Q&A – 2000 Trees 2018 Artists: Sun Arcana – August 2018

Hello! You guys just played a wonderful set on the Neu Stage earlier. How did it go?

Tom: It was really good fun; but I think Jules wants to get something off his chest.

Jules: Ummm… I feel as though the band performed incredibly; but I let us down, as I was caught up on the notion of being at Download Festival instead of 2000 Trees. I persistently spoke to the crowd and thanked them for being good; but called them Download without actually realising until the very end where I said “Thanks 2000 Trees, it’s been a pleasure” and received a massive roar of applause.

Today’s your first time playing Trees. What do you think of the festival so far?

Tom: It is. It’s also the first time that we’ve ever been, as well.

Ryan: I think it’s great. We saw the acoustic stage yesterday, which looked incredible and was properly intimate in the trees. We saw Mallory Knox yesterday and also saw Creeper. It just seems like such a good event and everyone’s so polite. It’s got a really nice, chilled out vibe.

Harry: It’s so laid back as well; it’s just a really nice atmosphere.

You released your EP, As I Take A Breath earlier this year. How do you feel that the general reaction has been to the new music?

Harry: I think it’s the best that we could have hoped for, because it’s the first proper release that we’ve done. We got some great feedback and off the back of that we’ve done some radio and the Rock Show, which was really good.

Ryan: We’ve been blown away. It’s been great. Like Harry said, it’s the first release and everything we’ve done ourselves before this have been from our bedroom; so it was nice to actually go to a studio and do something proper.

Are you working on an album yet?

Harry: Yeah, it’s something in the works. We don’t have a date or anything like that; we’re just writing and getting a catalogue together. It’s definitely in the back of our minds.

Ryan: A debut album is something we’d definitely like to do. Hopefully we want to be able to do it next year; but like Harry said, it’s just a case of keep writing and stuff for the moment.

Jules: We want to do it right though, that’s the thing. We don’t want to do anything wrong; because there’s no room for that in the industry nowadays. We just want to get it all right, and then maybe later this year, early next year we can record it. We’re just keeping busy with writing it at the moment.

You also released the Acoustic Sessions EP in April. Would you ever consider doing an acoustic tour?

Tom: I hadn’t actually thought of that.

Jules: I’ve never thought about an acoustic tour.

Tom: We’ve done Sofar Sounds; they are acoustic gigs and they are amazing, so yeah, we definitely do enjoy stripping back the songs.

Jules: It’s a lot more nerve-wracking. I get more nervous when it’s acoustic.

Ryan: Yeah, because you’re in front of everyone and it’s dead quiet.

Jules: Yeah, because you’re not allowed to smash the hell out of it.

You worked with Chris Coulter on the new material, who has produced the likes of Arcane Roots, In Dynamics and Empire. What was it like working with him?

Jules: Fabulous. He is such a gentleman and I love him to bits.

Tom: We hope he’s missed us as well, because we’re so excited to go back in the studio with him. We’re not sure, we need confirmation of this rumour that he misses us!

Jules: We’re all quite immature and he’s a very serious man; but we were in there just doing Inbetweeners quotes at each other. We were just being childish. I feel as though he kind of knows it and understands the kind of parental figure that he has.

Harry: It was the first time that we were in a proper studio for about a week straight, and it was nice seeing the tracks being built up from the ground. We were blown away by how it sounded.

What has been your biggest learning curve as a band so far?

Jules: For me, today. Getting the right festival name for the crowd always helps.

Tom: I don’t know really.

Ryan: I think maybe pace yourself. I know it sounds really boring, but sometimes it’s nice to get a good night’s sleep, chill, stretch before you go on and all that.

Jules: You mean exactly what I didn’t do before I went on?

Tom: See, Ryan got the right festival.

You’ve had a busy couple of months supporting The Maine and A, and also playing Download Festival and The Great Escape. How did they go?

Ryan: Do you know what? When you’re in that moment, I don’t think you realise what you’re doing.

Harry: When you go away from it, you’re like ‘I want to be doing that still!’

Tom: We’ve done some really cool things, and we’re actually really proud of it. I think we want to step it up next year and get some headline slots.

Jules: It goes so quickly as well. That’s what’s so sad about it.

Ryan: It shows you’re having a good time though.

What are your plans as a band for the rest of year?

Harry: We’re trying for a few things that we can’t actually talk about yet; but we are going into the studio again soon to record some singles, so we should have some new music relatively soon. There’s lots going on, but we can’t tell.

Ryan: We’re always in a good routine of rehearsing and writing constantly; so we’re just going to keep doing that and the new singles.

Tom: I think that’s the thing; we’re under a little bit of pressure as we just want to step it up from the last ones as well. We’ll hit it harder next year, I guess.

www.sunarcana.com