With a slot on BBC’s Radio 1 Stage, a pair of shows at Dork’s Home & Away next month, and a brand new mixtape just out, Frozemode are moving at pace.
Words: Jake Hawkes.
Photos: Nicholas O Donnell.
It’s always good to find a new band who straddle enough genres to make categorising them basically impossible. It’s even better when they’re Really Very Good Indeed. Kicking off proceedings at Reading’s BBC Radio 1 Stage this year were Frozemode, who fit this description and then some. Before they play Dork’s Home and Away shows next month (and presumably bring enough energy to blow the roof off both venues), we caught up with them for a quick chat.
Hi guys, how was the set?
I.V. GATLIN: Opening the festival! It was pretty weird starting at midday, but it’s always lovely to see more and more people pile in as we do our thing. No matter what it is, we always try and give the utmost energy, and we love Reading, Readings a good festival so we had a lot of fun.
Did you go to Reading when you were younger?
Lisong: I went when I was like 16, so playing here is a nice full circle moment, you know?
I.V. GATLIN: Believe it or not, I’d never been to a single festival in my life before I came to one to perform, and neither had Cho-Hollow. I don’t wanna do the camping thing though, we tried that last time we were at Reading and we are not doing that again!
Is there anyone else on the line-up you’re excited for?
I.V. GATLIN: I would love to see Prodigy for sure, that’ll be big. Denzel Curry for sure…loads of people!
“We don’t wanna be the guys who only do the rock festivals, only do the rap festivals, we wanna keep it spreading.”
I.V. GATLIN
The BBC Radio 1 Tent is a big upgrade from playing the BBC Introducing stage last year – how does that feel?
I.V. GATLIN: It’s incredible to see the progress. Last year on the same stage we did a song with NOISY and I remember thinking how incredible it was and hoping that one day we’d be able to a whole set like that. It’s only a year later and we did it, so it’s really cool to see the reach of our music and the fact that we can play such alternating styles of music festivals. We did Download to Boomtown to Reading, and that’s amazing. That’s what the hope has always been. We don’t wanna be the guys who only do the rock festivals, only do the rap festivals, we wanna keep it spreading.
You had a full live band with you on stage – it really feels like you straddle the gap between genres.
Cho-Hollow: There are settings where it’s just us and a PA – if it’s a club performance or a hip-hop performance we’d have that set-up. But for these bigger shows, it makes sense to have the whole gang with us, makes it a bit more of a full-on performance.
I.V. GATLIN: I think that the majority of success that we’ve seen has somehow been linked to live. A lot of the fans that we’ve got have really grown to love us through seeing us live, and then become part of the Modedem, so we wanna do whatever we can to make every show as good as possible, and I think for the majority of shows the band helps do that.
‘DEMODE 2’ just came out – how’s that been?
I.V. GATLIN: We were on the road when it came out yesterday, on our way to Reading. So we were in a car when it came out and we’ve just been busy since then! To be honest with you, I haven’t really processed that it’s even out. Happy it’s out, but we keep moving, more to come!
Lisong: We’re focussed on the next one now.
How would you describe the sound of the EP to someone who hasn’t heard it?
I.V. GATLIN: It’s got big energy, grounded in rap, but there’s a lot of punk influence, a lot of heavy guitars. We’re gonna keep on changing as we go – our music is just for anyone who ever wants to listen to a bit of diversity. If you like to listen to a lot of different genres, but you like to hear bars, then come listen to us!
Are you excited for the Home and Away shows?
I.V. GATLIN: Yeah we’re super excited. We’ve listened to some Vlure and it’s cold, so we’re definitely looking forward to it.
Lisong: It’s gonna be a good couple of nights, guaranteed.
What’s next for you guys?
I.V. GATLIN: We’re gonna get our heads down for a little bit. We’ve got tracks ready but we’re gonna think about what we’re doing. ‘DEMODE 2’ out now, so it’s all about what’s happening next. We’ve got bits coming, I can’t say what, but we can’t wait. ■
Frozemode’s new mixtape ‘DEMODE 2’ is out now.
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