Interview with Cutting Ties

The Brighton based emo/punk band talk about their love for memes, Fatto a Mano, gigs, lockdown and their creative process as a band.

photo: Ed Fair instagram: @my_fair_ed

We loved getting to talk to the guys from Cutting Ties over zoom!

The guys have been spending their time during lockdown re-mixing an ep they've been working on they're hoping to release soon!

Members:

Alessandro Cogolo on Guitar/Vocals,

Sam Allen on Guitar/BV,

Jack Smith - Bass/BV

Ben Turner on Drums.

After bonding over Jacks Sonic Youth shirt at a networking event, Alessandro and Jack began rehearsing. Having played in a band with Ben before for uni, Jack invited him to rehearsal. After continuing as a trio for a while, they then decided they were ready for kids and decided to adopt Sam and raise him as their own. Alessandro and Sam had started a project titled "Top Ten Anime" ( apparently it still floats about somewhere on YouTube), and realised that they enjoyed writing together and so Sam was invited to join them for their first headline show. And then the next one, and the next one, and the next one...

The band stated that they've been writing a lot of songs at home, a few of which they debuted at their show at The Hope and Ruin in Brighton back in December. Playing shows is really important to the band and they're hoping to be able to start gigging safely again later this year.

Alessandro stated during our interview that he likes to write about personal topics and has found self reflection really helpful to his writing this year. The band's lyrics focus on sometimes depressing but relatable lyrics that "can't be taken too seriously."

Performed in an almost ironic sense, with a fast paced and loud sound, the band really create a sense of relatability with their audience, with lines like "when I'm home alone, I wanna kill myself". This kind of humour is something that attracts a specific type of audience, appealing more to millennials than the older generations who are more likely to miss the irony. The band capture the feelings of the current generation and how we're all just trying to get through life, each with our own personal struggles but still trying to make light of it all and have a good time.

CUTTING TIES - IMD acoustic

Band name

The band name comes from a Russian band called Cruel Tie's track "Cutting Ties" who have been a huge inspiration for the band's music. We look forward to maybe seeing them release a track titled "Cruel Tie" sometime in the future. The ol' switcheroo.

Influences:

Neutral Milk Hotel is a favourite amongst the band members. *cue Sam jumping up in excitement to then show off his Neutral Milk Hotel tattoo* The biggest fanboy.

The guys are also inspired by a variety of influences including Radiohead, Dinosaur Jr., Smashing Pumpkins, and more as Jack presented his vinyl collection to everyone. Either/Or by Elliott Smith, "very big chonky sad boy tunes".

We hope to hear more of Sams shredding after realising that it's completely acceptable to do so because PUP do it.

The band are also inspired by various anime songs, which adds to a very varied and interesting mix of sounds.

Ben claimed to not be inspired by anyone in particular, more a mix of "every band ever" and being his own inspiration.

Favourite Brighton venues:

The Hope & Ruin -

"The best place in the world"

Special shoutouts:

Special shoutouts to "Fatto a Mano for the best pizza in Brighton, Happy Chicken's Mac n cheese, Cam for getting 3 June the most streams on Spotify, Adam Sandler "Yeah Man Jazz", "stay epic stay calm" -Ben and to some band called Cutting Ties."

"Can we get a boneless pizza?" - Jack (for hours on end)

photo: @my_fair_ed

We had to end the interview at this point as Ben and Jack got stuck in a loop of shouting each other out and we thought it best to leave them to it.

Checkout CUTTING TIES music on Spotify and their instagram @wearecutting_ties

Keep your eyes peeled and your pizzas boneless for their upcoming releases.

17 plates of pasta were demolished by Ben during this interview.

CUTTING TIES illustration by our very own Ellie Murphy