Rock Monsters Romania

The quarantine was a really hard period for bands and artist. We talked to some bands from all over the world to see the real effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic in music.

Today we talk to Arcadian Haze, a Grit Pop band whose funky grooves combine rap and hip hop beats with indie rock n roll to create the new sound of working class Northern England.

How can you describe the changes generated by the pandemic in the band’s activity?

Obviously, the massive change is not being able to gig and play our own music to an audience and we miss the social and networking elements that go along with it. But luckily it has given us plenty of extra time to focus on our social media and PR to support our latest release. So I suppose it’s more a switching of momentum and a different focus which has allowed us to step outside day to day band life and have a good overview of where we are and where we want to be headed.

What daily activity did you miss the most during quarantine?

Number one: Going to the boozer! I guess it’s all the obvious things like being able to go to each other’s houses, visiting family and friends etc. Most of us were able to carry on working throughout the lockdowns, so other than what I just mentioned, it was pretty much the same old worklife drudgery, plus mask and hand gel!!

Were there any pluses for this period without concerts?

Yeah definitely! It gave us a chance to sort some band propaganda out and also get a new recording set up in our lock up. We’ve written some new material too and it’s about time we played it live, now!! The anticipation and tension that has been building up for a return to live gigs could be a good thing when eventually it comes back. I just hope that not too many venues will be lost to this pandemic. It’s a sorry state of affairs.

How does it feel to hear the idea of returning to some normalcy?

Fantastic to say the least, but I’m approaching it with a ‘believe it when I see it’ mentality as there’s been so much false hope and too many setbacks in the last 12 months. Let’s hope we can have some freedom this summer and get back to being the social creatures we all are.

What plans have you got for 2021?

Another EP is in the pipeline, probably three tracks again, so we’ll get that recorded and released and keep growing the fan base. We’re also going to get a website up and running, to act as a central hub for everything @arcadianhaze, more merchandise, photos, reviews, tickets etc. All being well we want to do some festivals and decent gigs but we’ll have to wait and see how it all pans out for now.

Do you have any message for the bands or artists who are still in lockdown/quarantine?

Keep the faith! Get your head down and refocus your energy on something worthwhile to get you through the bullshit. Stop picking your toenails and write some songs haha, that’s probably more a note to myself. It’s hard though, it’s so fucking deflating this period of time. Although there might be some positives, they’re pretty fucking thin on the ground, I would say try and focus on the good morsals rather than the negative. What else can you do?

What message do you have for the people who are going to read this interview?

Thanks for reading and if you haven’t already please check out our debut EP ‘Love on the Dole’. If you like what you hear keep checking our social media for regular updates. Cheers!

Interview by Radu Mihai