Overflowing with more funk and edge than ever before, hometown heroes and disco-driven rockers Sancho Panza return upstairs this April. We had a chat to the guys ahead of the night…
Hey guys, we’re really looking forward to welcoming you back to The Bodega! How are you feeling ahead of the show?
Hi Bodega, thanks for having us again. We are all very excited, its gonna be Alex’s last one before he heads to Spain so it’s gonna get pretty daft after, I imagine.
Late last year you released ‘Sheikhdown’. Has there been much more going on in the studio since then?
Yes! We have a new song called ‘Sell it’ coming out 3rd April. There should be a fruity version of it with a music video coming not long after too, so keep your eyes peeled. There’s an album’s worth of stuff coming soon. We’re in the final phase of the operation as we speak…
Has the songwriting process evolved over time or do you tend to stick to a similar routine when it comes to writing tunes?
I normally write on the acoustic guitar but it’s different every time. The song ‘Sell It’ came in 15 minutes but others take months of tweaking. Since Harry Laycock joined the band things took a completely different direction in the best way. Some of the best ones have come from a riff he’s played us and we’ve gone from there. If there’s a good name for a song we can normally bash one out pretty quickly.
Nottingham is jam packed full of creativity and talent, do you find it a creative city to be in and is there any significant points of inspiration?
Nottingham has a brilliant scene. Almost every night of the week there’s something going on that’s worthwhile. We’ve been running this jam night down at Kofuku in Hockley which has been fun meeting new people/musicians and trying new things. The 3 big day festivals (Dot To Dot, Beat The Streets and Hockley Hustle) are also great in bringing people to new bands popping up in the city.
You’ve been playing in London and Manchester a lot recently, how has it been tackling larger cities and playing to different crowds?
It’s been grand. We headlined The Sebright Arms in London the other week with our friends Marvin’s Revenge, Sobscene and GOODGOODBYE which was great fun. London’s always a laugh. The first time we played Manchester we were completely blown out of the water by these travelling Mexicans burning incense. They weren’t even on the bill they just showed up after we finished. Manchester’s been good to us since.
Lastly, what can we expect to see from Sancho Panza over the coming months? Have a great show we’ll see you soon!
In April we have
7th – Nottingham – Bodega
15th – Brighton – Green Door Store
18th – Manchester – 33 Oldham Street
19th – Leeds – Lending Room
After that we have to hide away for a month to finish the tunes. Good times ahead!
Cya on the 7th guys. XOX
Sancho Panza play The Bodega on Friday 7th April, supported by Trip Westerns and Mossley Hillbillies. Tickets are on sale now.
Interview by Fin Heighton-Jupp.