An Interview With: Home Counties

Bristol six-piece Home Counties released their debut album, Exactly As It Seems, back in early May. Their material's often bonkers feel feels like the right fit for a label by the name of Submarine Cat Records.

Their funky social commentary leans into that of the satirically serious sort - fun can be had in the face of adversity; feeling good as an act of rebellion, if you will. 

Born in the shire, made in the city. Exactly as it seems. 

Peter: You've just wrapped up your Exactly As It Seems album tour. How was it? How did it feel to play tracks from the new album in a live setting?

HC: The tour was absolutely phenomenal - we’re honestly still in shock at how receptive everyone has been to the album. Every night was a huge party, thanks in no small part to the people who showed up and danced their hearts out.

We’ve been writing, recording, and practising these songs for well over a year now so it felt amazing to finally get them out into the world. It was crazy that people were already singing the words back to us when the album had only been out for a couple days.

Peter: Could you tell me about the pros and cons of being on tour? From my eyes, I'd imagine travelling can be nice, but quite taxing at times?

HC: Touring is a lot of fun, but it does take some practice to avoid burning out too quickly. Quality sleep and healthy meals become scarce resources, and every band member should learn when to give the rest some space. It’s great to be able to see loads of different cities and meet lots of people, but you also have to accept that you won’t get to do all the things you’d like to. For example, we went to Liverpool and didn’t even get to see the Cavern Club.

There are certainly some downsides, but to be honest, even when you feel shattered and have a long drive ahead of you it’s still the most fun ever.

Peter: Considering Home Counties has six members - and with it six personalities and sets of traits, preferences etc - what are some of the challenges that you face as a collective?

HC: This is actually less of a challenge than you might expect. We’ve all been friends since school so we really can’t take each other too seriously at this point. Any antagonism that arises between us immediately gets satirised and loses all punch - it’s a blessing really.

Peter: You guys make music of a very performative/colourful nature. What is it about performing that seemingly grips you?

HC: Performing has always been central to why we enjoy music. All of our earliest bands were formed on stage, and we cut our teeth playing endless gigs in crappy pub back-rooms and basements. These gigs were often drab, but occasionally the stars would align and the crowd would go mental to your songs. The rush of playing those sorts gigs has certainly stayed with us and continues to inspire what we do next.

Peter: The everyday is a mainstay in your lyrical themes - for example, painting skirting boards and shitty landlords. How important is it to Home Counties to remain relatable?

HC: It’s definitely become a central theme of the album, but I wouldn’t say that being relatable is a conscious choice. The ‘everydayness’ of the album I think just flowed naturally from the fact that the writing process was a long one, and became very much integrated into our day-to-day. The lyrics are often not much more than an extension of the conversations we would have on the way to the studio. The hooks are basically just inside jokes sung over guitars.

Peter: Outside of making music and performing karaoke(love it), what are some things you find yourselves doing when the music mind is switched off?

HC: For a while we had a bit of an obsession with tennis, but this grew a bit tiresome with lack of improvement. We like to have friends over for bbq’s in the garden when it's warm, and douse ourselves with hose water. Otherwise you can pretty much always find us tucked up in our regular corner at the Adam and Eve playing Cambio, or debating the time at which we should transgress to The Globe.

Peter: And finally, do you guys plan to take a bit of a break after the debut and subsequent tour, or do the Home Counties crew keep moving?

HC: We’re taking a bit of a touring break to catch up on some writing, but we’ve got some festivals and European shows which we’re looking forward to. It’s gonna be a busy year for sure.

Much love to the Home Counties crew for being cool x