Artist Advent Day 11: Five Lines
Written by: Freya Zaidi
Welcome to Day 11 of Next Wave's Artist Advent Calendar, where we shine a spotlight on Five Lines, an indie band that draws inspiration from diverse musical roots. In an exclusive chat with Next Wave, members Donovan and Matt share how music sparked their journey, the challenges they've faced, and the memorable moments that define their musical adventure.
From Donovan's first iPod tunes to the band's uni days, their story reflects a blend of music and life's surprises. Hear about their ups and downs in the industry and their approach to staying true to their music while navigating its twists and turns.
Explore their influences, dreams, and the humorous anecdotes that shape their creative process. Get to know the vibrant world of Five Lines through their candid tales and infectious sounds.
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Next Wave: What inspired you to pursue music?
Donovan: It’s always been about music, ever since I had my first iPod loaded with franz Ferdinand tunes. That kicked it all off. Then it all spiralled into this from uni. I was in bands before I met Matt and the boys but this just seems to be right at the moment. It’s all about going with the flow.
Next Wave: Who are your musical influences or role models?
Matt: Recently Jeff Buckley and wunderhorse have really been big influences for me personally. And I think that’s made its way through into some of the newer stuff.
Next Wave: What's the most challenging aspect of breaking into the music industry?
Donovan: It’s the constant forwards and backwards, sometimes you’ve gotta go two steps back to go one forward. But I kinda love it. I know some people don’t enjoy it because it’s like that, but it keeps things exciting. Who knows what we’re gonna be doing in 3 months.
Next Wave: How do you go about promoting your music and building your fanbase?
Matt: Primarily we want to focus on the live side. But recently we’ve been trying to push social media a bit more to help try and capture more attention. We don't chase it though, I think that's good because it keeps us focused on the music.
Next Wave: How has technology and the internet impacted your music career?
Donovan: It's something you’re always wary of, especially when things blew up for us last year. Your privacy can be nonexistent sometimes and you’ve just gotta be aware of how you want the band and music to be portrayed. But saying that, we’ve got lots of streams from around the globe who wouldn’t usually have that kind of access to our music, for that we were extremely grateful.
Next Wave: Do you have any advice for other up-and-coming musicians trying to make it in the industry?
Matt: Definitely don't sleep with your band mates, unless the budget means bed sharing...
Next Wave: What are your long-term goals and aspirations?
Donovan: I’d love to play some really cool venues, the o2 would be one for sure. We want to head back into the studio and see what happens. We’ve got a lot of music we want to get out there and show to everyone. Songs were super proud of.
Next Wave: Can you share a memorable moment from your musical journey so far?
Matt: Accidentally head-butting Euan mid guitar solo cause I got over excited running around with a Bluetooth mic. Didn’t even break his stride though, it was very impressive.
Next Wave: Can you share a little about your creative process and how you come up with new ideas for songs?
Donovan: We usually jam in rehearsals and people will bring stuff that they’re working on at home. We go through it all and see what sits well with us, and then Calum usually tells us he’s not feeling it so we scrap the whole tune and start again. That happens a lot, but it’s important he gets on board as he’s got a great ear for our sound.
Next Wave: What song, ep or album of yours would you recommend to someone who is listening to your music for the first time?
Matt: Well we've got the two tunes out at the moment in the form of Semi-Nude and See Red, if people really want to dig they can go through our socials to see what live footage we've got of songs as well.