From time to time, one of our contributors will recommend an artist/band they think deserves your attention. No record labels, PR companies, bands or band’s management will ever have made these recommendations. It is simply one music fan putting their taste on the line in the hope of sharing good music. The questions are intended to give just a basic introduction to possibly your new favourite artist/band.

So without further ado, let’s crack on with another introduction, in which Silent Radio’s Simon Zaccagni recommends Ballamona for your audible delectation.

Ballamona

Who are ya?
Ballamona.

Where are you from?
Now based in Manchester, we are originally ⅘ Sheffield and ⅕ Lincolnshire.

How long have you been doing what you’re doing now?
Ewan, Billy and Tom have been playing together in various forms since 2014. Now we have Beth and Andy. As the 5 of us we’ve been together since the start of the year.

Is being a musician your full time job?
It is now we’ve all been put on furlough at the hand of THE VIRUS. Apart from Andy who is on the co-op frontline.

Are there any obvious influences in your music?
A friend of ours described one of our songs as sounding like Working Men’s Club, Depeche Mode and IDLES, who we all listen to a lot at the minute, so maybe they’re some obvious ones. We love bands like Killing Joke, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Gang of Four, Young Fathers as well as Nine Inch Nails and Queens of the Stone Age.

Are there any not so obvious influences in your music?
Probably Dance music. The electronic stuff is a world we’re all getting acquainted with as musicians. We still mainly use acoustic instruments, so I guess the influence that it has on our songwriting probably isn’t obvious. However another friend of ours recently described our gig as ‘more techno than she was expecting’ – which we were/are very proud of.

Any musical Guilty Pleasures? Come on you can share, we’re all friends here!
Ewan: I am literally sat listening to ‘Where are you baby?’ – Betty Boo and I do feel guilty.
Tom: I genuinely love Viking Metal, specifically The Varangian Way by Turisas.
Beth: I listen to too much Wings.
Andy: I like a bit of country sometimes.
Billy: Metallica.

Apart from yourself of course, what other band/artist would you recommend our readers check out?
Bleach Boy, Document, Estates, Witch Fever, Yuka Tree, Hope, Tropical Death Boy Paradise, Alex Rave & The Sceptical, PerfectParachutePicture, SCALPING, Blackwaters, Giant Swan, Marge Powerhouse, Self Help, Beija Flo, LICE, Mayling, Paige Kennedy.
There are too many to mention.

Ballamona

Tell us about the defining moment when you thought ‘Fuck, yes I want to be a musician!’
Ewan: I can’t remember a time where I didn’t want to be a musician. There’s a home video of me jumping around in my nappie to Ministry… barely learnt to speak but had solid appreciation for 80s Industrial Metal. I did just watch that Iggy doc ‘American Valhalla’ and it made me wanna gig/record so much. It’s a good feeling when something 200% reaffirms how much you love working on music, that film did that the other night. So I don’t think I have a specific moment, seeing Arctic Monkeys on Jools in 2005 probably nailed it on though.
Beth: I remember discovering Led Zeppelin and blasting it through my poor eardrums alone in my room and being like ahh!!
Andy: Probably when I played West Street Live for the first time.
Billy: I remember seeing White Stripes on TV and that was a pretty big moment for me. It might have been a music video. I saw it, I liked it.
Tom: I never considered I wasn’t going to be a musician.

Does what go on, on tour, stay on tour?
No. (Yes.)

What’s your most favouritist gig (as a gig goer), like, ever?
Ewan: IDLES in Hamburg 2017.
Beth: King Gizz at Victoria Warehouse.
Andy: Arctic Monkeys at TRNSMT.
Tom: Radiohead at NOS Alive in Lisbon.
Billy: Nick Cave at Manchester Arena.

Who, in your wildest dreams would you like to collaborate with/be produced by?
Ewan: Trent Reznor.
Billy: Peter Gabriel in the 80s.
Beth: Joe Exotic.
Tom: Efrim Menuck (Godspeed You! Black Emperor).
Andy: Josh Homme at Rancho De La Luna.

Best place for people to find out what you are up to?

Twitter Instagram  Facebook or Soundcloud

Anything to declare?
JOE EXOTIC IS INNOCENT.