Published on 19th November 2005.

Blackbud

With their "Heartbeat EP" out now, Nicholas Sell caught up with Wiltshire three piece Blackbud prior to their Club NME gig in Leeds

West Yorkshire is cold at the best of times and tonight it's freezing. I'm lurking down the alley leading to the Warehouse trying not to look suspicious and hoping no one asks me for any "Services". I am here tonight to speak to and see Blackbud, the Wiltshire three piece who have been gathering some serious momentum of late. And although they roll up just under an hour late I can't stay mad at their chirpy, polite and ironic manner for long. Although the traffic may have been hell, "The Travelodge was nice." they claim dryly.

If I am going to be honest until I was asked to see Blackbud I knew very little about them. Upon closer inspection I found that they had toured with both the Kaiser Chiefs and Keane, played a Glastonbury set, been given approval by Jimmy Page and had Zane Lowe make them his record of the week! "It's nice to hear different opinions." With such praise as that right now it certainly must be.

'Heartbeat' which Zane Lowe described as the "Hottest record in the world" recently is how tonight's show kicks off. It's haunting and beautiful with the spirit of Jeff Buckley running through vocalist Joe Taylor's voice. Though they may be young in their years they show maturity far beyond this on stage. "We ARE a live band" drummer Sam Nedal had chirped earlier and I have to agree. Having apparently already played over two hundred gigs they certainly know what they're doing. Joe's passion shines through in his guitar, Adam Newton throws his hair around whilst still looking the business AND hitting his bass notes and Sam powers through his kit with a smirk that simply refuses to leave his face. Although there are not an awful lot of people here tonight the people that have come out are all completely enthralled. I'm not quite sure I have ever seen a band reach out and grab an audience so completely throughout an entire set.

The new E.P 'Heartbeat' is an eclectic blend of influences fused together by tight, well-crafted song-writing that seems to leap at you from out of nowhere. And although putting their songs together is "frustrating" they are all worth listening to seriously. This E.P is surely the platform from which the Blackbud trio can jump off into heady mainstream success. However the band are very weary of the immediate adulation bestowed upon a lot of new acts today, "We want a gradual build" says Sam. "We'd hate a backfire...and we don't want to be the Arctic Monkeys." Fair enough, but how exactly did they end up playing a club NME show? They don't exactly seem like the usual band to attract an Indie audience, "We're proud that we stand out." quips Joe. And so they should be for Blackbud are certainly worth your time and consideration. Look out for them in the not so distant future.