Interview by: Smudge
Photos: Mark Ellis
Pryma is a heavy rockin’ quartet from Canterbury, Kent. They recently released their stunning debut EP ‘Uncaged’ and were due to play the Southall Lawless stage at Call Of The Wild on Sunday. I was lucky to catch up with the band on the Friday before one of the band had a little too much fun judging how she felt and the stories flying around on a Saturday morning.
We started with the band giving their history.
Band –
Gaby George – Vocals (GG)
Max Raven – Guitar (MR)
Anthony Durrant – Bass (AD)
Dom Smith – Drums (DS)
GG – Me and Ant started the band roughly three and a half years ago. We met each other and started to create rough tracks together then we said that we need to find a band. We had about 15 people come and go before we found Max. We put an advert out for a guitarist and he came along for a practice. He slotted in straight away and we thought we’ve got our man. Ant and Max work well together so we knew it work.
MR – It was the three of us for about 4 or 5 months and we didn’t have a drummer. We would use a drum track through the PA at rehearsal space then I suddenly remembered that I went to school with Dom.
DS – We met again in a pub.
MR – Yeah and I thought hang on you play drums.
But Max didn’t think of Dom immediately.
DS – No! My mate said to me – is he going to clock that you play drums? Shall I remind him? I said no he’ll remember in a minute.
MR – To be fair, I had been drinking.
The band then told me about their writing process.
GG – It’s down to the individual but I would say that Max and Ant usually start things or Max and Dom.
MR – Me or Ant will have a riff and we’ll bring it in and we’ll play it. Dom might say I’ve got a part I can play with that, and we form a musical base. We get the music fleshed out and add or subtract any little bits so it’s ready for the vocals to go over the top. The lyrics are the last thing.
GG – I like an instrumental structure if I’m going to write lyrics. I also need to be in a head space. I don’t even listen to the track I make the lyrics slide into the track. I would say that’s our process. I have about four books of lyrics and I write all the time and I write anywhere – seriously. I’ve written stuff on that blue paper towel you get to dry your hands in the loo, I’ve even written lyrics on the door of my car.
I mention that I hear Gaby characterize her voice for the songs on the EP and as I said in the review – I wouldn’t want to piss this chick off!
GG – Yeah! To be fair it would be quick and quiet! It’s strange but when I’m not with these guys I’m very withdrawn and quiet. I don’t like crowds or large spaces but get me on stage and my persona changes because I’m with the boys and I can get into the characters of the songs.
MR – We’re all like that in a way but Gaby more so. We come out of ourselves and that adds to the performance.
GG – I feel like we connect with the audience then, all the other misfits.
I wanted to know if they felt like misfits.
GG – I think we do. We’ve always felt like outcasts and black sheep of the family, but we interact with the audience who feel the same way.
DS – We feed off that too. Our song ‘Athena’ is a bit jumpy and when everyone is jumping it gives us the energy. And if they’re not jumping Gaby gets them jumping or she’ll do something to them. We post warnings at our gigs not to piss off our singer!!
I can quite believe it! The band is from Canterbury in the Garden of England, and I wanted to know if there were plenty of places to play live in Kent.
MR – In terms of the metal scene there isn’t much of one in Kent. There are a few venues like The Penny Theatre and Lady Luck which is smaller. They’re both in Canterbury but apart from The Booking Hall in Dover and Leo’s in Gravesend, there’s not much else.
GG – We’ve done a lot of gigs in Kent and 90% of the venues tell us we’re too loud!
MR – We’re playing Herofest at Leo’s soon in aid of Help For Heroes.
The EP was released independently but are Pryma looking for a record deal?
GG – We’ve spoken about it and we’re keeping our options open and we’re seeing where this takes us. We’re broadening our horizons by playing gigs further afield. We go up to Carlisle and Blackpool which is five hours from us. When we play up there, we get a great reception.
The band then gave me a rundown of their influences.
AD – They’re wide and varied.
GG – Mine range from Queen to opera singers to Jazz. I love Amy Lee from Evanescence and I’m a huge fan of Myles Kennedy I love the tone of his voice, it’s unusual. I like unusual.
AD – Stevie Wonder, Marcus Mill, Chilli Peppers, Pearl Jam. I love Halestorm Lamb Of God and Megadeth.
