Mansfield indie powerhouse The Publics are set to headline our stage here at The Bodega on the 2nd of December so we sat down and talked all things songwriting, stage-diving and Sherlocks.
Hey guys, welcome back to The Bodega! How are you feeling ahead of the show?
Thanks for having us! This is our first Nottingham headline show since May 2022 so we’re really excited to get back out in front of our own local following!
This isn’t your first time hitting the stage here, do you have many fond memories of our place, either on the stage or off?
We’ve actually played at The Bodega a few times in the last 12 months. Our favourite show so far has to be Beat the Streets back in January. We were on first and were still sound checking 2 minutes before doors opened so we were a little nervous that not many people would show up. However, after our first song we had to encourage people to squeeze forward as there were people queuing right down the stairs.
By the time this goes out you will have made your Rock City debut supporting The Sherlocks. How does it feel to be selected to play for a crowd that size with one of the most exciting indie bands around at the moment?
It’s a dream come true! My (Elliot) first ever gig at Rock City was watching The Sherlocks back in 2017 so it was emotional to find out they’d personally picked us to open the show. Also, at our first ever gig in Nottingham, at the Maze in 2018, we covered ‘Will You Be There?’, so it means an awful lot that we’ll be making our Rock City debut alongside a band who we’ve looked up to since day one.
Earlier in the year you released your latest single ‘Karen’s Song’. How did that tune come about and what can you tell us about the quite tongue in cheek lyrics?
Our keyboard player, Ebony is an insane trumpet player, so we knew for a while that we wanted to use this in a song. When we found out we’d be making our festival debut in the summer at Splendour and YNOT? it felt like the perfect time to write a song that could get huge crowds singing along with us. The lyrics in the track are a nod to some of the rather annoying people who we’ve met within the music industry. Luckily there aren’t many of these types of people but we thought it would be fun to address some of the silly things we’ve heard and experienced in our short music careers, in a harmless and light hearted manner.
What’s the writing process like for you guys and can we expect to hear anymore tunes before the December headline?
In the past it has normally been that Elliot writes an acoustic track and we build on this as a band within the practice room. However recently, we’ve had ideas for the music before the lyrics, as new band members have joined and we’ve now more brains to suggest new ideas. We have been trialling some of this new material at recent gigs and due to the responses we’ve had so far, the tunes are already pencilled into the Bodega setlist!
Finally, if one of you is crowdsurfing at the end of the show, who’s it gonna be?
Not even a competition. Tom will be in the crowd, it’s only a matter of time!
Catch The Publics here at our place on the 2nd December. Tickets on sale now.
