Y!KES talk new single, dream line ups and future shows

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For those who are new to Y!KES, can you tell us a backstory on the band and what your sound is?

Liam – We formed at the very end of 2019. Oli (Vocals) was a driver for a previous project, and in addition to him being an energetic lunatic, it turned out he also has an incredible voice. We entered a jam, all played one single note and yelled ‘YIKES’ in unison at the sheer epic nature of it. The exclamation mark found its way into the name to emphasise how biblical that moment was. We threw some fuzzy riffs down, some blistering drums, some funky bass lines, some words of wisdom. Next thing you know, the Y!KES sound was  born.

You’ve just released your latest single, “Jukebox Martyr” – how are you feeling?

Liam – We’re super happy to finally have it out. All the songs we’re releasing at the moment were produced at our home studio remotely by ourselves during lockdown, and we must have had more breakdowns than Parkway Drive’s entire back catalogue putting it together. It was a stressful time, purely because we wanted to push ourselves further than we had for either of the previous EP’s in terms of both the songs and the production. ‘Jukebox’ was always a stand out, this big old riff frenzy with vocal hooks not even Captain Hook himself could fathom. Then the video was a whole other thing. I don’t know where the idea came from to build a gigantic jukebox that turns into a James Brown-esque tap-dancing robot before exploding in the faces of music-hating Hazmat-clad madmen, but it happened. It’s all ridiculous and I love every second of it, particularly the part where we get to see people responding to it and enjoying it now it’s finally out in the world. 

What is the song about and what are your favourite lyrics from it?

Liam – “Jukebox Martyr” is a metaphorical ode to the current explosion of great new rock bands that are coming in waves throughout this country and beyond. There’s been a huge revival within that world recently, and it’s amazing to see artists all over the place making great music, experimenting with fashion and collaborating with each other. So the song is a celebration of that as much as it is an expression of how excited we are to be a part of it. The ‘Ashes to Ashes, guts for garters’ lyric is a nod to David Bowie. He kickstarted so much of the current rock climate in the way he operated as an artist, to the point where everyone making that sort of music today is somehow influenced by him somewhere along the line. My personal favourite lyric is ‘I’d rather guide the lows and highs than speak my mind’. We’re chatty as hell in these interview scenarios, but our main thing is we just go out there and do it rather than talk about it. That line for me encapsulates the Y!KES attitude.

What was the writing process like for “Jukebox Martyr”?

Liam – I’m big on my riffs, and the one I wrote for Jukebox instantly got the vibes going. Suddenly me & Oli moved into this poppy as hell chorus that stuck in our heads for days, and I’m like great, we’re onto a winner. Oli comes in, lays down these witty, gritty verses and we’re even more sold. Then the middle eight hits and we ended up going into this filthy Alice In Chains-esque breakdown for it. We’ve all got stank faces on at this point. Throw in some manic drumming from TJ and a dash of Rob’s funk and boom, you’ve got a Y!KES tune. That generally seems to be the approach for all of our songs. If we aren’t walking around with it stuck in our heads for weeks after, it’s not got the juice. If we are then hide behind the sofa, because we’re turning it into a euphonious monster.

What would be your dream tour line up?

Liam – We’d love to play some more shows with VUKOVI, they are a top band and awesome people so they’d have to be in there. Same goes for Wargasm. I’d personally try and resurrect Jimi Hendrix and Prince for the occasion. But stick Radiohead, The Cure, Nova Twins or Tigercub on there if they can’t make it and you’ve got a hell of a show. Or Rick Astley, I reckon he’d be a right laugh.

Any plans to do some shows this year? 

TJ – Hell yeah! We have a cheeky 4 date headline tour in August with our friends in Trashed (Go check them out, they’re sick!) alongside some great festival slots at Sometimes Festival with Luke Rainsford, Kingsfest with RXPTRS, Your City Fest with Hands off Gretel and Hard Rock Hell alongside Skid Row and The Wildhearts. We have a ton more to announce too that we’ll have to be hush about for now, but this party is only just getting started. We are stoked to get back on the road doing what we do best!

Who are some of your musical Influences?

TJ – As a whole, we all come from different backgrounds of musical influence. Oli bringing the Grunge vibes with a vengeance channelling the likes of Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails & Alice in Chains. Our Liam’s all into that Britpop and Emo stuff, all the way from Oasis to My Chemical Romance to The Smiths. I’m heavily influenced by straight Alternative Rock & Punk; Biffy Clyro, Danko Jones, Against Me! Etc. Rob’s similar, but more alongside the likes of Press To Meco and Green Day. It’s like one big dirty pint but it all goes down like a mighty fine wine.

What was the first concert you ever went to? 

TJ – At 8 years old, I had the privilege to attend the first Monsters of Rock since the 90’s, featuring Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, Journey, Foreigner. To say I was there is a memory I will never forget. I knew since then that I’m destined to be sat behind that kit.

What song can instantly put you in a good mood?

TJ – Now that is a hard question to answer as there’s so many banging tunes out there! But I’d have to say my all time tune to get me in a happy trance would have to be “I Gotta Rock” by Danko Jones. Just a straight up Rock ‘N’ Roll song with catchy riffs, heavy drums and lyrics you can’t get out of your head!

Is there anything else you want to say to our readers?

TJ – Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this and thank you so much for taking the time to interview us! We’ll be back real soon with our next single and the next instalment of the Y!KES Cinematic Universe. In the mean time you can support us by following us on Spotify, Facebook, Insta and YouTube. The Y!KES storm is fast approaching. We can’t wait for you all to be dancing in the thunder & lightning with us Y!X

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