Introducing Absolutely Anytime: the eccentric band we’ve been waiting for
Introducing Absolutely Anytime, an energetic band based in London featuring Sam (lead vocals), Redley (Guitar and vocals), India (Bass), Conrad (Guitar), and Anoushka (Drums). Absolutely Anytime stands out in the music world with vibrant performances and existential lyricism, aiming to entertain while staying true to their creative spirit. Recently concluding their support for Rum Jungle on their UK/EU tour, Pleaser had the opportunity to ask Sam, Redley and India some questions to learn some more about this fantastic band. They're focused on expanding their presence, from selling out larger London venues to future festival appearances and dreams of touring Australia. Influenced by bands like Queen, Talking Heads, and Wolf Alice, their music is described as "fun, eccentric, and rowdy," promising a lively experience that resonates both on and off stage.
PHOTO BY ELISE ABOTOMEY
Pleaser: What inspired you guys to form Absolutely Anytime, and how did you all come together?
Sam: Me and Redley moved up from Cornwall with a bit of a desire to start a new project in London. When we were sort of getting people together, I lived with India previously in a house share. We met our drummer through friends in the pub and Conrad used to live with a friend of ours. Just all of the sudden, it all just managed to click and we sort of just went from there really.
Could you share a bit about your songwriting process, how do you typically develop your ideas?
Redley: It starts off usually with Sam and I sending a real rough demo of something recorded on our phones to each other and then we’ll either go “that sounds rubbish” or “that sounds alright.” We’ll bring that into the bedroom that I'm in right now and we’ll record a little demo to it and then take it to the guys if it sounds good. That’s the usual process but there's been times where we’ve just come straight into rehearsal and done it.
PHOTO BY ELISE ABOTOMEY
In the current music landscape, how do you see Absolutely Anytime carving out its mark while staying true to your creativity?
Sam: We want it to be as bright and colorful as we can, and I think our whole ethos is to have as much fun and show that on stage, in our songwriting, the way we dress and the way we all act together because that’s how we are. We’re all quite fun, bubbly people who just love having a good time and a good old dance and our music sort of reflects that I think.
Redley: Yeah definitely, One thing people have definitely picked up on is that we tend to give off the sense of existential dread in a good way. Which we sort of try to put into our lyrics as well, because at the end of the day we are, like, the most anxious band in the world, so to be able to have that come through being a fun and vibrant way, seems like
Sam: Sort of make fun of ourselves
Redley: Yeah, we can just really be ourselves on stage, off stage and it just seems to work really.
India: Yeah, I know a few people have said to me, either they’ve seen us live or just seen videos and they’re like “you just look like you’re having so much fun” and I think that's a big part of it as well, it's just fun, obviously taking it seriously, but not too seriously and just wanting everyone else to have fun also.
You guys recently supported Rum Jungle on their UK/EU tour, how was it? And do you have any memorable moments?
Sam: It was good fun, we said this in the big post tour posts on Instagram that we were really nervous going into the tour, because it was our first tour but they looked after us like every step of the way and they showed us how to have a good time because obviously touring can be super stressful.
Redley: There's so many memorable moments, I mean the one for me was easily, when we were on the Motorway between Hamburg and Cologne in the middle of nowhere, and we hadn't actually traveled with each other we just randomly drove up beside them on the motorway at like a random hour of the day which was just the weirdest thing of all time because that just never happens. We were just beeping and waving at them and then we did that awkward thing were we just kept like meeting each other in a traffic jam then slowly passing and then meeting again, and it’s like “no one look, no one look!”
Sam: That and also just seeing them sell out that big London show, I dont know it’s just mad to see just how well they're doing right now and how much fun the shows are especially around the area where we live, that was special.
India: And celebrating after the London show!
Redley: The Bristol Loading debarkal was pretty funny. We loaded all of our stuff in the van in this boiling hot sunshine. It was going to be like the second gig of the tour, we were buzzing. Then we just took everything out of the van and put it in the venue. I got straight onto the aux cable and put 1999 on by Prince. Windows down, blasting it, and we're going around the roundabout outside the venue to go back to the car park, to go put the van back, and then, like, everyone who's going to the gig is queuing outside the venue, and it's like, “whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.” The back doors of the van were open, and we went around the roundabout, blasting music with the van doors open, but all of our stuff in the back, like, two cases, and luckily nothing fell out, but it's pretty memorable.
PHOTO BY ELISE ABOTOMEY
As a band, who are some of your biggest inspirations?
Sam: I'm not going to lie, my biggest inspirations are, if we have to get massive, it's just Queen, Foo Fighters. Obviously, anything pretty front-man-driven is what I quite like, especially bands with front-men that don't have guitars.
Redley: For me, I really love Talking Heads. When we were writing for this project, when we first started it, I was really envisioning Sam trying to be David Byrne, because I'm in love with him, and everything he does. So it's just like, yeah, you should do that dance that he does.
India: I'm going to say, Wolf Alice, obviously, musically as well but just because it showed, women can be in rock bands and play guitar and bass or whatever. And I know there are so many other female musicians but they were definitely the soundtrack to my teenage years.
What can fans expect from Absolutely Anytime in the future and what are some of your goals as a group?
Sam: Goals for us right now, well in terms of short term goals, I think we’re sort of just playing things by ear at the moment. Our goal currently is to sell out a 150 capacity venue in London, which is great because the one before was 70 capacity, so we’re sort of just seeing that small increase. I think the next goals for us are to release another single around the end of July and we definitely want to be in the festival season next year. For long term goals, we would love to be signed and do Glastonbury, but that's a bit further down the line - Oh, and tour Australia!
Redley: Oh yeah, touring Australia would be so good. So many people have been like, when are you going to do it? And we’re like “man, if we could afford it” If you wanna pay for the flights we’ll be there. The Rum Jungle guys are like “yeah come on tour with us in Aus” but you have to fly everywhere over there. Also a UK tour, we really want to do that too. Hopefully by January next year, that's my goal anyway. What about you India?
India: I think you've pretty much said it all. Yeah obviously just making that headline show as good as it can be and it's fun and just crazy, but then also just doing as much cool stuff as possible, like festivals, gigs, tours and all the other stuff that comes with it.
You’re a relatively new band, how would you describe your music to someone who's never heard of you before?
All: Fun, eccentric, rowdy, Indie pop. We never know how to describe it but we just wantto be as bonkers as possible. We want everyone to have fun and for everyone to stickaround after the show. We want it to be like an event where everyone feels involved andhaving as much fun as they can and on stage.
