12 Questions With FUDGE
NSGs Gemma Bainbridge catches up with Leeds four-piece FUDGE. After the unforgiving slog of booking their own gigs, spreading their inimitable energy and love throughout venues in the UK, and achieving something approaching legendary status in their home city of Leeds, they have now signed to the MARSHALL LIVE AGENCY where they join such luminaries as Gen And The Degenerates, Black Coast, Gutter, Crashface and Snake Eyes. The initial impact to us – the listener, the gig-goer – will be marginal but over the coming months, it will mean that FUDGE will be appearing at more venues in more towns and cities to bring us their epic live performances, that repeatedly are eulogised by those who find themselves caught within the chaos.
NSG: Hello guys and how are you today? What have you been up to this morning?
Fudge: Very good! It’s potentially the hottest day of the year today so we’re melting. Good morning though, thanks for asking. We had a nice long chat this morning with Marshall Live Agency, who we recently signed with, to discuss plans for the rest of the year and next year. Very exciting stuff.
NSG: It’s amazing to finally get a chance to catch up with you! So how and where did you guys all meet? How was ‘FUDGE‘ the band formed?
Fudge: A few of us were mates from school, others met at university and Fabio, the latest addition to the band was found in the giraffe area of the zoo.
NSG: We’ve just been listening to your new EP “The Town Hall Sessions” and absolutely love it! Can you tell us a bit about it?
Fudge: We recorded the EP just as covid hit. Weirdly, we didn’t know what was to come but it’s very apt for what unfolded. The whole EP is recorded live in situ in the magnificent main hall of the Leeds Town Hall. We had a great time doing it and it was fun to approach the challenge of a live recording. If you haven’t seen the videos yet, have a watch. We’re very proud of them!
NSG: You remind me a bit of Fontaines D.C. How would you describe your sound? And what would you like someone listening to you for the first time to get from it?
Fudge: We never really know what to call our sound so we either give a vague response of “Hard Alt Rock” or “Chav Rock” depending on who we’re talking to.
NSG: Do you have a specific writing process?
Fudge: We do. It tends to start with guitar and then vocals and drums come together in the practice room. They’re generally done through crap phone quality recordings over WhatsApp and then brought to life when we practice.
NSG: What’s the most memorable gig you’ve played so far, and do you have any funny stories from a show?
Fudge: There are a few but playing ‘Nottingham Rock City‘ main stage to a sold-out crowd was pretty special. It flew by but we had such a sick time playing there. Every single show on the tour we played a little joke song mid-set for a laugh. Without fail, Otto (our guitarist) had to run off for a piss EVERY SINGLE SHOW!
NSG: Who has the coolest or strangest hobby out of your band members?
Fudge: Cam our lead singer is an absolutely craftsman in building bespoke sheds for the people of the United Kingdom. Angus (drummer) has been known to scale some of the tallest peaks in the UK in his VW Passat.
NSG: Now we’re a fair way out of the pandemic, how are you feeling to be back playing live shows and how did you manage as a band during the lockdowns?
Fudge: We pretty much had a break during Covid. We’re such a ‘live band’ that we didn’t see it being worth our time doing zoom gigs or videos. We all pursued other interests for a bit and then when the time was right, we came back. We’re extremely glad to be back, it’s like we’d never left!
NSG: If you could sit down and have dinner with three people from history, who would they be and why?
Fudge: Strangely, we get asked this question a lot, and it’s always a difficult one. It’s difficult because no one person can pick three idols or influences because the breadth of influences is too wide. Not to mention four people trying to agree on three people. If we absolutely had to though: Chris Cornell, Bob Marley, and someone deeply involved in ancient Egyptian history. I want to know how the pyramids were built. It annoys me that we still don’t know. Assuming they all had to be someone who has passed …
NSG: You played Liverpool’s Jacaranda Club recently. Did you enjoy your trip to Liverpool, and can we expect you back at some point?
Fudge: Liverpool was great. I love Liverpool. That gig was definitely the sweatiest gig of the tour. I wrote ‘Fudge.’ in the condensation on the windows at the end of the gig.
NSG: What music are you listening to at the moment? What’s on your playlist?
Fudge: Mate, everything. We literally listen to everything. So it’s probably easier to ask what we don’t listen to – pop punk (Fall out boy, Swim deep etc) and country. Some country can be okay, but usually, that’s because it’s more blues or folk-based. Anything out and out country can stay well away from our playlists.
NSG: How is the rest of 2022 looking for Fudge?
Fudge: Now we’ve been out and about a fair bit, the rest of the year is dedicated towards writing more bangers, working closely with Marshall to build some killer live shows, and developing releases for next year.
NSG: Thank you so much for your time, we wish you all the luck in the world! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Fudge: Keep your eyes on this space. We’re going for gold.
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