ETON MESS
Glastonbury
Self-described as a form of sweet, politically-charged punk, Eton Mess are an exciting band from South London who are now based in Glastonbury, South Somerset. Comprised of Yann on lead vocals, Alex on vocals and guitar, and Elliot on lead guitar, they offer a blend that marries the soft charm of indie rock, everyday-reflective and witty punchy-punk, and the rhythm of hip-hop, touring this across venues in the South West.
With their name, a satirical nod to the notorious Eton College – the UK’s leading private school that is the birthplace and inheritance bed for the creation of future prime ministers – the band offer distinct and compelling social commentary on current affairs, and what it means to be an agent of society in our current age. With one of their biggest inspirations being IDLES, with whom we were privileged to interview recently at Nobody is Watching, Eton Mess have a strong message and thrive on playing live.
Moving from France to East London in the early 2000’s, brothers Yann and Alex were first introduced to performing music in the London grime, rap, and hip-hop scene. Now, on another journey, they reside in South Somerset and, together with Elliot on guitar, have found a new sound, community, and sense of togetherness, through fun and fast alternative punk.
There’s no doubt that you can hear this journey through their music. Their punchy single ‘The End’ uses real life experiences and marks the time in which the brothers lost their jobs and subsequently had to deal with the racing thoughts of battling the struggles of modern life. This rings similar to the experimental and commentary-led directions of IDLES, Sleaford Mods, and Slowthai to name a few.
“Do I want to leave society? Do I want to live in a camper? Do I need a banker? Do I need this way of living? It came from a real place.”
TALK TO NOBODY - Yann
“We feel it’s important that we let ourselves experiment with sound and really push those boundaries.”
As the band reflect, their sound and personas – together with their environment – have changed dramatically over the years. And this is largely down to their openness and patience when experimenting with new sounds and ideas. As Yann and Alex recant, this is also due to their lifelong passion for music which they have crafted into a home studio setup, ‘having a home studio means that if I have an idea, I can record when I want to…it’s like a sort of cheat code.’
As we discussed, so much of music is marking moments, feelings and conflicts felt at certain times. This is why having access to record on impulse to capture contemplation, anxieties, or heartfelt rage is so powerful for Eton Mess. Building a dedicated space to push the boundaries of sound is a challenge that the band are embracing, and a journey towards finding and sharing their voice as social commentators.
Throughout this process, Eton Mess have also evolved into a working band, which offers them a lot more freedom of expression to shed their personas, be themselves, and offer raw feeling. Alex goes on to affirm that sometimes ‘simplicity is key’ when it comes to producing music, particularly if we are to cling onto the feeling that charged us to produce the track in the first place, and put it out to the world. In other words, strip things back and cling onto that feeling that inspired you to create the music to truly connect with people through music.
The band’s latest single 'Big Karen' is out on the 12th of April and we are excited to see what else the future holds in store for this fledgling band.
'We’re punk rock but we’re sweet; typically we’re at the end of the night, like a desert. But really, it’s politically charged.’
CONNECT WITH ETON MESS
