We caught up with Norwich’s OTHER HALF ahead of their upcoming show at JT Soar in Nottingham on Friday 30th August to discuss their creative process, travelodges and their plans on the horizon…

Hiya can you please introduce yourselves and tell us a bit more about other half?

Watcha, we’re Cal, Soapy & Alfie, respectively. We’re in Other Half; have been for a long time and probably always will be. We play snotty, wordy post-hardcore in the 90’s sense of the term, with a load of naff rock-with-a-capital-R tropes thrown in. I think we’re quite good, other people aren’t so sure. 

You just released your third album Dark Agesim on Big Scary Monsters, how have you found the reaction so far? 

It’s always a tough thing to gauge, what with it being an increasingly numbers based game for so many, but for us, if one person gets a genuine kick out of it, we’re happy. We’ve had some actual human beings say some unbelievably kind things about it, and considering we were a little apprehensive about the album (it was more than a little rushed in it’s production) it seems like more than ever, people have really got it.

Can you tell us a bit about the creative process for the album and how it came to be?

As with anything we do, it came to be because we don’t like practising old songs. Writing new tunes is by and far the best part about being in a band; that feeling you get jamming a new bit is so impossibly joyful, I honestly don’t get how a band could happily go on without it. 

Lyrically, it was nice to delve into the lore of being in a punk band, especially this many years in. I’ve alway tended to write in character’s voices, but this is the first album where I’ve really investigated some of my own neurosis, some of my own anxieties when it comes to being in a band and beyond. That was a fun, meta exercise and I think, makes for a fairly interesting through-line for the record. 

I see you’ve been in recording again recently, can you tell us anything more about what you’ve been up to and what’s on the horizon?

We had a couple of songs, songs that we really loved, that didn’t quite come out how we wanted them to in the process of recording Dark Ageism. Rather than just putting them out regardless, as we usually do, we decided to hold them back and take a bit of time shaping them into something brilliant, and without blowing smoke up our own arses, I think they did indeed come out pretty brilliant. They’re kinda emblematic of where I’d love new OH stuff to end up, really tightly-wound and sinister, but buoyant and poppy at the same time. We can’t wait to get them out into the ether. 

What are the best and worst shows you’ve played to date?

Best and worst are so subjective, because we’ve played some truly awful shows that we’ve absolutely loved. For example, we played Liverpool earlier this year with Problem Patterns. The opening band were a gaggle of kids, who brought about 50 friends down. Obviously we were over the moon; having never played Liverpool before and having that many people in a room. We stood front row to see them play and then watched as every single person, including the entire band, walked straight out of the venue, never to return. We played to the 6 remaining people (all over the age of 30, ofcourse) but it was such a lovely, loose atmosphere because of it. Problem Patterns propped us up, and us them, all within 24 hours of knowing each other and proceeded to play it like we meant it, with a few hefty laughs at the expense of the kids. Hopefully those 6 people also had a pretty good time.

I think our best shows would have been the first few in Norwich where we suddenly realised a handful of people knew the words, and were actively down the front giving it the biggun’. After the best part of decade living in abject obscurity, it felt absolutely revelatory to have someone scream back at you, all limbs and shit-eating grins. 

You guys seem to be constantly busy, what’s your favourite part about being in a band?

Honestly? Travelodges. True bliss is watching Naked Attraction in bed with a rock-hard pitta and chips with my best friends every other weekend. Without it, I’m not sure we’d still exist. When every waking hour is taken up by either work or band stuff, it’s pretty important to carve out some hours to do absolutely fuck all. As nice as it canbe to stay on people’s floors, after 10 years the lows well outweigh the highs and now we plough every penny we make as a band staying in Travelodges after gigs. This is the key to longevity. Heed it. 

What can people expect from your shows on your upcoming tour?

The usual + like 3 new songs. We are so bad at evolving; there’s not enough hours in the day to attempt any kind of reinvention, so you’ll get what you’re given; 3 awkward people fumbling their way through the same lumpen rock songs they always have done. 

Are there any bands you’d like to give a shout out to? 

Millions, but maybe let’s go with bands we’re playing with soon: Johnny Foreigner, Dags, Reciprocate, Handcuff, Problem Patterns, $ebukku, Peat Boggs, Tellison, Pussy Liquor, Claw Machine, Irked, Sinews, Ritual Error, Myopics, Haemogoblin, Bruise Control and many, many more.

Is there anything you’d really like to do as a band? Bucket list type shit? 

Honestly we’ve already exceeded every expectation I ever had for the band. Some truly magic shit has already occured, but if you were really pressing me, then supporting The Jesus Lizard would be pretty great. (if anyone has an in, they are doing a UK tour in January we’d love to get on teehee) 

Any parting words? 

Thanks for doing the truly courageous work of a promoter. It’s a thankless task, but the most important there is. If there is anyone reading, put on yr own show, build a scene, support yr local venues and create the spaces you want to see. This world is pitted against anything worth doing, but never let that stupid fact stop you.

Other Half play JT Soar for bUTTONPUSHER on Friday 30th August with Ritual Error and Myopics. Tickets are available HERE