An interview with The Yalla Yallas
An interview with The Yalla Yallas
What inspired the name of the band? What are your influences?
The band name ‘The Yalla Yallas’ came from a song called ‘Yalla Yalla’ by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros. Joe is amongst many artists to influence and inspire us. Iggy and the Stooges, Guns n Roses, and Johnny Cash are some of the others. I could be hear all day telling you about music that I love and that I’d like to emulate. I’m an addict. The other lads are too, and we all have a huge varied taste. I reckon if we’d listened and studied all the music that we’ve ever listened to inside the walls of a university then we’d be doctors or professors of music by now.
How do you approach songwriting? Are there any themes that you are keen to explore when you start off?
Songwriting is very instinctive to me. I never spend too long writing. I feel the urge to pick up my pen or instrument and it just takes over and I’ll probably write 90% of the song in the first draft. I might go back later and write a bridge, or alter the structure a little but most of the song will be there. I try leave some room for the others to express themselves but I’ll write or direct most of the instruments. I hear it all in an instant. It just comes. I can’t force writing. Like, if I said I will sit down on Sunday and try write a song then I guarantee it will be shit. I’ve got to wait for the song to come to me.
How do you approach songwriting? Are there any themes that you are keen to explore when you start off?
Songwriting is very instinctive to me. I never spend too long writing. I feel the urge to pick up my pen or instrument and it just takes over and I’ll probably write 90% of the song in the first draft. I might go back later and write a bridge, or alter the structure a little but most of the song will be there. I try leave some room for the others to express themselves but I’ll write or direct most of the instruments. I hear it all in an instant. It just comes. I can’t force writing. Like, if I said I will sit down on Sunday and try write a song then I guarantee it will be shit. I’ve got to wait for the song to come to me.
Why do you write the sort of music that you do?
I write the songs I do because I feel the need to express myself, my observations, my experiences, my feelings, and my anger. It’s a great way to channel your mind. I can look back at each of my albums and see a snapshot of my life at the time and where my head was at. I’m writing some kind of biography but through music I suppose. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stop writing. It’s just my way of processing life.
How do you decide what songs to perform live and how do you transpose them into that live setting?
Playing a song live is a bit of an acid test for a song. You can sit at home in your own little world, have an idea of what it’s about, take it to band rehearsal and the guys help bring your song to life but performing your song live is when the song is really alive. I have cringed at my own lyrics and forced myself to re-write them live on stage because you realise that your lyrics are poor or that you’ve forgotten them. Some of my best lyrics were written on stage. I love being in that moment with a new song and being forced to bring it out next to your back catalogue and seeing if it still holds up. Especially because we allow songs to develop in a live setting. We like to see a song grow.
How do you decide what songs to perform live and how do you transpose them into that live setting?
Playing a song live is a bit of an acid test for a song. You can sit at home in your own little world, have an idea of what it’s about, take it to band rehearsal and the guys help bring your song to life but performing your song live is when the song is really alive. I have cringed at my own lyrics and forced myself to re-write them live on stage because you realise that your lyrics are poor or that you’ve forgotten them. Some of my best lyrics were written on stage. I love being in that moment with a new song and being forced to bring it out next to your back catalogue and seeing if it still holds up. Especially because we allow songs to develop in a live setting. We like to see a song grow.
What plans do you have for the future?
Our plans are to release our fifth album in June, we’re really looking forward to this one because it’s so different to anything that we’ve ever done. This is the first album we’ve made where we didn’t play any of the songs live first. It’s a studio album. I think if I had to have sung these songs live first then this album maybe would have never have been made … it’s quite personal. We have no plans to play this album live. When gigs resume we will be looking at even newer material.