Guilford rising stars Nylon Sky are really starting to turn heads in 2013, with their fresh take on hard rock and hip hop going down a storm with alternative music fans worldwide. Room Thirteen caught up with frontman Tony Humphries to discuss their recent tour of America, as well as their hometown album launch gig and their newest video and single, You're a Book and I'm Illiterate When It Comes To Your Pages.
R13: Debut single 'Tell Me (They)' brings to mind some great 90s bands, yet with a load of twists of your own and a very modern sound. Do all members of the band have similar influences or is there a lot of variety?
TH: Our differences really do vary. We love so many different styles of music and even things outside of the musical realm like comedy and photography and many more inspiring things.
R13: How did the American tour go? Where did your schedule take you?
TH: The tour was a hell of an experience, it really was. It took us all the way from North Carolina to the big New York City itself. So many crazy and mental things happened. We met some fantastic people.
R13: Who did you end up playing gigs with? Did anyone stand out, and did you make any new friends overseas?
TH:We met so many wonderful people out there, I ended up in a drug dealer's mansion who had his own recording studio. It was too epic! We smoked a blunt in a hotel room, we met a midget, we met Taco from Odd Future after seeing a Tyler, the Creator gig for free, we fell in love, we ate so much food, we were on Times Square billboard screen, we went to the hood, Stuart played on a bin, just so many mental things! So many mental people! We fell in love with this jazz band that we played with in Brooklyn! Groove 8. Great Guys.
R13: Did you get much time to hang out before or after gigs? What were peoples' reactions like to your set?
TH: We spent a lot of time in the van so, yeah we hung the fuck out. Peoples' reactions were generally really positive. We can't wait to head back and hit up all the places again!
R13: How are you all finding being on the road?
TH: We love it. It's the only place that makes sense, even amongst all the chaos and sleepless nights and being broke as fuck. We wouldn't want to be anywhere else but with each other and playing music.
R13: What's your funniest tour story this year so far?
TH: Too long and rude to explain here but it involved the police, a sleep walker, a bunch of road signs, lots of marijuana, nakedness and some other things I can't say.
R13: You had your album launch party recently at The Boileroom in Guilford. Are hometown gigs still the best?
TH: Hometown gigs are awesome! Every show is different but you can't help but feel that energy with where you're from.
R13: Your new video for second single 'You're a Book and I'm Illiterate When It Comes To Your Pages' is going to raise a few eyebrows; where did the idea for it come from?
TH: It came about because the band let me come up with a concept haha.
R13: You're on tour in the UK at the moment; how do gigs / crowds etc. over here compare to any other countries you've played?
TH:Like I said earlier, every gig is so different but in other countries there are the obvious barriers of language and things but it's never a massive problem.
R13: What are your plans for the rest of the year? Are you playing any festivals this summer?
TH: We have a few lined up. We played live in Hasselt recently in Belgium and that was fantastic.
Nylon Sky's debut album Little Things, Bigger Picture is out now, containing singles Tell Me (They) and You're a Book and I'm Illiterate When It Comes To Your Pages.