now via self-release.
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