INTERVIEW: Bad Sounds | Live at Leeds Top 12

The irony of Bad Sounds’ name doesn’t escape us, as they of course delivered one of the best sets of the day.

The leading duo present an energy incomparable to most other new artists today. This dynamic nature was easily transmitted to the crowd, making it an invigorating set to watch on stage and be part of the audience in. ‘Wages’ was one of their best hits, encapsulating what Live at Leeds itself was all about, just having an amazing time dancing for the first festival of the summer whilst getting to know the future of the music industry.

Demonstrating a bold fusion of genre, Bad Sounds are primarily a hip-hop band. But it almost seems pointless to try discuss what genre they are – they themselves have consciously broken out from conventional expectations. Describing the motown golden era of hip hop as their main influence, Bad Sounds still unexpectedly found themselves part of the indie music community. Their incorporation of live instrumentation is a new one for today’s hip hop landscape, and this new approach to live performance is what makes them a must-see for this year’s round of summer festivals.

Not alike the broody minor key music that often comes out of British bands, their debut album will be released this summer, in line with the “summery vibe” they aim to convey, as described to us in an interview at the festival: “From day one, we’ve always wanted our music to be quite a positive thing….and winter doesn’t scream positivity.” The setting of Church Leeds provided the perfect atmosphere for this summer gig that the duo delivered with their band, sunset shining through the stained glass window behind them. The colours and overall aesthetic Bad Sounds put out only augment the sanguine identity of the band.

Check out a full interview with the band upcoming in the summer issue of our magazine!

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