After initial hype sparked by TikTok covers of indie classics, The Guest List are fast becoming a new band to believe in. We meet singer Cai Alty to talk “scrappy vans” and acclimatising to the “glitz and glamour” of the industry…
INTERVIEW: Lisa Wright
PHOTO: Ewan Ogden
The Guest List met at school in Manchester, which has a famous musical history – but what’s it like for young artists today?
“You really feel that legacy when you start out. There’s a really healthy culture in Manchester of bands that can come up with no following and still be able to play to people, which is something you can’t really say of a lot of places in the UK. But at the same time, we don’t really want to be labelled as a Manchester band. We’re obviously really proud of it and we’ve drawn influence from it, but we also want to look outside of it and create a sound that appeals more widely.”
So far, you’ve played shows with Inhaler, Blossoms and more. How did you translate the initial hype into ticket sales?
“It’s been hard, to be honest. We broke through online doing covers when we were 15 and we tried to do three shows early on. We were like, ‘Okay, we’ve got 350,000 followers on TikTok, 50,000 on Instagram, so people will show up to an 80-capacity venue.’ We put the tickets out and literally no one bought them. It’s easy to get carried away with social numbers and streams, but I don’t think there’s any longevity in just doing TikToks and waiting for a blow-up. That said, selling tickets in places we’ve never played is quite weird and tells you something about social media and Spotify. We shifted the focus to our original songs and have played a load of festivals, so we’re in a much better place with that relationship between social media and live. The biggest impression so far has been just how chill everyone is backstage. You come into it expecting glitz and glamour, and actually bands are just sat there eating a Greggs, then maybe they’ll go to the gym. Then, when they go out on stage, they flip a switch and they’re in performance mode.”
You’re signed to Artist Theory, which is headed up by former Parlophone co-president Nick Burgess. What made you go with them?
“We turned down a couple of offers, but this just felt right. Our management had worked with Nick before, so there was trust there and it felt genuine. When we met them, it felt like they really did care about doing an artist-friendly deal and letting us have creative freedom, which we have had. All they’ve really done is help us bring out the best in our tunes. They sent us to Norway to record with Matias Tellez [Girl In Red], which was amazing and kind of changed how our music sounds.”
What have you learned about the role of a label since being signed?
“I think part of the reason we thought Artist Theory was perfect was because we didn’t really want to join the major label ladder on the bottom rung. In those situations it can feel like you don’t ever get to talk to the person that you signed with. But because it’s such a small team and they’ve got a lot of experience, it feels like we’re getting that one-to-one advice from pretty senior people in the industry.”
How are you making it work as a new band financially?
“We try to keep it pretty lean. We’re riding around in some proper scrappy vans. But it’s alright, the van and staying in motels are just part of the charm. It’ll be a real test on tour this month because it’s the first big run of dates we’ve done. In those environments, small venues and cramped vans, it doesn’t bode well for staying healthy and keeping a healthy voice. But we’re just embracing it.”
Massive British bands like Oasis and Radiohead are both active again now. How does the presence of more established bands like that affect the landscape for breaking acts?
“You could argue that there’s a negative side, but I think there’s more positives in terms of shedding light on guitar music. For people that go and watch those bands, they’ll go away thinking, ‘Who’s the new band? Who’s going to do it for our generation?’ I feel like there’s room for a mainstream band for now. It doesn’t feel like there’s the equivalent of a Sabrina Carpenter, a pop star band, doing rock music yet.”
KEY RELEASE: When The Lights Are Out EP
LABEL: Artist Theory
MANAGEMENT: Jake Etches and Conrad Murray (SJM Concerts)
INSTAGRAM: @theguestlist.band
