Introducing….STUKA
Hot off the back of releasing their captivating self-titled debut single "‘STUKA’ Click Roll Boom caught up with Joshie of STUKA to find out a bit more about the Hull based music/art project.
Who are STUKA? Tell me a bit about the bands history?
STUKA’s initial test run was as a three piece, bare bones punk band born from a collaboration with the singer and poet Joshua D. Ingham, solo artist Evie Barrand who was a student at the York ‘Access to Music’. This test run lasted until just before the pandemic through a shifting of lineup, a new phase of the project was established between staff members at The New Adelphi Club and a photographer active in the scene. This lineup contains solo artists, Joshua D. Ingham and Evie Barrand. The guitarist is George Street and the drummer is Jacob McAllister. The new phase of the project is now narrative driven and takes a more diverse sonic inspiration than before.
What inspires you?
I can only speak for myself on this one. When I see artists who totally embrace a raw and unfiltered delivery for their art it really gets me excited. That’s where my obsession for CGBGs and 60’s garage rock began. Within those time periods you get such a varied range of sound, really unique and passionate lyrical subjects and fantastic selection of unconventional voices.
How would you describe your sound?
I would describe our sound as a medium point between proto-punk, Vietnam-era rock and Pixies.
Which other artists have influenced your sound?
Other artists that have inspired our sound would be Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Black Sabbath, The Cramps, Ramones and Talking Heads.
Where does your songwriting inspiration come from?
The songwriting inspiration is derived from two main things, my poetry and my time studying Philosophy and Politics. In our set we explore the topics of addiction, abuse, morals vs duty, infidelity and existentialism. It’s all meant to be a little over the top and every song is intended to tell a story, but underneath the surface the songs are still very personal to me.
What's been your biggest show to date? and your favourite?
Our favourite show is a covers night we took part in believe it or not. In celebration for the 30th anniversary of Nevermind by Nirvana, us and the band Bedsit did a show where they did a Nirvana set and we did a Pixies set. It was honestly a magical sold out night at The New Adelphi Club where local bands passionately paid tribute to our inspirations.
Have you ever suffered from stage fright, if so how do you overcome it?
The stage has always been something I’m quite comfortable with, the scary part for me is when people come up and talk to you after the set. When the adrenaline is running through you, it ends up filling me with anxiety, but it’s something I’m trying to work at because I love talking to new people usually.
Who would you most like to go on tour with?
For my own selfish reasons I’d love to go on tour with Pixies, just to fulfil a childhood fantasy, but I’m sure that the rest of the band would have different answers. At the moment I’m really into The Murder Capital and Wunderhorse, so that would be loads of fun as well.
You’re about to put out your debut single ‘STUKA’, can you tell me about it?
The self titled debut single from STUKA is a song reflecting the current climate of war hanging over Europe. It tells the story of a soldier conflicted with his orders and questioning the legitimacy of his country's causes. He grapples with the moral implications of fighting, torn between duty and his own personal beliefs.
What are you working on at the moment? What does the future hold?
Now we’ve got the project up and running the plan for the nearby future is to get back into the flow of gigging, and release some singles which will build to an EP.
Read our review of ‘STUKA’ HERE!
