Royal Blood’s debut single Little Monster is a bold rock number with an infectious bass line that has attracted attention in the US and UK. Since it’s release, Little Monster has been featured in an abundance of advertisements and TV shows and the single has paved the way for a string of support slots and festival showcases for the band.
We caught up with the duo while they were in Dublin ahead of their debut Irish show in The Workman's Club.
Royal Blood, otherwise known as Michael Kerr and Ben Thatcher first met on the music circuit on the south coast of England. “Ben and I have known each other since we were about fifteen," Michael told GoldenPlec. "We’ve been in all sorts of bands together but this has been going for about eighteen months now. We are from two seaside towns near Brighton, but we usually say Brighton because people don’t have a clue where the tiny towns are.”
The band started to gain mainstream media attention when Arctic Monkey’s drummer Matt Helders wore a Royal Blood t-shirt during a headline performance at Glastonbury last year. Since this incident Royal Blood have been asked to support the Arctic Monkeys at several major summer shows in Ireland and the UK set to take place over the next few months.
Aside from the attention they received after the AM incident, the pair were nominated for the prestigious BBC Sound of 2014 list, they took part in an NME tour, they supported Interpol and played at SXSW this year. “SXSW reminds me of the Great Escape [in Brighton], actually, but much more extravagant," Michael said. "There’s lots of BBQ food and drunk people. We played four shows over there and did a lot of press. We were busy."
SXSW was the first in a string of festivals that Royal Blood will play in 2014. Of the festivals they are particularly looking forward to Michael said Reading is definitely high on his list. “That’s one that I loved growing up. I still haven’t grown up. [laughs]. I tried to sneak in there one year actually but I got caught trying to hop over a fence. I had one leg up but security caught me.”
“We’re playing so many festivals. There are so many acts I’d love to see but we’re usually in for like a day and then off somewhere else so you never really know exactly who you’re going to see on what day," Ben added.
The pair explained that this was their first time in Dublin and they had found themselves in the pubs of Temple Bar the night before the gig. “We ended up around that big pole. What’s it called?” Michael asked. "I stood right at the bottom and looked up to the top."
While it may have been their first time in Ireland the pair are familiar with Irish musicians.
“Oh I like Niall from One Direction. They're great lads. I watched the film on the plane the other day,” said Michael.
“B*Witched. I’ve kissed every member of B*Witched,” Ben said. “No, I’m just kidding,” he says with a chuckle.
When asked if there was anything in particular the band would like their Irish fans to know, Michael had the following to say “I guess for me, I had no idea what to expect when we played in Belfast, because we’ve never played there or here. The crowd reaction was a lot wilder than I expected. I felt like it went really well. People here like to party and we like to party.”
Royal Blood will return to ‘party’ with the Dubliners in Marlay Park on July 12th to support the Arctic Monkeys. If you can’t wait 'til then to hear from them, the pair will be on Jools Holland this evening to perform their new single Come On Over.