Sister Shotgun, from the West Midlands, are causing a stir with their own blend of riff heavy metal and rock, and are ready to rip your face off!
They have appeared on festival stages, in Kerrang! magazine, they were one of the finalists in Kerrang! Radio’s Unsigned Lounge and have released an EP, ‘For The Love Of Hate’, which is available on iTunes.
We caught up with singer Chloe, the band are completed by Martyn Bullock – Lead Guitar, Niall Wills – Rhythm Guitar and Michael Wood – Bass Guitar & Keys, to find all about this up and coming rock band.
Can you please introduce yourself to our readers? I’m Chloe Ozwell and I sing for the band Sister Shotgun.
Where did the name Sister Shotgun come from? I love Billy Idol and was sat listening to ‘White Wedding’. The line “Hey little sister shotgun” just jumped out at me. I really liked the way ‘Sister Shotgun’ sounded as a band name. So I pitched it to the band and they loved it.
How did you get started? The band was actually meant to be a cover band before I joined and they were having trouble finding a singer. So I asked to join and for a long time there was a lot resistance from their end because they weren’t sure whether some of the cover songs would sound right with a female singer. I just kept bothering them and asking for an audition and in the end they caved and let me come in and audition for them. They liked me and we ended up writing original songs the next time we went to rehearsals. We ended up ditching the covers and became and originals band.
What have you got going on at the moment? Quite a bit actually. We’re planning on re-recording the song ‘For The Love Of Hate’ and making it sound bigger with strings and piano and then releasing a music video for that track. We’re also writing new songs for the next EP which we’re hoping to start recording later in the year. We’re also trying to book and play shows everywhere. So keep a look out for us.
Favourite music and why? This is such a hard question because I love so many bands and artists from a lot of different genres. At the moment I’m listening to Escape The Fate, Halestorm, Avenged Sevenfold, Glamour Of The Kill and States Of Panic because it’s heavy but its melodic and easy to sing along to. It just gets you amped to do what you’re doing that day. But I grew up listening to bands and artists like Japan, Oasis, The Thomson Twins, David Bowie and Queen because they were my Dad’s favourites. So they’ll always have a special place in my heart because it feels familiar and there are so many happy memories routed in songs by those bands.
What’s your favourite book and why? I love horror and crime books, So I’m a big fan of James Patterson. His book ‘The Lake House’ has to be my favourite of all time. I have never been so emotionally invested in a book as I was with that one. The plot had me hooked from page one and I literally only put it down when I went to sleep. I’d definitely recommend it.
Favourite film and why? Again there are so many. But my all time favourite has to be ‘Repo! The Genetic Opera’. Its just fantastic! It’s a musical but the music is great. It has everything: gore, comedy and a great cast. You have to watch this film!
Best experience in the business so far? Being featured in Kerrang! Magazine has to be the highlight of our careers so far. I think us and our families and friends have stock piled that issue. We also got to work with Brian Tatler of Diamondhead for our EP which was just amazing. He was the sweetest guy and a pleasure to work with.
Why should Soundscape readers care about Sister Shotgun? Because I think we have something different to offer then other female fronted bands out there. We’re one of those bands who never sat down and picked a genre. We just started playing and I think that given us a unique sound. Plus we’re total nutcases, so you’ll always be entertained.
Tell our readers an interesting fact about yourself? I was a black belt In Shukokai Karate and competed in the world championships in Venice, Italy a few years back. So If anyone messes with me or my band, they’re in trouble haha.
What’s the best and worst things about touring? The best thing for me is seeing new places and meeting new people. The worst thing has to be getting there. I’m not the best driver and I get lost easily, even when i’m using a sat nav. So, I find it a bit frustrating trying to get to a venue I’ve never been to before.
Whats the most embarrassing thing to happen to you while in the band? A while back we recorded a music video for one of the track on the EP (which we’ve since decided against releasing) we had the police turn up while we were shooting and asking what was going on. They decided to leave us to it in the end but it’s not that you want when you’re trying to shoot a video. We also had an older couple and their dog come and spectate too which was a bit off putting.
What’s your writing and recording process like? We’re very much a team when it comes to writing. Niall and Martyn will come up with an idea for the guitars and we’ll jam it until we’re happy with the structure and the guitar, bass and drum parts. I’ll then improvise a vocal melody over the top while we jam and then I’ll go away and write the lyrics. Recording wise, we’ll usually lay down the drums first and then we’ll lay down the guitars and play around with possible little guitar licks to add and layers to make the songs sound bigger. Then we’ll put the bass in. After all of that I’ll come in with the vocals and like with the guitars, I’ll add vocal licks and harmonies to make the sound thicker.
What inspires you? I find my self inspired by books, film, art, music and even music videos. I like to write my lyrics as if they’re short stories. They’re all fictional. I think the best form of escapism is through stories. If someone wants to escape from their problems, they’ll want to be taken somewhere out of reality. Plus, I find writing fictionally means there are no restrictions on what you can write about.
Best thing about playing in Wales? Well, we’re from Birmingham and we’ve never played Wales, So we wouldn’t know, but we are working on that and we’re hoping to make an appearance there soon.
Who are your role models or idols? Lzzy Hale – Halestorm, Doro Pesch – Warlock, David Bowie, Gerard Way – My Chemical Romance and Corey Taylor – Slipknot and Stone Sour. All Amazing front people and such great characters.
Hardest thing about the current business? Not having enough money to do what you know you need to do to succeed. It’s frustrating knowing what you need to do to get where you want but not having enough money to do it!
What are your future plans? World Domination!
Who’s your favourite Batman actor? Adam West! He will always be Batman to me.
Check out the band on facebook here – http://www.Facebook.com/SisterShotgunOff… and twitter here – @SisterShotgunUK, they are definitely ones to watch.
