On the 26th April local heroes Bad Milk Blood Robot bring their Psych Grunge sound to The Rooms so we got the rundown on all things new music!
Hey guys, hope you’re all good! How are you feeling ahead of the show?
Phil : Really excited! It’s Rescue Rooms, one of the crown jewels of Nottingham. Not only are we getting to release our second album at this show, but also it will be the first time a lot of these songs have been heard live. This is a big step for the band and we can’t wait to share it with you all.
Samer: It has been a long time coming. It sort of feels like Christmas, but you are not actually sure it’s Christmas! We have had a lot of support from people around us who believed in what we are doing and our way of doing things. It’s not every day that, as a musician, you get to headline the same venue as some of your favourite bands, and heroes, played and that venue is in your local city.
A lot of people have gone out of their way to make this show happen, so thank you every one of you!
You’ve got a new album on the way, what was the writing process like for that and is it something that’s been building up for a long time?
Gaz: Our first album was written was much as we got to know each other, whereas this album was written with a concept in mind, as a group, and we really delved into the sounds, styles and weirdness of Bad Milk Blood Robot. We started writing the early tracks about 18 months ago but at some point we realised all the new songs had some common themes and started writing it as an album. It has been a different process but we are really pleased with how it has turned out!
Samer: We actually started writing this album around the time we were finishing mastering our first album – our self-titled from last year. Some songs we already started playing live and we knew the direction we were going was one that we believed in, strongly.
Like most bands some songs just come together and as soon as someone plays that initial line or riff it feels like it’s writing itself.
Other songs needed a chisel, a hammer and a patient ear to help get them somewhere we want them to be.
Some of the songs changed of course in the studio. Phil from JT Soar really helped shape the songs further and bring the best elements out and make a record we are proud of.
In not sure exactly when we decided on the concept of the album, but we were loosely writing around it. As soon as we had a group of songs together, we fine-tuned them and decided to record them.
Anxiety is a song we wrote that was before we knew what the concept of the album was and then the song lyrically and musically felt like it needed to be included in the album.
Can you tell us a bit more about how the name of the band came about?
Phil: The name came from a Hong Kong bootleg synopsis from the back of the DVD case for the film Alien
” Space ship people get up from sleeping coffin and have eat. Computer woman find strange noisings on planet and astronauts go to seeing.
Astronauts find big elephant man who dead then find too many egg. Astronaut is possess by egg demon and new egg demon is come when eat bad noodle. Seven friends and cat all try to find egg demon before space ship go home but is hard working.
Who will life to escaping? Who is bad milk blood robot? Scream not working because space make deaf.”
At first we were unsure if the name was too much, but after talking to people and hearing everyone argue about Who is Bad Milk Blood Robot we knew it was a crazy name for our crazy little band.
Nottingham has got a thriving local music scene at the moment, what do you think it is about the city that creates such a great atmosphere and space for bands to grow and develop?
Samer: That’s not an easy question to answer because Nottingham has so many various elements that make it a place for creativity to thrive. But I think it’s the underlining theme or agreement that venues have with promoters and musicians, ever since I moved to Nottingham, I felt like it was so easy to get a local gig somewhere. There are so many different scenes in Nottingham and so many wonderful venues, pubs, dives and spaces that are run by equally enthusiastic people who love music and want other bands to thrive.
Sometimes Nottingham feels like a witch’s cauldron and everyone wants to make the best magical brew they can, so they all gather round and bit everything they want it to be inside. I think Nottingham just has the right elements and right attitude to make awesome magic sauce!!
Gaz: I think the variety is key. There are some really big and professional venues and outfits but also a real DIY ethic too. In Rock City we have one of the biggest independent venues in the country and we also have JT Soar, a tiny DIY studio, chain venues like Rough Trade and then proper DIY places like The Grove. Nottingham is a melting pot of all genres, all ways of doing it and with the mix of passionate ‘hey up me duck’ born n bred locals and constant influx of students it is a prime buffet of artistic talent.
Whereabouts did you record the latest tracks to the album?
Phil: The Album was recorded with the wizard Phil Booth at JT Soar. JT Soar really is a credit to Notts. Phil always pushes us hard to get the best out of us and to try new ideas.
Do you find the studio the best place to write or do you find that trialling songs live is the best way to finalise them?
Phil : We always write in the practice room. As musicians we all come from different backgrounds, Gaz coming from the Ska/ reggae scene, Andy being a DJ, Samer the goth tinged metal guy and Phil coming from the punk scene. Due to our open mindedness about music we all just throw our ideas into the cooking pot and see what concoctions come out at the end. This is what makes BMBR so unique and interesting for us. By the time we take our songs live they have normally been in the practice room for several months, so it’s always exciting to take them out live and see people dancing away to them.
Gaz: I think it depends on the songs. We have played maybe half this album once or twice at a gig over the last year to see the reaction but some songs will be played live for the first time at Rescue Rooms on April 26th for the launch. I think writing is usually best in a small room where you fully intoxicate yourself in your music but it is good to see that others feel the vibe live too and adjust the songs.
Samer: We also like to jam and jam out ideas. Just keep playing until we find a groove or a theme that we can work around. Our first single from the new album, Man V Machine, we were actually stuck on what to do with the second chorus, every time we played we added more, another riff, a clean section nothing seems to stick. Andy our drummer just suggested one day to keep playing a chord and see what happens, and that’s exactly how it ended being, a one chord outro-jam that captures everything we want to do with this band.
Lastly, if you had to pick one – mosh pit or dance floor?
We all agree that a Dance-Pit-Mosh-Floor is something we all need to experience. Come show us your funky moves and head bang.
Bad Milk Blood Robot headline Rescue Rooms on the 26th April. Tickets on sale here.
