Ask: Campbell's Wild

We managed to catch up with Scottish Indie band 'Campbell's Wild' here's what we asked -

How did the band get together?

FRASER: I Started the band with my mate Webster about 4 years ago   because we had been jamming together and thought it would be a good idea. We’d already written a couple of songs, so I asked my little brother Keir to drum for us at a few rehearsals...
KEIR: I was only asked to play until the guys found a new drummer. Technically I’ve never been in the band, they were just too lazy to get someone else!
HAIGY: Fraser thought he'd written the best song in the world and it would make us super rich.  He was wrong, we don’t even play it anymore.
STEVEN: The band had formed before I joined. I was asked a week before the band were due to play their first show! I’d played with Fraser before in an old band and knew Keir and Haigy quite well so, I slotted in pretty easily.

How did you come up with the band name?

FRASER: I had seen the name of this guy Campbell Wild in the paper and thought he had a pimp name so I stole it!

HAIGY: A guy Fraser went to primary school with ran away from home when he was 11 and started living on the streets, he moved to a rubbish dump due to the increased levels of available food.  He was a bit like Stig of the Dump and his name is Campbell.  So literally, Campbell is Wild!

KEIR: I genuinely don’t even know anymore, every time we answer this question there's an elaborate story. I think Fraser’s is closest to the truth this time. 

What made you want to start a band?

FRASER: I had been in bands before and I missed it so wanted to start again, this time playing guitar instead of bass.

STEVEN: Music has always been a major part of my life and having been in previous bands it was something I loved being involved in!

KEIR: Drums is pretty much all I do, it was a great way to play somewhere other than my room and pissing off my neighbors!

HAIGY: All my favourite bands went on indefinite hiatus around the same time so I wanted to be able to listen to something!

Individual musical inspirations

FRASER: The Housemartins, Beautiful South, Barenaked Ladies all bands with singers with similar styles to me really.

KEIR: I’m more punk rock. Drumwise its from Travis Barker to Atom Willard. Musically, my taste in music is so varied it's hard to give an overview! one minute it's Screamo, the next it's Johnny Cash and then brutal pop songs. I think all of that influences me.
HAIGY: Early Biffy Clyro, Explosions in the Sky...

Can you describe your sound in 3 words?

HAIGY: Really Really Good.

FRASER: Pop Indie Rock

KEIR: Dark Indie Pop

STEVEN: Alternative Post-pop

Who is the girliest member of the band?

FRASER: Keir by a f*#!ing mile he has more haircare products than any girl I know.

STEVEN: Keir
HAIGY: Keir

KEIR: Harsh...but fair.

Describe each other in 1 word (one good thing, one bad thing)

FRASER:

Keir - dedicated, moody

Haigy - laidback, indifferent

Stevie - talented, talented

HAIGY:

Me - #UnbelievablyBeautifulAndTalentedAndFunny, Lazy
Stevie - Musical, Unpunctual
Keir - How do you say 'Actually looks like he should be in a band' in one word?, Noisy
Fraser - Man skills, Incontinent

Keir:

Calum - Funny, ridiculously-Lazy
Stevie - Talented, anti-pop
Fraser - Gifted, Lazy

STEVEN:

Fraser - performer / lazy

Calum - co-writer / perfectionist 

Keir - encouraging / diva

Tell us a bit about your most recent release:

KEIR: It was the Superman Pill’s E.P.
HAIGY: A Lot of it needs re-recorded.
KEIR: Yeah, we were writing things and changing bits literally as we recorded it. With our songs normally they’re played for months and they evolve. Most of those songs, have evolved drastically from the recorded versions! So proud of the single ‘Superman Pills’ Itself though. First time I’ve ever been in a vocal booth!
STEVEN: ‘Superman Pills’ was the first recording I did with the band and was a song I have been playing around with for a while so was good to have a proper studio recording of it, very catchy and I am proud of it!

Favourite song to play live? 

FRASER: ‘Spinning circles’, I only play one chord so can concentrate on looking cool
KEIR: Same, the drums are crazy, different timings, my arms fly all around the kit. plus it usually gets the best response I feel.
HAIGY: ‘Forever unfinished’ - its how we close the set
STEVEN: That or ‘Halfway Home’ is mine.

Do you have any new material we should look out for?

FRASER: We’re doing an acoustic set for ‘The Student Sessions’ on december 6th. It’s being filmed for release online and the recording will be on East-coast FM shortly after that.

KEIR: Their advice for us was to look pretty and not swear, the two things our band isn’t great at..

Any crazy fan experiences?

FRASER: Playing to what was effectively a kids party when supporting Amy Can Flyy in Glasgow was quite surreal. They were really into it though.

KEIR: on the first night of ‘The Superman Pills’ tour back in February, a girl came up to me and Fraser outside the venue with a group of her friends after we’d played. She was really nice and told us she loved our set and really liked the band. We kind of panicked as it was the first time we’d been confronted with people looking at us and no music to hide behind. So in the panicked moment we ended up coming across quite mean. We felt really bad though, gave her some free stuff and apologized. We’re cool now! Sorry again!!

If people haven't heard of you before, why should they check you out?

FRASER: We are newm different and interesting, we have catchy tunes that stick in your head.

HAIGY: Because we all like such different music all of our songs sound different depending on who played big roles in the writing of them, so hopefully there should be something in them for everybody.

STEVEN: Because we are different from other bands sound-wise, we write and play music we love and we are all about performing and having fun :)