Having secured their Bloodstock place by winning Nottingham’s Metal 2 The Masses, Beyond Your Design tell Emily Castles their plans for Catton Park, where they will be appearing on the New Blood Stage on the Sunday.
MR: Many congratulations on winning Metal 2 the Masses in Nottingham – how are you feeling about your success?
We’re feeling overjoyed! This has been our third time competing in Metal 2 The Masses and our first time playing the Nottingham heats. To represent Nottingham at this year’s Bloodstock Festival is a true honour and something we are incredibly proud of.
MR: Did you have any favourite moments or sets of the evening?
There’s too many to count! The fantastic crowd didn’t let us down, leaping immediately into moshpits and circle pits and didn’t let up for our entire set. It took mother nature flooding the venue to stop them, which is a true testament to the veracity and electric energy that exists in the Nottingham music scene.
MR: Had you been fans of Bloodstock before M2TM – have you been before?
We’ve all had our own experiences with Bloodstock and M2TM in our time. I first attended Bloodstock in 2015 when Trivium headlined the festival. I’ve attended every year since, seeing many of my idols like Gojira, Sylosis, Lamb Of God, Dark Tranquility, Orbit Culture and many of our friends! It’s the premier UK heavy metal event of the year, and anyone who’s been there can attest to the unity and community amongst the hallowed grounds.
MR: Do you have any other gigs or tours planned this year?
We’re fully booked for this year! We must be doing something right! We’ve just got back from our first tour in Ireland and Northern Ireland with previous M2TM Leicester winners Internal Conflict, who’ve also played the Sophie stage. We’ve got a tour later on this year still to announce, but we’re beginning to make plans to eventually take on Europe!
MR: A few weeks ago, you released your new single (and music video) ‘Saints + Sinners’ – how did you go about creating this and are you pleased with how it’s been received?
‘Saints + Sinners’ has quickly became a fan-favourite at our live shows. It was a privilege to work with our friend Charlie of Diaphony Productions to film our most popular music video. We decided to go for something simple by filming at our favourite local venue The Hairy Dog in Derby. Surprisingly, this was one of our lowest effort music videos to date. Those are usually the most stress-free, and goes to show that you can never predict how well a video will perform. For some of our other music videos we spent thousands producing, and they achieved half of what S+S has. All you need is the passion, drive and an incredible team behind you.
MR: You also released some limited-edition t-shirts to accompany the release – how did that process work?
They’re proper sick aren’t they! We worked with local artist RIP Bambi who designed our Saints + Sinners artwork. We asked her for something suggestive, erotic and to potentially have religious undertones but this wasn’t essential. It’s our most expensive piece of artwork and it just so happens to be our favourite! The shirts have nearly sold out, even though they are gig exclusive merch item which is just insane! The love and support we’ve received from our fans means everything to us.
MR: Are you working on anything in the studio at the moment?
Oooft not too far off! Currently we’re demoing some ideas for our debut album that we’re planning for next year. Many of the ideas are coming together, and I’d love to tell you this is ‘our heaviest material to date’ and that ‘you’re not ready for what we’ve got planned’…but you can decide that for yourself! I think people will be surprised when they hear what we’ve been cooking up.
MR: What can fans expect who may be seeing you at Bloodstock for the very first time?
They can expect to be entertained! The fan experience at our shows means everything to us. We aim to deliver an exciting and engaging performance that resonates with everyone in attendance. Live music is often an escapism from the mire of everyday life. And our aim is to bring a few moments of enjoyment and laughter to everyone’s day. To unite under one banner of heavy metal, among like-minded people.
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