Affairs have been a favourite band of mine for a while now and in the build up to a gig that i'm pretty excited for (support slot with Misty Miller and The Crookes, The New Adelphi in Hull tonight 10/2/16) so I've caught up with lads to ask a few questions.
Jase Hare: "Has the move to Manchester had an instantly positive effect on you guys as a band and getting your stuff heard?"
Affairs: "I would say it has, though that's not to say we couldn't have done things better when we first moved here. Being in bigger city with more people will naturally create more avenues for music, especially a pop music cultural goldmine like Manchester. So the great thing about the move was not the instant impact we received but the potential we have to reach out to a bigger and wider audience on a constant basis."
JH: "I read recently that you guys were described as hailing from Manchester but as every Affairs fan should know, you crafted your trade here in Hull! Where feels like home for Affairs?"
A: "There's a great saying that says "an Affairs fan is always right" so yes we are most certainly a Hull born band. Hull is where the heart is right? We've absolutely loved the move to Manchester, but we have some very fond memories of our time in Hull. In fact too many to mention. There was that time with Dan and the enormous tub of gravy. A story for another time perhaps..."
JH: "The artwork for your recent tunes is extremely striking and gives a nice continuity to your releases. Did Matthew Cooper explain the meaning behind the designs?"
A: "Matt actually gave us quite a good explanation for the inspiration and meaning behind the artwork. He wanted to continue the greco-roman mythological theme he had established with our last single ‘Brothers’; he was struck most by the references to the sea and fire in our lyrics so naturally he was drawn to the stories of Neptune/Poseidon (the god of the sea, earthquakes and horses). We were sent a selection of possible artworks, each referencing different aspects of the mythology. To quote Matt regarding the one we were drawn to, “Both Poseidon and Neptune has numerous consorts, hence the imagery of women and of male and female [forms] merged."
JH: "Every January throws up "Big This Year" type lists which i've seen you feature on a couple this time around. Do you guys feel any pressure from these kind of lists?"
A: "Its always great to be included in these lists and its awesome to see that the stuff we have done over the previous year has caught peoples attention enough for them to have expectations. I wouldn't say we feel pressured by it, more just spurred on to do bigger and better things and prove the lists to be right."
JH: "Having been to many an Affairs gig over the years I've noticed over time how you guys have become more polished as a live act. Is this from getting out there and playing or hours of rehearsing behind the scenes?"
New single 'Play' is available below for your listening pleasure and I will naturally have a review of tonights gig at some point.
Jase Hare