Interview With 'AMFX'

Firstly, introduce yourselves and tell us a little bit about the band and how you came to be?

Ok, so I'm Graeme and I play bass and sing in the band AMFX. I Started the band back in the heady days of 2010 after leaving my old band to follow my ambition of recording in America with the guys from Army Of Freshmen. We kinda did things backwards in the fact recording came first and the band came second, we built the band long after the first EP was recorded in California. I had the songs, we recorded and then we all found each other afterwards.

What were you all up too prior to the band, was this always the chosen path or did you have other dreams and aspirations?

As I mentioned before I was in a previous band for several years, but when the guys couldn't come with me to the dream of recording in California, that sadly came to an end.

Tell us about your latest EP and why our readers should check it out.

First off, we're poor. So recording/releasing material is very few and far between. For 6 years it's been a choice every year of if we want to either record or tour. So during the last recording session we decided to make the next release a two part album. 2 releases with 5 tracks on each. So our last release and the first half of the album was a while ago now. We've just started work on the second set of songs recently... Finally getting our act and money together to finish off the album.

Who would you say is the bands main song writer or is it a group effort and where do you draw your inspiration lyrically and musically from?

The first EP was written by myself and then recorded in Cali. Since then it's been a more open process. Usually I skeleton idea a song and then take it to the guys, together we work on it. Currently I've got 3-8 songs written ready to take to the guys, so we'll see which stick and which get binned and go from there :)

As a band what do you believe is your greatest achievement to date?

Without sounding too big headed, I think touring the UK/Europe twice with no management, booking agent or help. It's really hard for us to branch out without these people, but together with the help of friends, we've done it twice and are looking into doing it again next summer... Only bigger and better.

Have you ever come face to face with someone within the music scene who has left you awestruck and why?

Thanks to the part-time job of driving the band Army Of Freshmen around, I've met and grown the know the guys from Zebrahead and Lit, which is something 18 year old me would freak out over. Yet to meet Mark Hoppus though, that would probably turn my world upside down even at 30!

If we were to head out to one of your live shows what can ourselves and others expect?

You'll probably be offended with something I'd say between songs, but hopefully you'll go away thinking you've had a fun time. Perhaps you'll bust some moves, show me your boobs due to the excitement of being taken back to the glory day sound of the pop-punk era? You might also see how handsome we are as a band and be blown away by that? ...you might also think that someone doing that exact thing in his thirties isn't for you. That's for you to find out.

If you had one artist/band that you could go on tour with tomorrow who would it be and why?

Personally, now Delonge is gone... Blink. They're back in my life in a huge way now the ego has been removed and they're sounding great again. On a more realistic level, we're still yet to head out on tour with our friends Straight Jacket Legends... So that's the next goal.

You can spend an hour with a musical icon living or dead, who would you pick, why and what would you speak about?

Freddie Mercury. Enough said.

And finally and most importantly is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?

Not only is it a Christmas movie, it's the best of all the Christmas movies. How is this still a debate?!

'The Story So Far' available now!