An Interview With The Chart-topping UK Rock Band, YOU ME AT SIX!

Chart-topping UK rock band You Me At Six – comprised of vocalist Josh Franceschi, guitarists Max Helyer and Chris Miller, bassist Matt Barnes, and drummer Dan Flint – recently released their triumphant sixth studio album called VI, and will be touring the U.S. in support of it in early 2019.

Tour dates are below, and the ticket purchase link is: https://youmeatsix.lnk.to/live. 

You Me At Six – Back Again Tour 2019 North American Dates:

2/21 Boston, MA @Brighton Music Hall

2/22 New York, NY @Gramercy Theatre

2/23 Philadelphia, PA @Underground Arts

2/24 Washington, D.C. @9:30 Club

2/26 Toronto, Ontario @The Opera House

2/27 Detroit, MI @Saint Andrew’s

2/28 Columbus, OH @A&R Music Bar

3/2   Chicago, IL @Bottom Lounge

3/4   Denver, CO @Marquis Theater

3/6   Seattle, WA @Chop Suey

3/7   San Francisco, CA @Great American Music Hall

3/9   San Diego, CA @Music Box

3/10 Pomona, CA @The Glass House

3/11 Los Angeles, CA @Teragram Ballroom

3/13 Houston, TX @House of Blues

3/14 Dallas, TX @Granada Theater

3/16 Atlanta, GA @The Masquerade – Hell

You Me At Six video links:

“Back Again”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycW4WHDZXGM

“3AM”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrELmjpktYE

“Out Of My Head”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdedNLRFlr8

Back Again Tour promo video:  https://bit.ly/2AyGuUW

You Me At Six socials:

http://www.youmeatsix.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/youmeatsix/

https://twitter.com/youmeatsix

https://www.instagram.com/youmeatsixofficial/

Learn more about You Me and Six in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time! What is on tap for the rest of your day? 

Photo Credit- Jordan Curtis Hughes

Well I’ve actually taken myself to a spa to try and repair after an amazing UK winter tour. Unfortunately I got ill and had a broken toe whilst doing it so this is just about figuring my shit out.

Since we are now at the back-end of 2018, how has this year treated You Me At Six? What is one musical goal that you have had for this year? How close are you to reaching it? 

Our collective musical goal was to make a great record with a great producer and create a dynamic indicative of the spirit of us as a group. We did that with our new album VI. Released it on our own label with Kobalt. It’s been a special year.

Now that it’s been over 10 years together, can you recall the moment when you thought you all could be in this group together? Was it hard to think of a name that you could agree on?

We literally used an abbreviation for Friday night arrangements (You Me At Six) that we had in our friendship group for a name on a flyer for our first ever show. We weren’t expecting to keep it, let alone it be relevant in any capacity a decade later. State of it!!!

How do you think your hometown of Weybridge, Surrey in England has influenced the You Me At Six sound and how you all carry yourselves in this group?

It influenced our sound in no way because I think we and a friend’s band’s created the first ever scene that a sleepy suburban town has ever seen. That being said our home town’s of Weybridge, Hersham, Ashford and Thorpe along with our family/friends and education taught us irreplaceable values in which we’ve lived by ever since.

How have your various musical backgrounds helped shape the sound of this band?

I think our parents brought us up with music in our homes. Chris’s dad taught him the blues, Dan’s dad taught him about Led Zeppelin and the like. I have stories about everyone’s upbringing and how integral a role our families played. It’s everything. We didn’t look to that to play our music but just being incredible music/story telling, taught us everything we needed to know.

How do you think that you have grown as a band since forming? What has remained the same

We got older and we figured shit out. Our underdog spirit is the same. Our fearlessness is the same but we’ve also learnt a lot about our environment and how to survive.

What did it feel like releasing your sixth studio album, “VI” in October? What was it like putting this collection together? Did anything surprise you once you were all in the studio? 

The main thing that surprised us in studio was how much we all wanted it, in a new way. We were determined to not allow fear or regression in the space. That came from Dan Austin our producer. He taught us a lot.

While it’s difficult, can you pick out a few of your favorite songs on this album? How did they get to be on this collection? 

“IOU” and probably “Predictable.” Personally as the lyricist, it tells you everything you need to know.

Can you elaborate on the different styles of music that can be found on “VI”? Was this something that you all intended to do or did it happen just naturally?

Honestly each song is an island. We had no particular angle going into this, just to make something that was real and we achieved that. At least internally, that’s how we feel, and that’s where it all starts.

Generally, how does the band go about writing your music? Do you write together or separately?

Every song varies. Sometimes we write collectively, sometimes just two or three of us. We’re a unit. We all split everything 5 ways. So we’re all in the same boat.

Photo Credit- Jordan Curtis Hughes

Where do you think you are all happiest – in the studio recording new music, on stage performing or elsewhere?

Honestly it’s the first two. But you miss both equally when you’re not doing the other.

What can you tease about your upcoming 2019 North American tour? Have you played at most of the venues before? Will it be the first time for any of them?

We’ve played a bunch of the venues before. We absolutely love touring America, we’re playing some of our favourite places. The crowds in America are always very very special.

Do you find that all of social media and keeping up with your fans has gotten so overwhelming? Or do you rely heavily on others to take care of that for the band? Which platform would you say that you enjoy engaging with the most?

We do it all ourselves minus the band socials as sometimes our management do posts with us. I like connecting with our fans that way, it’s important and a special place.

We are currently living through a very trying and politically charged time right now so I am curious to know how you all think being musicians and in this band still gives you the most joy in life today? Do you find that your music is an escape to all the current events?

Yes and we try create that environment for our fans. We want our shows to be all inclusive and everyone to feel not only happy but safe. We’re here to entertain and hopefully bring some joy into their lives.

What musicians would you love to work with in the future? What artists have really been inspiring this group and your music since day 1?

Drake. Since day one has been Foo Fighters. That’ll never change.

What do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people continue to take away from your songs?

Our message is that our music is us and our lyrics is my life story, during different eras of time.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers?

Life ain’t that bad if you ain’t around bad things. Chin up. x