I interviewed these guys when they supported Dexeter on tour last year at The Musician in Leicester
Keren - Tonight I'm talking to Stuart and Kalli. How are you guys?
Angels - We are good thank you.
Keren - The band has evolved quite a lot since you burst onto the scene last year and blew everybody away, can you tell us how that has come about.
Angels - (Stuart) We had an idea and the record label we are signed to thought it would be a good idea to add to the line-up 2 female singers and make like a Fleetwood Mac/Little Big Town sort of vibe for the band and I don't think its been done by any UK country acts so we thought we would give it a try and I think we have gone from strength to strength.
Keren - I absolutely love it. I think its working really well.
Angels - (Kalli) Thank you.
Keren - So you must be really excited with your Angel Live Sessions that have been launched. What or who gave you the idea to do these sessions in the first place?
Angels - (Stuart) Again it was the record label. They thought it might be a good idea to have some kind of YouTube sessions that we could put out every week as touring bands you are not always gigging week in week out so it keeps the fans and people who are following the band, interested and gives them something to look at and follow and keeps peoples appetite for the band wetted a little bit and its a bit of fun as well and we get to play with some of our pals in the music business so its all good fun.
Keren - Because you all write, and you all have different styles with your writing its quite nice to see that transform. So if you had the chance to perform anywhere in the world what would be your dream venue?
Angels - (Kalli) - Nashville 100% (Stuart) - I think The Opry would be the pinnacle for any country singer.
Keren - Yeah. I've been to The Opry. It was good. We watched Marty Stuart at The Opry.
Angels - (Stuart) Oh Legend.
Keren - He was much better at C2C actually.
Angels - (Stuart) My mate plays Bass for him actually. He does yeah. Chris Scruggs.
Keren - You know everybody don't you (laughs)
Angels - (Stuart) I know a lot of people. I've been around for a long time Keren.
Keren - Not that long. Not as long as me (laughs) Cos you know everybody because you have been in a signed band before and you have done the rounds haven't you.
Angels - (Stuart) I've been around a little bit yeah. I've played a few gigs but I think that adds to and benefits the Angels because there is a lot of experience in the band but there is also a lot of young talent in there as well that have just started in their careers and together we form quite a formidable team I think.
Keren - Yeah cos Jack and Dan are very young aren't they.
Angels - (Stuart) They are indeed. They are both in their 20's as is Kalli and Chris Neil and I are the elder statesmen should I say. (Kalli) Even though they are the oldest, they act the most immature. (Stuart) Totally (laughs)
Keren - (laughs) That doesn't surprise me somehow. You know they're men and boys don't grow up do they.
Angels - (Stuart) Blew a raspberry (laughs) You don't know what you're talking about.
Keren - So do you guys have a new album in the pipeline?
Angels - (Stuart) We do we do. Well it might not be an album but definitely an EP. I think albums are a little bit, kind of, old fashioned now and its horrible to say because I love an album but I think because of the way music is now, the way you download music with iTunes and Spotify, people just download the track so it kinda seems a little bit pointless cos albums cost a lot of money to make you know, so EP's are certainly the way forward and we could do maybe 2 or 3 EP's as opposed to one album. (Kalli) We can bring so many different ideas.
Keren - You have written quite a few songs for the Angels
Angels - (Kalli) I have. (Stuart) It's good. We said cos we are all signed to the same publishing deal and so it makes sense for all the songs to come from within the band, so it doesn't really matter....The good thing about the Angels is there are no real egos in the band. Everyone appreciates each other. (laughs) Apart from me really, (laughs) I've got a massive ego (laughs) But no, there isn't. Everyone kind of like works as a team and everyone is happy for everyone else so if Kalli wrote the first single or Chris or whoever as long as it comes from within the band we are all happy. (Kalli) We are just so excited to start.
Keren - As I said you have come onto the scene so recently but you have made so much of an impression on everybody.
Angels - (Stuart) We've got a good guitar player so... (Kalli) yeah yeah (Stuart) Jack is great (laughs)
Keren - Left handed too (laughs)
Angels - (Stuart) Yeah he's a south paw
Keren - So if you could invite people who have influenced you in your musical career to a dinner party, who would you invite?
Angels - (Stuart) For me I'm influenced by people who are alive and not even famous but if you're talking ...I'm a massive Band fan. The Band for me are just the pinnacle of what a musician should be. They are a band that are a band of musicians. There is no front man so everybody is as important as everybody else and for me that's very important in a band to all be the same and people reading this, seriously, get into The Band. You'll thank me one day. (laughs)
Keren - I have never seen those I don't think.
Angels - (Stuart) Keren, seriously, you need to look up The Band.
Keren - Definitely. I will do anything you say Stuart (laughs) So where can people find you on social media?
Angels - You can find us on facebook. We are The Angels with Dirty Faces on facebook.
Keren - Yes. You need to put the THE in front of Angels with Dirty faces
Angels - (Stuart) No. It was already taken on facebook when we started the band so we are Angels with Dirty Faces.
Keren - Oh, now I always put it in the other way and I get you and not the film, cos you've gotta be careful cos you are a film aren't you.
Angels - (Stuart) and an album
Keren - Yep so its trial and error.
Angels - (Kalli) Well we are Angels at the end of the day so.....(laughs) (Stuart) She is, I'm not (laughs)
Keren - You are the only Angels I believe in actually (laughs) So the British country music scene is growing fast, each artist having their own take on what country is to them. How do you feel that our music stands up against the music coming out of Nashville at the moment?
Angels - I think it's completely different. I think there is no point in trying to do what comes out of Nashville as we are never going to do it the way they do it. (Kalli) We can't re-invent the wheel (Angels) so we put our own take on it, and if I'm honest I think we could match up to it.
Keren - I think so too. You are as good as any of them coming out of Nashville at the moment.
Angels - (Stuart) Thankyou.
Keren - I am much more of a fan of British country because it is so different and diverse.
Angels - The thing is we are never going to sound like we're from America but the music we do is all from us, from what we feel and what we think (Stuart) We are influenced by American country, of course we are because we all grew up on it so we are going to get influenced by that but we're not from Texas and we're not from Nashville so you cant sing in those accents because it would be false, and I think if you were a blues player or if you were a jazz player you interpret the music as you hear it and you write your own music, and we write about the same things, we write about girls and we write about drinking and we write about heartbreak but we just interpret it a little bit differently.
Keren - And you write songs from start to finish whereas in Nashville they have a conglomerate of 40 people writing one song so in my estimation you are a lot more talented because you can do a song by yourself. Its been really nice to speak to you guys. Thank you so much.