MR – I’m just a metalhead, except probably Cream – they’re the only blues band I listen to. I started with AC/DC and Black Sabbath then into Iron Maiden and now Machine Head and Lamb Of God.
DS – Drummer wise it’s Keith Moon, Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Chris Sadler, and Joey Jordison. I think we’re all into Lamb Of God at the moment.
MR – That’s where a lot of my riffs are coming from. Lamb Of God and Machine Head, lots of chug and harmonics.
I notice that the band is a whole lot younger than I am, so I wondered where and who exposed them to this music.
GG – It was both my parents. My Dad was a diehard Queen fan and I mean diehard. My Mum is a massive Pink Floyd fan. Growing up I was surrounded by great music then my Dad showed me a video of Freddie Mercury playing piano and after that, I took up piano lessons and ended up getting my master’s.
AD – I discovered rock on my own at about 14. I went to a kids social club and there I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I picked up a bass guitar and got hooked.
MR – AC/DC and Sabbath. The big two! On the school run it’s all my Dad played in the car and once I started to pay attention the first song that gripped me was ‘Iron Man’ then it was ‘Back In Black’. I took guitar lessons and then realized I could play by ear and copy what I was playing along to, so I quit the lessons. The only downfall is that I can’t read music very well. Friends at school turned me onto Slipknot who I have recently gone back to listening to.
DS – Keith Moon was a big thing to me. He’s all over the top, not a conventional timekeeper. My Dad had a book about him and there were pictures of his kit which looked huge – mega and I thought that was a bit of me. Loads of things to hit!
They’ve told me about their writing process but do they find it easy?
MR – No!
AD – It does have its challenges.
GG – Sometimes it flows nicely. ‘Friday Fright Night’ (the first track on the EP) came to us almost like butter but some other songs we’ve had to work at and put to one side. You can’t force it. We care in the process of getting some songs finished and by that, I mean me! Once they’re polished up, we’ll go into a studio and record them. The plan is to release a few singles for a little bit and drip feed to see what the reaction is like to the new stuff. We do have some gigs in the meantime but we’re concentrating on writing at the moment.
AD – We’re playing The Rigger Stoke-on-Trent on June 16th and HMV Canterbury on September 2nd and Winter Rock at The Corporation in Sheffield.
‘Uncaged’ was released recently and Pryma told me what the reaction has been like.
GG – It’s been overwhelming. We didn’t expect so much love from it.
AD – We also think that we can do better though.
DS – It’s just us growing as musicians.
But are they happy with it?
GG – Oh yeah. We worked hard on it.
MR – I would say I’m satisfied.
AD – Max is a perfectionist.
MR – I always say that these guys are flawless but – a bit of work is needed.
GG – We always listen to the feedback good or bad. We’ve had comments like – somebody would like this part changed and a bit here different but that’s just personal preference.
We were then interrupted by Pryma uber fan – Steve – a large hairy lovely man. Three-quarters of the band are heavily tattooed, and it was brought to my attention that Max had just had his first piece of ink done at the festival.
MR – I’m now a member of the tattoo gang. I was the only member of a metal band without any ink!
I pointed out that when Max showed it to me it looked like a very un-metal pussy cat.
MR – It’s a three-eyed tiger! In the traditional style!
I asked which traditional style – Hanna Barbera or Disney?
MR – I like mythology – don’t ask me where a three-eyed tiger sits in mythological terms, I just thought it looked cool and it marks the occasion – our first big festival. I can see why it’s so addictive because I reached a calm zen-like peace having it done.
There followed a lengthy discussion about what Max was going to have done next and the meanings behind some of Gaby’s pieces which are many and varied.
The band all work day jobs to keep Pryma going.
AD – I’m a pest controller! How Metal is that!
GG – I work in a mental health unit.
MR – I’m a brewer. I make beer and we’re sponsored by the brewery I work for Mad Cat. They’re based in Faversham, and we make the best beer in Kent. www.madcatbrewery.co.uk .
DS – I’m a plumber.
Finally, Pryma says.
GG – If you like what you hear you can find us on all the social media sites – prymabanduk.
You can get the EP ‘Uncaged’ – which is awesome on all the music streaming sites but I would do yourself a favor and get a physical copy the cost of which goes straight to the band. If you would like to book Pryma for a gig you can contact Dave O’Hara – [email protected]
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