Q&A with England's 'Crying Beauty Queens'

Ever wonder what goes on over on the other-side of the world when it comes to music? We have, which is why we reached out to English rock band "Crying Beauty Queens" on Twitter, for a brief Q&A, and this is what they had to say!

Question 1: General Introduction to Crying Beauty Queens

Crying Beauty Queens are an atmospheric alternative rock band based in Manchester. Taking influence from Fugazi's melodies mixed with The Pixies' dynamics and a Cranberries kind of mood, they provide a unique sound to the UK music scene. Crying Beauty Queens recently released their third single 'Stupid' on all major music platforms. They are currently gigging around the North of England as well as working on their next single launch with MAS Records and building up to a big announcement so make sure to follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

Question 2: How did you become a band?

We originally met at a music summer-school course in Manchester in 2014. Ever since, we have been working on side projects together to write and create interesting pieces of music - whether that be all together or with other musicians involved. It wasn't until 2018 that we decided our music could potentially go somewhere bigger so we decided to create the band Crying Beauty Queens. We believed our fusion of different genres could bring a new sound to the industry and with us all coming from such different musical backgrounds, this helped us achieve this individual sound.

Question 3: Who thought of the name and how did it stick?

Paddy thought of our name Crying Beauty Queens and the name was originally taken from a song lyric but then developed into a statement that almost pokes fun at much of the oversensitivity that is current in much of today's popular culture. It was essentially us trying to make a statement! 

Question 4: What are your individual musical influences?

Paddy: Neutral Milk Hotel are definitely a big influence on me. They create a perfect mixture of simple yet progressive folk melodies and punk music. You can't quite put their music into words and that's what I love about them! I'm also massively influenced by Death From Above who are a dance punk duo. I actually met the drummer Sebastien Grainger when I was in Ireland and he bought me a drum head. He said I reminded him a lot of his younger self which was encouraging! I also find it interesting how they fuse together punk songs with disco rhythms. And lastly, I'd have to say I'm also influenced by Delta Sleep who are a progressive math rock band. They blend such intricate melodies with odd time signatures which is really fascinating. They also have so many interesting dynamic shifts in their music and their unique album concepts create such raw emotion and passion. 

Alex: I'd have to say my biggest influence is definitely The Beatles. I've loved them since I was 4 years old. They changed history and in my opinion, are the greatest songwriters of all time. My second influence would probably be The 1975 who push so many boundaries of what a pop band represents and what they stand for. They're great at genre-bending and you just never know what to expect next, which is exciting! My last influence would have to be Kanye West. I love that he pushes boundaries of not only music, but music business. It could be argued that he's more of a brand than a person and I respect that. He also made rap music popular again with with a mainstream audience and influenced so many other artists to do amazing things!

Jordan: My first influence would probably have to be Bon Iver, although I always pronounce his name wrong!! He portrays such raw emotion in his music and his high falsetto is something that I like to present in our songs. He's evolved from creating simplistic folk music to experimental collaborations and the introduction of new sounds, which is particularly interesting to me as I come from a folk background and now play and create music in an alternative rock band! My second influence would have to be Orianthi - a Greek Australian guitarist. I was given her album one Christmas and from there was inspired to start playing guitar and learning more about music. She's an amazing guitar player, singer and composer and is probably the most important influential person to me. Lastly, I would have to list P!nk as one of my influences, because who doesn't love P!nk right?! I love what she stands for and being a woman in the music industry, she is definitely someone who I look up to. Not only is she inspiring and thought-provoking, but her music is also cleverly written and I love the structure and meaning behind her lyrics. 

Question 5: Would you ever tour in America?

Absolutely! Folk rock originated in America so it would be really interesting to see how people would react to our music there! We also all have such a love for American culture and it would be so amazing to go sight-seeing in each state as well! What do people think about us coming to play for you?!

Question 6: Favourite and least favourite venue? Why?

This is a tricky question because we've played so many different shows and each show and venue has had it's advantages and disadvantages. This said, our favourite venue would probably be Night and Day based in Manchester, UK. It has a bigger stage than we're used to which was great because it allowed us to have more room to each move about and enjoy ourselves. The venue also has amazing acoustics and our sound engineer was brilliant on the night we played there! Not only was the sound engineer and room amazing, but the crowd were equally as awesome! It makes such a difference to a show when you have a good crowd and everyone was singing along and dancing that night, which we were able to join in with. We all had an amazing time that night!

Our least favourite venue would probably be a venue we played at in Leeds, UK. The stage was very small which made it difficult for us as we're generally quite an energetic band when we play live. 

Question 7: One artist you would love to work with and why?

We would love to work with Peter Hook from the band Joy Division and New Order. We all have such respect for his songwriting ability and we love his instrumentation, specifically his driving basslines. Not only did he contribute massively to the Manchester music sound, but he also shows so much support to newer and unsigned bands across the UK. 

Question 8: Individually, how did you get into doing music as a career?

Paddy: I've always been hitting and drumming on things since i was 4 years old. I always used to hit the baubles on the Christmas tree and it used to drive my parents mad! I was also brought up in a musical household surrounded by different artists and songs being played all day long. When I was 10 years old, I heard Arctic Monkeys being played and I thought that was the coolest thing in the world and I just wanted to be them! 

Alex: My parents always used to play ABBA, Black Sabbath and The Script in the car, and then I fell in love with The Beatles and McFly. I guess that's how I take so much influence from so many different genres and styles of music! I always told everyone when I was a kid that I wanted to be a rockstar. I also told everyone that I wanted to be an astronaut, but then realised that involved maths, so I decided being a rockstar was probably better suited! 

Question 9: What are your favourite songs currently in your playlist?

Paddy: 1) Toumei Shoujo by Number Girl

            2) Skinny Love by Bon Iver 

            3) Hitch by Speedy Ortiz 

Alex: 1) High Flying Birds by Elton John 

         2) Sincerity Is Scary by The 1975

         3) The Less I Know The Better by Tame Impala

Jordan: 1) Hey You by Pink Floyd 

             2) Wow by Post Malone 

             3) Naive by The Kooks

Question 10: What is one show must-have?

Paddy: A good sound engineer.

Alex: A wireless system for my bass guitar - it means I don't have to play using a lead so I can move about as much as I want!

Jordan: Cheese and onion sandwhiches.

Question 11: Is there anything else you want anyone who hasn't heard of you to know? For example, what to expect at a show, what to expect in the future, future plans etc.?

We tend to be a lot more energetic with a bigger sound and more raw emotion when we play live. We also take pride in knowing we're professional when at shows - which means turning up sober and ready to play the best that we can! We're a tight band and we know all of our songs inside out (despite forgetting the odd lyric here and there!). You can always expect to have a good time and leave the show having been entertained! 

Aside from live shows, you can expect new music from us soon, as well as a potential EP. Our future plans also include recording live album sessions for those who may not be able to make it to one of our shows! Definitely expect some awesome merchandise in the near future, and we hope to tour America in the future, so keep your eyes peeled!

Question 12: Any ending remarks/comments?

We're currently sat in Starbucks and our train has arrived so we finished that interview within good time! For anyone wishing to know more about us or listen to our music, you can find us on all major music platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube etc.), as well as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (@CBQBand)! Thanks so much for having us and we hope to see you soon America! 

Make sure you check these guys out! Help bring them over to America!