Next month we’ve got Nottingham based dream-pop-indie heroes Express Office Portico joining us, so we thought it was only right we got to know them a little better…
We’re lucky enough to have Express Office Portico joining us this March but this won’t be the first time you guys have played here, are you looking forward to returning and do you have many fond memories of playing The Bodega?
Very much so! This is our first headline gig here which from the outset of the band was always a significant steppingstone that we set out to achieve so we are hyped! One of our first gigs was at Bodega in the summer of 2021 and we’ve always loved watching gigs there ourselves, so it’ll be a special evening
The music scene in Nottingham is bursting with talent and we’re lucky enough to have a great range of festivals across the year from Hockley Hustle to Beat The Streets. Do you think Notts does a good job of showcasing new acts and how have you found it making a name for yourself across the city?
The music scene in Notts has always been something we were envious of before forming the band, so getting a grip on that was important for us. But the way the city has supported us in everything we do makes it easy! Getting invited to play at the Nottingham festivals each year always makes us proud and to represent Nottingham at these events really does mean a lot to us.
With such a wide range of genres making noise in the city, how have you found developing your own individual sound?
We try to keep ourselves to ourselves in respect to that. All we aim to do is produce music that we love and enjoy playing. Authenticity is massive for any band, if you’re not genuine then people see right through it! We play music because we enjoy it and (we hope) that comes across when we play live and throw ourselves about to the music we love making.
The last track you released was indie-pop banger ‘Forget The Name’ and we really love that tune, can we expect to hear any new tracks soon?
We’ve been writing nonstop since ‘Forget The Name’ came out trying to create our stadium filler. We’ll be showcasing some new stuff at the headline gig at Bodega ready for recording soon after, so watch this space!
How do you compare playing the festivals around Nottingham to the headline shows?
Playing at the Nottingham festivals is always a good laugh, we love checking out some of the current bands that Nottingham has to offer and the best place for that is at those festivals! But the headline shows have their own charm to them. Before playing Bodega we have 3 other headline dates as part of our tour in Manchester, London and Leicester so having a string of headline shows has got us all very excited!
Lastly are there any bizarre pre show rituals we should be aware of just to prepare ourselves?
Well our guitarist Roo loves taking his shoes off for the performances and for some reason our synth player (synthesist?) Billy has taken to devouring a pickled egg mid gig more recently so if you could include some in our rider that would be great.
Express Office Portico play The Bodega 2nd February. Tickets on sale now
Interview by Fin Heighton – Jupp
