Penfold are Sarah (vocals), Andy (vocals, guitar), Sam (guitar), James (bass) and Ginga (drums). They come from Lightwater, were on the last Farnborough Groove, have made two of the most original demos I've heard and are only sixteen. Definitely one of the most promising and talented bands in the area.
On your first demo, 'Happy?', the lead vocals are shared between Andy and Sarah. Do you see this continuing in the future?
ANDY: We're big fans of harmonies so we always like to include those on our songs. As for one of us being more prominent, Sarah's going to sing the majority of songs in the future.
What's been the favorite song you've recorded?
GINGA: From our first recordings, 'Happy' because we've become known for that song, and from our latest demo, 'Oh No' because basically it's fucking brilliant.
You had the track 'Happy' on the Farnborough Groove 7 compilation. Have you benefited from this exposure?
JAMES: I received a letter from someone in Nottingham the other day, who'd heard us on the Groove, asking us to be in her fanzine. She's our widespread fanbase.
Do you play many gigs?
SARAH: Not at the moment because our age has restricted us from playing in some venues. Also, we don't want to be known as imitators, more like innovators.
Which other bands do you like, and do they influence you?
SAM: We saw Supergrass at the Reading festival and we thought they were cool. We also like bands such as the Manics, Weezer, Radiohead and Rage Against The Machine, but we try to keep our sound as original as possible and ditch songs that sound too much like anyone else's.
What are your plans for the future?
JAMES: A third recording will definitely be made in the near future, maybe three or four months. But we've found that we're improving as a band so rapidly that each new song is better than the last. As for gigs, we've got a Battle of the Bands coming up soon, but we've previously found that when the venues find out our age they usually kick us out. So any age-friendly venues or promoters get in touch!
Snideline Interview
Issue 1 Contents
Issue 1 Autumn '98 © Tim Bragger