When you discover a new band, it’s natural to go online and find out more about them. This often includes searching for upcoming tour dates, and if you’re unlucky, realising they recently played your town.
Fortunately, the timing worked out in our favour with the band Plasticine. We were instantly hooked by their song ‘On My Own’, and were excited to learn they had a show scheduled at King Tuts on April 20th. Eager to learn more about the band, we arranged an interview with lead singer, Summer Skye.
In our conversation, Summer discusses Plasticine’s upcoming tour, the stories behind some of their songs from last year, locksmiths and of course, the unknown.
How would you quickly introduce yourself to someone who hasn’t heard your music yet?
Hi, we’re Plasticine, we want to make people feel something they’ve never felt before when listening to our music. You’ll get the gist when you see us.
You’re heading off on a UK tour soon, playing London, Manchester and Glasgow. How’s the mood in the camp for that?
Yeah, we’re buzzing. This will be our first headline tour. We’ve never played London before so we don’t think many people know us there yet and we want to change that. We’ve played Manchester a few times now and we just love it there, and of course Glasgow is our home and will always be the best city to play, for any artist – crowds are mega.
You supported Gallus across Scotland in February. How was that, and did you pick up any ideas or tips you want to implement on your own tour?
Aye, it was a good laugh, if you know Gallus, you know that their crowds are as mad as them. We’ve known them for a good while, they’re brand new and always love sharing a bill with them.
As for tips, next time I will not lock my guitar case and forget to bring my keys when we are 170 miles away from home. Shout out to the guy from Timpsons who came to help post-shift, legend.
You’re at TRNSMT on Saturday. Are you going to hang around for most of the weekend? Anyone you really want to see?
Yeah, we’re really looking forward to catching Wunderhorse, Ben Walker, Gallus, Nova Twins, Garbage, and Liam Gallagher, to name a few.
You released a few excellent songs last year. Can you tell us a bit more about ‘On My Own’ and ‘Deep End’?
Thank you. It was kind of a weird time for me when those two songs were created. They were written not long after the other. When writing ‘On My Own’, I felt a bit trapped in life, I was in a really unhealthy relationship, the world was going to shit and everything was very heavy. It follows the narrative of yearning for liberation from the confines of mundane existence.
I guess I was searching for autonomy and self-discovery. The song sort of wrote itself and I hope it invites people to reflect on their own journey of navigating through life’s uncertainties and pursuing personal growth despite the obstacles we face.
‘Deep End’ is a prompting dialogue of the better, more positive end of that period. It’s a testament to the resilience and strength we all possess and I think this song offers a beacon of hope because brighter days lie ahead for those who keep showing up.
You also released an acoustic version of ‘On My Own’. What was the thinking behind that?
I initially wrote this song on my acoustic guitar in my garage. I wanted to capture its raw essence because it holds a certain heaviness to it with just the guitar and vocals. We decided to record it ourselves in our manager’s office building with the help of our friend Harry. It was January and the hall we used was freezing cold, almost unbearable.
Despite the sub-zero temperatures and nearly giving up because I felt like I was dying of hyperthermia, we managed to record the whole thing in one take. I wanted any imperfections left in.
As far as I’m aware, you’ve not released anything yet this year. Is there anything in the pipeline you can talk about?
We’re working on lots of music that we plan to release.
Last year, you released a cover of ‘Pure Imagination’ (a song composed for Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and performed by Gene Wilder). Do you think this kicked off the Willy Wonka craze in Glasgow?
That is the unknown.
Did you have any thoughts of re-releasing it or at trying to cash in on Wonka mania?
That event was quite embarrassing for Glasgow. Cashing in on quick trends isn’t something that we do, I think it sends the wrong message. We just feel bad for the people that haven’t had the real Wonka experience by coming to see us play ‘Pure Imagination’ live.
What’s your aim for the rest of the year?
Release more music, travel to new places to play our music, and have fun doing it.
Plasticine headline King Tut’s on Saturday 20th April
