5 Minutes with Eades: The Leeds quintet telling gritty Northern tales through indie rock

Eades’ sound is most definitely shifting. Though the five-piece band from Leeds may have only gotten together in 2019, their new track ‘Reno pt.2’, which was released yesterday, is signifying a fresh era for the up-and-comers as they delve into more infectious bouts of energy. The stage is undoubtedly where the boys thrive, having performed at the likes of Rotterdam’s Left Of The Dial Festival or Rolling Stone’s Beach Festival in Germany, with sweaty crowds lapping up the lads’ tunes. And somehow, their dynamic live presence is translated into this new single –  injecting synth energy into a classic indie-rock style. 

The band consists of Harry Jordan as lead and rhythm guitar, Tom O’Reilly joining as vocalist and lead guitar, Tom Barr on keys, Sam Wilde on bass, and Dan Clifford-Smith on drums. ‘Reno pt.2’, follows their acclaimed debut album Delusion Spree last year, continuing from the highs of where ‘Reno pt.1’ left off. Storytellers by nature, this track follows the journey of an arsonist going from arrest to court case, in a gritty Northern tale of a life in crime. “Out of the fire, out into the cold,” is the final line of the original, as they bring it back full circle to continue exposing untold stories of these characters on the outskirts of society. Inspired by the musical greats and ringing in influences like the Velvet Underground and Sonic Clash, the boys going to take to the stage again soon; supporting Wunderhorse on their sold-out UK tour this April. Here, HUNGER catches up with Eades before they hit the road…

How would you describe your music?           

Tom O’Reilly: We sing a bit here, shout a bit there. There are soft moments and abrasive moments that make you think. It’s music to fall in love, to rip a chandelier down, to drive to Disney land. Suitable for weddings, funerals, and baby showers.

Sam Wilde: Eades is full of energy and exuberance – it’s raw, unpredictable, and raucous, but catchy and melodic at the same time.

How did the band meet?

The band met on the Leeds music scene during their time studying there but didn’t start

jamming together until they’d all graduated, with bassist [Sam Wilde] and

keys/percussion player [Tom Barr] joining later on.

Tom O’Reilly: We all met in relatively boring ways, but with each member, I shared a silent, knowing nod as we both acknowledged that one day we would share a stage and rock together.

What has been the highlight of your journey so far?

Dan Clifford-Smith: Getting to tour Europe last year was pretty special for everyone in the band and every expectation was exceeded. The crowds, promoters, and venues were so accommodating to us and made our experience unimaginable. Our rider at Supersonic in Paris included red wine, bread, and local cheeses – different standards to what we are used to at home. Playing on a boat cruise for Rotterdam’s Left Of The Dial festival was certainly one to remember or Rolling Stone’s Beach Festival in Germany.

Delusion Spree came out last year. Do you have a favourite track on the album?  

‘Reno’, probably as it involves a lot of gang vocals and everyone’s absolutely going for it.

How do you get into the zone when making music?

Harry Jordan: I just listen to a bunch of my favourite albums for motivation and inspiration. Velvet Underground and Nico and Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 get me in the mood to write. I do it most days now so getting into the swing of it comes quite naturally because it’s where I’m most comfortable. You end up in a tunnel vision-like state when writing and demoing.

Sam Wilde: Listening to some great and new albums for influence. Jamming ideas together. Also watching other live bands is always great for inspiration.

What’s been your favourite Eades performance?

Tom Barr: For me, it would be either The Dome in Tufnell Park or Bedford Esquires where we supported Sprints at both of these sold-out shows. They were really nice guys and great fun.

Sam Wilde: There are so many that have been so much fun, but some highlights would be the Rolling Stone Beach festival, all the shows at Left of the Dial, and recently playing NYE at Louisiana in Bristol. The crowd was wild for that one.

Tom O’Reilly: Tech Noir in Rotterdam for Left of the Dial was great as we didn’t know what to expect and were blown away by the crowd.

If you could share a stage with anyone, who would it be?

Sam Wilde: Probably has to be the Rolling Stones or the Beatles for me.

Harry Jordan: Bob Dylan.

Tom O’Reilly: Langkamer.

Could you walk us through your current creative process?

Tom O’Reilly: We have a few different methods when it comes to writing, but usually we will sacrifice our current synth/percussion player to the gods of sound and music. If they are pleased, we are gifted with an EP or an album.

Harry Jordan: Mostly, it starts out with an instrumental that I’ll demo, and once I’ve got a rough instrumental together I’ll write some lyrics and the melody to that. Often, I’ll get Tom to the studio and we will write the lyrics or finish the instrumentals together. We often use each other as a form of quality control as we’re really open and honest with each other about our ideas and we’ve learned not to take anything too personally. The best ones tend to be when we do them together. Once the demos are done we will show the band and re-structure the songs from there once everyone has put their spin on things. 

How would you describe your experiences so far as an up-and-coming band in the

industry today?

Sam Wilde: It’s been great so far. We have made loads of memories and visited loads of places we otherwise probably wouldn’t have seen. It does require a lot of graft, especially in an industry where a lot of people are trying to do the same, but it’s a privilege to be able to do something we love and get some fantastic opportunities.

Harry Jordan: We’ve made a lot of amazing memories already. Just excited to get back on the road and make more.

Who are the main inspirations behind your sound?

Velvet Underground, Television, The Breeders, Rolling Stones, The Clash, Pavement

and Sonic Youth.

What’s next for Eades?

Dan Clifford-Smith: ‘Reno Pt2’ is out March 22nd, which will mark our 1st release since our debut album last year – so we’re super excited to share the new direction we’re headed. We’ve also got a big run of shows supporting Wunderhorse on their sold-out UK tour in April ’23, including Electric Ballroom in London, which everyone is absolutely buzzing for.