An Interview with The Hummingbirds

Name: The Hummingbirds
Band Members: Jay Davies (Vocals/Guitar), Matt Brougham (Rhythm Guitar), Rich Smith (Box/Backing Vocals), Mic Kountis (Lead Guitar), Ryan Lewis (Bass), Graeme Heerden (Keys)
Based: Liverpool, England
Music Genre: Folk

                               Image via The Hummingbirds' website.

With their folksy, genuine sound, it's surprising The Hummingbirds aren't already dominating the airwaves. They have a Beatles inspired sound, which is refreshing for this hop-hop and pop crazed generation. Jay, the vocalist and guitarist for the band, interviewed with us! Check out his witty, honest responses below! You certainly won't just be listening to their songs on repeat, but you will want all of them to be your best friends.  

Where do you get your ideas for song?

Song ideas can literally come from anywhere, but the songs we enjoy playing most are ones that we have made personal to ourselves and situations we have been in etc. Usually our songs will tend to be about relationships, whether any names are mentioned or not, we all know who it is we are singing about!  

What do you do when you lack inspiration?

When we lack inspiration we simply put a song on hold. We never try to write when it doesn’t come naturally. We have done it in the past but you find that the next day you all hate what has been written. Our song 'Emma' was a song that was on hold for more than a month. We simply could not come up with a melody after setting our heart on the whistle intro. After a month and many other efforts the whole song came plastering out of us within the space of twenty minutes.

When did each of you decide you wanted to be a musician for a living?

This never came until things started happening with the band. We wont feed you any American Idol  sob story shit, saying we’ve wanted it since we were babies. We just seen how people reacted when we were put in front of them and that was it! I suppose it's seeing the pleasure you can give other people. The buzz off that is just unreal. 

What was your first performance as a group like?

Our first performance as a group was one that we rehearsed for the night before in Mic’s bedroom. The band decided we would be able to wing the performance and that we did. We played in the basement of a Liverpool club called “Heebie Jeebies." We played there for a while afterwards while we got ourselves tight and together.

Note: The band played without a bassist for a good amount of months because they didn't think they needed one. After recording a few tracks, they realized they did in fact need a bassist.

What drives you forward when you have tough times on the road?

There are always tough times on the road, you just have to keep all the good times in your head and realize why you are on the road to begin with. The toughest time we had lately was the heaters going in the van, this meant the front window kept steaming up so we had to drive all the way home from London with every window open in the van. We were all shaking and hugging each other, I [Jay] actually ended up in hospital a few days later with pleurisy. It was totally worth it though, as we sold out 2 London shows!

We love your sound, what singer/musicians inspire you?

Thanks very much! Glad you like it. Our main inspiration being from Liverpool has got to be The Beatles, we literally live and breath their tunes, as I'm writing this 'no reply' is currently playing in the background. John Lennon is my favourite vocalist and sometimes I feel that may come across in some of our own stuff. Take a listen and see what you think. 

Do you have any plans to come over to the U.S.?

We have every intention of hitting the US this Summer. However we will need a lot of cash just to literally put our guitars onto whatever form of transport that escorts us there, but yeah let's get there ASAP! 

What derails you from performing and what helps you get back in the game?

The only thing that derails us from performing is literally not wanting to saturate places with our music. The music business is a very strange thing, if you play too much people get fed up, if you don’t play enough people get fed up. You can’t actually win so we just try and find the right balance. However I do believe we need to gig more. Not to constantly blame cash but we can't drive all the way to London without filling the tank with juice, If a venue isn’t paying you then unfortunately sometimes you just have to sit at home and do something else productive. (Harsh Reality)

Image via The Hummingbirds' website.

Is there anyone who’s career you’d like to emulate?

The Beatles (will never happen again but we can only dream) 

Who supports you the most?

At the moment our city support us (fans, venues, football clubs etc) not so much radio stations however, as once again the music business is very tricky and stations such as radio city (Liverpool's most popular) will not play you unless you literally crawl into bed with them the night before. Unfortunately we are stuck in reality where X Factor artists rule the air waves. With that being the case, the airwaves seem pretty pathetic. Not all, but a huge majority mean sad times for the entire industry. Hopefully it may turn back around with some of the amazing talent breaking through. Jake Bugg & Mumford and Sons have a huge influence on what happens radio wise over the next couple of years. Lets hope we can help to.

What song/album this year do you wish you had written?

Album- Jake Bugg

Song - Two Fingers

What is your ultimate goal?

'Ambition. To be rich' John W Lennon

What truly makes you happy as a band?

When we play live and the sound comes back through the monitors just like the record.  This is when we are at our happiest. The sound tech is just as important as our own performance.

Image via The Hummingbirds' website.

What job would you have if you weren’t a performer?

Football (Soccer) players, I believe they are very rich too.

Is there anything you want to tell the American audience about yourselves?

Yeah, Get yourselves ready for us, once we arrive we don't intend on coming home!

Do you have an album or EP that we should look out for?

We currently have 3 EP's out which are all available to buy on ITunes or simply listen to online via our website. We personally would recommend you take a listen to our 'Break Your Heart' EP however another favorite is 'Talking of Tomorrow'!

Check out the band's website here:

http://wearethehummingbirds.com

Listen to their album here!
https://soundcloud.com/wearethehummingbirds

When you love it (which we know you will), you can buy their EP's on iTunes!