SNAYX: Without The People, You’re Nothing
The last twelve months has seen the meteoric rise of the incendiary Brighton based punk trio; SNAYX. Composed of Charlie Herridge [vocals/guitars], Ollie Horner [bass] and Lainey Loops [drums], they’ve gone from strength to strength as they slither into the public zeitgeist. From a support slot with fellow punk peers KID KAPICHI to releasing one of this year’s best releases with their latest EP, Better Days, the future of this band is incredibly bright. They were kind enough to have a sit down chat with us as we chatted about the EP, a triumphant homecoming/release show and what lies ahead for the band.
SNAYX can’t quite believe their luck. Declaring the last year as “insane and our best year ever”, the band starts to reel off moments from the last year that any up and coming band can only dream of. A host of support slots, a headline tour and a huge show at Download Festival to name a few. These moments add to an already impressive resume that feels almost impossible to have fit into just one year. Charlie Herridge describes it as a “huge step up from our previous year” in which bassist Ollie pitches in describing it as a real “pinch me” moment where the band were asking each other “what’s going on?”, a great position to be in as everything seemingly fell into place.
An aspect of SNAYX that has always been commendable is that they are involved a lot within their fanbase, particularly online (The Belly Crawlers Social Club). It’s a rarity to have a band be part of their own fan group but to SNAYX, it’s a vital aspect of their message of community and togetherness they’ve built. Herridge proudly explains that “it’s so important to stay connected with all these people and not leave it to its own devices. It’s been nice to be really involved with it.”
By doing this, SNAYX have been able to stay true to their core beliefs, allowing them opportunities for collaborative merch pieces and a fundraising show for the people of Palestine, which were brought on by people within The Belly Crawlers. Herridge describes it as becoming “its own thing and entity alongside SNAYX which is so nice to be part of”. It’s very clear they’re a band that aren’t taking anything for granted, if you’ve been to their shows, you’ll see them conversing and giving their time to chat with fans who’ve come to see them, a rarity for a band to do so in which Ollie Horner perfectly sums up by telling us “without the people you’re nothing”.
Since their inception, SNAYX have routinely drip fed us with a smattering of high quality singles and one EP (Weaponized Youth Pt. 1). Whilst fans would have maybe expected a Part 2 to Weaponized Youth, the band had other ideas. Talking about Better Days, Herridge informs us that when it came to songwriting, the band looked no further than the current events constantly on display in newspapers and on TV. He jokingly muses that he’s “got content for days. I’m never gonna run out of material”. Easy to see where the band get their tongue in cheek style from when it comes to their lyrics, because of this, they’re able to craft meaningful tunes that everyone can relate to. “The day I have nothing to sing about, will be a great day.”
Because of this, we’re told that these songs in particular “jumped the queue” compared to others that they have on the back burner. “They felt like their own entity, they’re different but they glue together and send the right message. It felt right to give them their own space.” This time round, SNAYX decided to mix up their sound a little. Whilst the punk sound (“Left wing riffs” in Ollie Horner’s words) remains the beating heart of the record, Ollie tells us that they wanted to mix up the sound a little. “It was a risk taking direction,” he explains. “We wanted to explore new territory and grow the sound a little bit to see where we could take it.” Herridge adds to this by explaining that “we wanted to instil the EP with a feeling of nostalgia, the punkier tunes have a PRODIGY influence and others are inspired by GORILLAZ. It was to help us reminisce and think back to Better Days whilst also looking at the disillusionment of younger people in the country.”
The success of Better Days has paid dividends to the band. Indie record store, Resident in Brighton, played host to a release party in which the band were able to celebrate all things SNAYX. A first for the band where their music has been sold in a shop for the first time and where the whole evening is described as “carnage”, “mental” and “mad” by the band, yet that it was also “all love” as told by Herridge, who lovingly recollects about the event. “We had people from all over come to see us, I couldn’t believe these people had travelled. It felt like a real party full of family!”
Exciting times lie ahead for SNAYX. The show at Resident served as an epilogue at the end of a huge year for the band. Yet the release of Better Days signals the start of a bold new chapter for the trio. When pressed about a potential album, the band all remain coy, and with a sly smile, all three members tell us that they can’t say anything, yet to keep our eyes out for “2025”. Next year’s Chinese Zodiac is the year of the snake, but in reality, it’s truly going to be the year of the SNAYX, and we for one can’t wait.
Better Days is out now via self-release.
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