We recently sat down with British pop punk band ROAM’s lead vocalist and backing vocalist/guitarist – both called Alex! – for a chat on your life, a new album and a bit about them.
How is touring with Man Overboard?
Alex: It’s sick, like they’re a band I’ve liked for a long time and they got me into this kind of music so it’s really cool to come on tour with them.
You recently got back from the states touring with Set It Off, Against The Current, As It Is, how was that?
Costello: It was our first US tour so to go over there and see people singing along quite a lot of the time was really cool. It was a different experience touring America, massive drives, but the shows were really good and the crowds were very receptive.
How was it going overses and having fans over like you said?
Costello: Really cool, it was our first plane we got together so that was really cool to do that. It is strange when you go over to places that aren’t the UK and they start singing along, like when we first went to mainland Europe and they were just singing along, it’s mental so it’s really cool when they do that.
Alex: It’s being so far from home and having people singing along which is really cool.
Which crowds do you prefer, British or American?
Alex: Well, in terms of reaction we’ve built a lot more in the UK so there are a lot more people that know us here, but in terms of who’s more receptive, I’d say American, or at least from that tour. Like the American fan base were very receptive, if they didn’t know you and we were like “come on jump” everyone would still get involved even if they didn’t know you, which was cool.
Costello: But the European crowds are crazy.
Alex: Yeah, Europe is great. We’ve got a few quite dedicated fans over there so it’s always good to go there.
How does it feel being on Hopeless Records with such an awesome roster of bands?
Costello: Yeah man, Hopeless is the one!
Alex: They took us out for dinner, we always like them when they do that. Well, basically, they paid for dinner, but everyone else got up and went to pay first because they didn’t realise, except me and Alex.
Costello: We were the polite ones, so we let everyone go forward first and so they paid for us, and everyone else couldn’t get a refund so they were like, oh well at least half of you get a free meal.
Alex: But it’s good to be on Hopeless, cause they hook us up with a lot of the bands and it’s great too kind of get involved with them, we’re playing with All Time Low in France and Spain so it’s great to be a part of them.
Do you guys have a full length album in the works?
Alex: Yeah, we went in to the studio before we started touring in America for three weeks and we recorded up in Sheffield, I say we’ve got about two more weeks of recording before it’s perfect.
As there are two guys called Alex in the band, how do you tell each other apart?
Alex: Ah, we call him Costello cause he is also Alex and he has a cool surname, mine’s just Adam which people get confused with anyway.
Costello: I don’t like it when they call me it…I like Alex but apparently it’s not okay.
Alex: It’s because I’m Alex! (laughs)
Who would you say have been the most fun touring with?
Alex: Erm… I’d say a band called As It Is, we played our first shows with them – our first US tour with them, they live very, very close to us. We (the band) grew up playing shows with them, we’re just on the same level with them, we live half an hour apart, they’re probably the most fun just because we know them.
Costello: Also, Set It Off were really awesome fun, and also Man Overboard are fun.
Who has looked after you best on tour?
Alex: Personally, I’d say Set It Off looked after us really well, it was our first US tour and we didn’t know how a lot of the stuff and we’re not really big over there. Like, they would always share their food and drinks with us and if there wasn’t a dressing room for everyone they would let everyone in and I’d say they looked after us best.
What band would you most like to tour with?
Alex: For me, It’s Sum 41, they’re like my favourite band and if we could tour with them it would be amazing.
Costello: Erm, I’d say same, if it had to be Pop Punk I’d say Sum 41 or Set Your Goals.
Are your parents supportive of the band?
Costello: Yeah, when we first stared my mum was like “oh but how’re you gonna make money” but as I’ve done it and there’s more things coming and the band becoming more successful, they understand I have to do it now, but they’ve always been fine because they were musicians before, they know how bad the industry can be.
Alex: Yeah, I’d say my parents were quite supportive of the band, like we would practise down at my dad’s work and they help out a lot. I’d say everyones parents are supportive.
Is the band your day job?
Costello: Yeah I guess so now!
Alex: Yeah, it’s kind of crept up on us, we all had jobs until January. Me and Alex worked out we hadn’t been home for more than 5 days since January. We had jobs and we haven’t quit the jobs but, we haven’t had a chance to do the jobs in 3 months.
Costello: We had like a whole day at home two days ago and I went back to my Café were I worked and we were just talking and he was like “so when you coming back then?” so I think I have a job when I come back.
Alex: We never intended to quit our jobs then, but we basically left and we aren’t back until May, that’s 5 months off without really asking.
What do you guys do on your day off while on the road?
Alex: Different stuff all the time really.
Costello: Depends where we are really, if we are in Europe then will do cool tourist things like see Venice but if we are in England where we have seen it all, we just sit around at the venue, find food and sit in the venue.
Alex: If we have a day off in the UK we just sit where we can, if we have a hotel we just sit in the hotel all day, just get some rest, it’s nice you can just relax I can literally just lay down and do nothing.
Costello: Like if we are in London, we don’t need to see Big Ben, we’ve seen it enough times.
Alex: If we have a day off in London, we just stay at our manager’s flat and just ruin the place and eat all his food.
Last but not least, what’s your favourite song to play live?
Costello: I like Nothing In Return, it’ll always be a favourite.
Alex: I like Head Rush, it always gets the best reaction, so it’s the most fun to play because everyone is on the stage or jumping off the stage.
Costello: Nothing In Return, is kind of like that, it’s great, I just like the song really.
Alex: A lot of our old EP goes down quite well, cause it’s been out a long time now, so people know the words so that stuff is better at the moment, but once the new EP has taken over that stuff will be better.
