Interview Eagulls

We meet the noisy Leeds band who definitely did not write 'Hotel California'

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Interview: Eagulls

When you see Eagulls written on a billing, you can nip in the bud the idea that firstly, they might sound the same as the hit Californian rock group of the 1970’s (please note that the spelling is changed and the absence of ‘The’), and secondly, that this could be some nightmare covers band.

Both assumptions would be wrong. Eagulls are a band with their arm draped over the harsh and unobvious. Bearing that in mind, there was good reason for us to be surprised when guitarist Mark Goldsworthy told us their name was actually inspired by a Shaggy song, having misheard the lyrics “Girl you’re my angel, you’re my darling angel”.

“I forgot about that for years until last May when we were at a festival in Barcelona and the Shaggy song came and I started singing ‘Girl your my eagle, you’re my daaarling eagle’ the rest of the lads took to it,” says Goldsworthy

The four piece were cobbled together over a few years of living in Leeds. Goldsworthy is the guitarist, George Mitchell the vocalist, Liam Matthews supports on guitar, Tom Kelly on bass and Henry Ruddell plays drums.

Together they blend cutting lyrics with metallic sounding guitars straight out of the ‘80s, riffs that ring round, rather than smack you in the face, all with reverb and subtly rolling basslines. They’re very much your modern dirt rock band, who wouldn’t sound out of place next to No Age, Girls or even Lovvers.

“I think we have a harsh yet poppy kind of sound, nothing obviously original, but not generic either,” says Goldsworthy. “There are lots of bands who influence us, but I don’t know how much it comes across in our sound, we often get comparisons to bands we’ve never heard of. We basically just play loud ballsy pop songs. George is a cold bastard, I don’t think he knows what morals are, this comes through in his lyrics. We never wanted to sing about lasses, I doubt George is capable of that anyway.”

They’ve also taken the initiative to run some of their own gigs with fellow Leeds band Slowcoaches – probably the best way for new bands to mix with peers and get exposure. “Leeds has certainly been good to us of late,” says Goldsworthy.

You can see Eagulls playing alongside Wonderswan and Bhurgheist on 6^th August at The George, Great George Street, LS2 8BA, 0113 245 3232. www.myspace.com/eagulls

Posted on Wednesday 4th August 2010
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