Bath and Bristol four-piece Young Martyrs are back with new single ‘Sugar On My Tongue’, the second cut from their forthcoming album Might Just Be Enough. We caught up with lead songwriter Tom Corneill to talk American guitars, Irish honesty, recording at Abbey Road, and the perils of an unclasped guitar strap.
Who are you and where are you from?
We’re Young Martyrs: Tom Corneill, Lee Cole, Rich Beeby and Phil Smith, and we’re from Bath and Bristol, UK.
How did the four of you come together as Young Martyrs, and how did you land on the alt-americana sound?
We’ve all been friends for a long time and played together in various forms; notably, three of us were in a band called Centrefolds up until 2020. The truth is, after an enforced break from playing live, we had a total reset, and when we got back in a room together this was the sound that emerged. It was probably influenced by me listening to a lot of Orphan Colours at the time. There’s lots of The Killers, Kings of Leon, Tom Petty and Aerosmith in our listening catalogue, so that American guitar sound was bound to get in somewhere. Lyrically, I’d say I’m also heavily influenced by British artists like Del Amitri, Billy Bragg and Richard Hawley.
How would you describe your sound to someone who’s never heard you? “Alt-americana” gets used a lot, so what does it mean to you and the band specifically?
To be honest, the first album was very country and Americana-influenced, but since then we’ve been on a much more indie rock trajectory. The problem is that ‘indie’ is such a broad and overused term that it doesn’t say enough about us. It means ‘independent’, which is what we are and what we try to remain, but we do like the twang of an American guitar sound, so that keeps creeping back in and reminding us of how we started. To a total newcomer I’d say if you like Kings of Leon then you’re probably going to like us, we’re in a similar area of rock.
What bands and artists have shaped what you do?
We actually take a huge amount of influence from Ireland (Thin Lizzy, Damien Rice, The Coronas, The Frames) and Scotland (I’m a Del Amitri devotee in particular, but also a huge fan of The Delgados and Biffy Clyro); there’s an honesty and intensity that comes from the fringes of the British Isles, and I’m a good part Irish. But there’s no doubt that we’ve grown up largely on a diet of American influences: Jeff Buckley, The Eagles, Bon Jovi, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Gram Parsons, Aerosmith, too many to mention really. Basically, guitars, drums, harmonies and great lyrics has been the formula that fed us. I should also mention the English greats, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, because they definitely have a place in our sound.
‘Sugar On My Tongue’ is your new single, written by Rich. Talk us through how the track came together, and what made it feel right as the second single from Might Just Be Enough.
This is a Rich classic. Most of our stuff gets brought in partially finished by me and then the band works through it to add all the right parts, but every so often Rich will disappear into his secret cave for a while and then emerge with a handful of utterly brilliant, completely finished tunes; guitars, lyrics, drums, everything done. And it just works. He knows the rest of us so well that he writes the parts with each of us in mind, and we just have to show up and play. Rich brought this one to Lee and me (Phil hadn’t joined us yet) and we knew straight away it had to go on the radio. It was a no-brainer.
The track was recorded at Real World Studios in Bath and Indefra Studios in Frome, with mastering by Christian Wright at Abbey Road. What was that whole process like, and did the locations leave a fingerprint on the sound?
The whole experience was perfect. Indefra is where we recorded our entire first album. It’s a wonderful boutique studio, and Seb, who owns and runs it, has been our producer ever since. When you listen to us, you’re also listening to Seb Brice. Real World is where we then recorded most of our second album, and that’s where the big drums and guitars really come from. The Wood Room at Real World has probably become a bit of a signature for us; it just has this perfect natural reverb (and great sofas, because recording can be a long, exhausting process). And Abbey Road was just magic. Christian Wright is such a top fella and we knew he’d do us proud, which he did. It’s a magical place and we’re hoping some of the magic rubbed off on the record.
The video was shot in Bristol at Firebird Studios and Lick’n Chick’n, both places that meant a lot to the band early on. Why was it important to film it there?
We’ve got this far largely with the support of our most local fans across Bath and Bristol, where we live. After venturing out to amazing places like Abbey Road and Twickenham Studios for the first single video, we really just wanted to bring it back home and keep it local and real. Everyone at every part of the process has been brilliant, but there’s something about choosing to create in local places that brings out this extra layer of warmth and support. We smoked out Firebird Studios and set all the alarms off with our haze machine, and the guys there just thought it was great fun; they wanted to support us. And Nom, who runs Lick’n Chick’n, plus everyone who came into the shop that night, were so interested and supportive. People are actually pretty awesome most of the time.
Tell us about Might Just Be Enough. What should listeners expect when the album lands this summer?
It’s the one we have all our hopes pinned on, hence the title. Expect extreme highs and lows and big, big sounds. We’ve got some heartbreak in there, some sex, some death; basically all the ingredients went into this one. Lots of harmonies, as ever. I think our songwriting has probably evolved a little since the last album as well; the songs are in more bitesize chunks than some of the five-minute lectures on Time Is Not On Our Side. We really put our hearts into this one and tried not to allow a single throwaway moment. I hope that comes across.
For someone discovering Young Martyrs through this piece, what’s the one song from the back catalogue they should hit play on next?
Well, ‘Sugar On My Tongue’ is a raunchy, high-energy rocker, so for balance I’d direct you to ‘Again’, one of the singles from the previous album. It’s a more brooding piece told at a slower pace, and it has one of our favourite videos so far.
Tell us a funny, deep, emotional or tragic story about the band.
Sheesh, there’s a question. Well, you probably had to be there, but at our last tour finale, a sellout show at a big home venue, we’d just shown the new video for our then-current single ‘Is There Anybody Out There?’ and then we walked onstage to rapturous applause feeling supremely confident, as we were super tight and had planned the whole evening to incredible detail. Then, as the opening chords to our first song rang out, I went to grab my microphone and my guitar just fell to the floor. The strap had come unclasped. There was a huge clang and, most upsettingly of all, my full pint of beer erupted all over the stage. I invested in new strap locks the next day.
What’s been your best gig so far?
That same gig. It was our fourth appearance at the Chapel Arts Centre in Bath, and it’s a gorgeous venue with great attendees. We had such an overwhelming turnout that night for the end of our tour. It was really special.
What’s the music scene like in Bath and Bristol right now?
Actually, now is a good time. Bristol has always had an amazing scene for arts and music, but Bath has historically been pretty awful; not that it hasn’t had music, but it’s never had a scene. In the last few years we’ve had regular events like the 7 Hills festival and Party In The City, plus related spin-offs, that have really brought some brilliant acts to the fore. We also now have Komedia and The Forum bringing in touring artists that never passed through before. It feels like Bath is one to watch right now, which is great, because we’ve been trying to make that happen for at least the twenty-odd years I’ve lived here.
What’s next for you beyond the album release? Tour plans, festival announcements?
This year is all about the singles and the album. Then we’ll probably take a nap for a few days. Then next year will be festival year for us. We’re super excited to take the new album to all the festivals. And there may be a solo album in the mix for the Young Martyrs roster.
Where can people find you?
We’re in all the usual places: Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music, YouTube, and on all the socials. But the best thing you can do is head to youngmartyrs.com. On our site you’ll find all the links to the latest releases, and you can join our mailing list so you’ll get updates on tours and more.
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