An Interview With The British Rockers BROKEN HANDS On Their Recently Release Debut Album, “Turbulence” And More!

The British rockers Broken Hands released their debut album, “Turbulence” on November 4th via SO Recordings. The lead single “Meteor” is receiving significant U.K. radio airplay—its been featured on the BBC 6Music playlist and won a spot on the station’s renowned Rebel Playlist by public vote. Listen/share “Meteor” here: http://bit.ly/2c2dNm7.

Turbulence was recorded in various studios throughout the UK and produced by Brit Award-nominated producer Tom Dalgety (Royal Blood, Pixies). Of the inspiration for the album, front-man Dale Norton explains the epiphany he had at Gatwick Airport in London and how he felt the airport became a metaphor for life itself—“As this ran through my head I was hearing the jet engines soaring into the sky from Gatwick’s runways. They sounded just like fuzzed-out guitar feedback and festival sound drums crashing. Then came more images: planes taking off and people getting messed up. Turbulence and paranoia. Engines charging and pupils dilating…”

Learn more about Broken Hands in the following All Access interview with the group’s front-man Dale Norton:

Thanks for your time! Now that we are well into the fall of 2016, what are some words you would use to describe this year? What have been some of the highlights for the band and your music?

Mid Flight is how I’d describe this year. The Album being out is a creative highlight, but also show-wise we have done a few of our biggest to date at Brixton Academy and Castlefield bowl to name a few.

Growing up, did you all always want to be musicians? Can you recall your earliest musical memories?

Ironically I wanted to be a fighter-pilot growing up but music was always around. But me and Tom always remember ‘Mercedes Benz’ from that advert as our oldest recall.

How did your band name come together? Was it difficult to come to a decision?

The name came about the same as the band did, just hanging out watching films. Chief Broken Hands is a character from a film called ‘White Feather’ and I still love a western soundtrack now.

Let’s talk about your upcoming album, “Turbulence.” What was the inspiration for this collection? I’d love to know more about the epiphany you had at the Gatwick Airport and how it helped create the album?

Turbulence is inspired by travel, especially Jet and space travel! It came about when I dropped some friends at the airport. I realized that everyone I knew was traveling either physically or sociologically and parallels where formed between taking off and being high, between Turbulence and paranoia, crashing and fear. Lyrically I thought that was a conversation that people could relate to. After the concept it came naturally when fleshing out fuzzed out music that had to represent jets and space.

What was it like recording “Turbulence” in various studios throughout the U.K? How long had you been working on these songs?

It was great, we had no pressure, we signed with our label a few weeks after tracking was done so we were free to work how and where we wanted, us and producer Tom Dalgety that is. The songs were about 10 months old once we started recording, we scrapped everything that we’d done before the concept! We’d been following other acts up until then, this was us trying to step out on our own.

What’s it been like to already be received such praise and airplay for your already released lead single “Meteor”? How did this song in particular come about?

It was the most pain free (and quickest). I had the top line, the boys were jamming and bob’s your uncle. It’s the track that is most similar to the recording when we play live too, straight to the point.

Since this is your first album released, what were you all doing beforehand? How different is life for you all now?

When we started writing the album we moved in to the same house together in order to get stuff done quicker, since then we are just on the road more really, a home-from-home for us now I guess.

Who are some of the group’s favorite artists and what bands continue to inspire you all and your music? Who would you still love to work with in the future?

We all have different tastes and cornerstones. But when we made the record were listening to a lot of Air (who I’d love to work with) Pink Floyd and DFA 1979 also played a lot of Detroit house mix tapes before going out for beers.

When you aren’t performing, working in the studio, what do you like to do for fun? How do you all unwind from it all?

A few of us (band and crew) are into motor bikes, 125 Honda’s. Me and the rest chill, watch them and listen to Radio 4.

At the end of the day, what do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope listeners take away from your songs?

I hope listeners hear the concept and the conversation in the album, and if it became the record someone listened to on a long haul flight then the album’s job is done.