Myth City Interview

 It's not every day you get invited to watch a band jam at their studios. However Robanna Studios in the heart of Birmingham is everything you'd expect it to be. The rooms are hot and dingy but the atmosphere is electrifying. Most importantly Myth City are on fire, and that was just a typical jamming session for them.

Myth City are comprised of four mates based in the Birmingham/Wolverhampton area. Vocalist Maz, guitarist Barbs, drummer Simon and bassist Matt. Maz who's predominantly well-known for his YouTubing endeavours has decided to create a balance and is focusing with the rest of the band on getting the Myth City bandwagon on full drive.

For someone who has influenced me in my life, you can't help but get a little bit starstruck at Maz's presence, however he is nothing but a truly nice and chilled guy and it's rare to meet a band so down to earth and on a level with each other.

Sitting on a bean bag throughout the duration of the interview, you know you're in for a laid-back time. The band reciprocated, chilling in a circle as if it was just mates hanging out. But the talk of touring got them excited and eager to share their plans with me.

"We're playing an O2 Academy 2 show on April 25th" Simons reveals with clear excitement. This show is like no other due to the presence of "big promoters from all over the world" witnessing Myth City showcase their talents. They do not seem the slightest bit worried, demonstrating their confidence in their abilities without a single layer of arrogance.

The O2 Academy show is the just the start of their campaign as Myth City deservedly bagged themselves a support slot with Fearless Vampire Killers. Maz happily tells me how this came to be.

"My buddy Ben Cook, he does YouTube videos too and he's friends with the lead singer. He told them to check us out basically and he got in touch. Since then it's been guns blazing and we've always wanted to tour."

"It's a dream come true" Barbs adds.

It seems the general consensus in rock bands is to prepare for the tour by "getting f*cked up" as Matt aptly puts it. But even with the intriguing rock 'n' roll lifestyle, Myth City know that they need to constantly put the work in.

"When we're jamming, usually we do the set like three or four times in one practice. So we overcompensate so when we're on stage, it's like second nature" Maz responds.

You can tell this is true just by hearing how solid they sounded during rehearsal. Not only do they sound great live, but their self entitled EP is phenomenal for a band who have only properly been together two or so years.

The story of how the band got together is charming and one which the band have never been tired of telling, as witnessed by the smile on Matt's face when talking about it.

"Me and Barbs have been mates since secondary school and well he plays guitar, I play bass so we had a couple of jam sessions and we were in and out of a few bands together. When I left school I met Simon in plumbing college, found out he was in another band drumming, so I said to him 'we're going to Robanna's tonight if you fancy coming' and that was the foundation."

"We were then looking for a singer and we found Maz on a website called Join My Band and he approached us and said he was interested."

"Being in a band is all I ever thought about so one day I thought f*ck it, so I literally put into Google 'I want to be in a band' and that's the first thing that made it happen." Maz said with a heap of passion.

"This is why I think it was meant to be, because how it happened was just so quick and ever since the first time we met up, the chemistry was there."

"We actually made the song Dirt On My in our first practice together" Barbs adds.

You can tell how united the band are by the sole theme of making music together. Also the concurrent element that strikes out in the band's music are the lyrics and just how personal they are, especially to Maz.

"I feel like music for me is the perfect way to escape for me to bitch about my problems, and Ingredients Of Fatigue is a song that was recorded at a time where I was going through sh*t."

Maz also reflects on how "super easy" songs are to write when it's on such a personal level, referring to them as "liquid."

"I also like to freestyle when the guys play to get ideas, and occasionally Barbs tries to pick up on words I say, which can often be hilarious."

Influence is a major part of what makes a band sound how they do, and the very second I mentioned Myth City sounding akin to Deftones, a sea of cheer came my way, with each member stating their love for the legendary metallers.

"There one of the only bands we all actually love" Matt adds.

This goes hand in hand with their unorthodox style of a huge rap/metal/rock hybrid, as the band all provide different elements to make a extraordinary yet brilliant sound.

"We don't go out of our way to be unique, we just come together in a different way to a lot of other bands. We all listen to music at different ends of the spectrum which gets put into what we make" Si responds.

Maz agrees with this notion:

"We all bring our own essence of individuality into it. It's not like we all have slicked black hair and eye makeup. I watched back the music video for The Vendetta, it was really noticeable to me that I don't want anyone to change. I want us to stay like how we are and keep our separate style."

The lads are indeed spot on with what they're saying. Place the four of them individually and they do not look like a band. Put them together for a photo shoot in a studio or in front of a brick wall and Myth City appears.

Maz is renowned for being able to perform in front of an audience, and even if it's a YouTube video, he knows that beyond that camera, he has an abundance of followers. However he feels that his persona differs a bit in the music world.

"On the internet everyone knows it's like you exaggerate your personality slightly, that's how people are drawn in. But when I do band stuff, I'm still a funny guy but when you listen to the music you wouldn't necessarily think it was me."

"I think it's a good thing, but with Myth City and my videos I try and do what's right for me and stay true to me."

It is no secret that there are hundreds of bands forming every day who want to get to the top, but the lads at Myth City are purely in this for the music, the way it's suppose to be. So when I asked them what advice they had for upcoming bands such as themselves, they showed so much passion towards what being in a band is actually about.

"Don't do it!" Maz jokingly says.

"Just be sure that want to do it, it takes a lot more work than what you see." Si adds.

"Playing on stage is like the tip of the iceberg, and the other 90% is underwater, there's so much more that goes with it."

"Do it for the music, don't do it 'cause you wanna be massive or anything because you'll never do it" Matt responds with a grin on his face.

"You don't have to be the next Beatles or Rolling Stones, as long as you're happy in your own space making music with your mates, that's all you want." Barbs adds with complete conviction.

It is refreshing to see four guys in a band who enjoy rocking out together and have the exact same ideals when it comes to fame and money. They are purely in this business to make fans happy with their music.

2015 is going to be a huge year for Myth City. The tour is coming up and they're hoping to be around causing mayhem for as long as possible. As Maz puts it:

"Our feet are on the ground now and we're just sprinting as fast as we can now. It's not about where we're gonna get to, it's about how much experience we can get from this."

Make sure you buy the Myth City EP on iTunes and check out the guys on www.mythcityuk.com

Words by Tom Wakenell
Pictures from MythCity UK Facebook Page