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With sold-out shows, and a Really Very Good debut EP, OVERPASS are crafting euphoric anthems and relatable lyrics that are resonating with audiences across the UK. With an appearance at Live At Leeds: In The Park to come this May, catch up with our latest DORK x LIVE AT LEEDS: IN THE PARK festival guide cover feature.
Words: Stephen Ackroyd.
India Armstrong, the bassist for Birmingham’s buzziest new band, overpass, is a busy woman. Between Uni classes and late-night cramming sessions, she’s just back off tour and – at the time of our interview – preparing for a hometown headline gig at the O2 Institute in Birmingham. Who says bands can’t multitask?
Overpass are a four-piece outfit brought together by a shared love of music. “We all came together through mutual friends with a passion for playing the music we loved, starting mainly with covers,” says India. “We realised that we could have a go writing our own tunes and that people wanted to hear them, and that was the start of overpass.”
With its rich musical heritage, Birmingham has proven to be a fertile ground for the band. From the heavy metal titans of Judas Priest and Black Sabbath, who emerged in the early days, to the iconic sounds of UB40 and Duran Duran in the 80s and the 00s iconic B-Town scene, Birmingham has always had a sway on the cutting edge of British music. The city fosters a collaborative spirit amongst musicians, a nurturing environment that has played a role in shaping the sound of overpass. “There’s a nice community here,” India explains, “and we’re lucky to have had a lot of support from the city – our Brum shows are always the best! There are lots of great venues here so it’s definitely a good place to be starting out from a live perspective.”
Bands like Peace, Jaws, and Swim Deep, who came before them, serve as inspiration. “We’re constantly inspired by everyone in the local music scene,” says India. “It’s nice to know who else is pursuing creative projects in your city and see them grow as you do.”
Their debut EP, ‘From The Night’, is a culmination of their journey so far. “It’s been an amazing journey, from recording the songs last summer to releasing the EP a month ago; seeing it in physical form on vinyl just makes everything worth it,” India beams.
“Bands like Peace, Jaws and Swim Deep showed us that people from our area could succeed”
India Armstrong
“The main challenge of releasing an EP as opposed to singles is that it’s a collective body of work,” she continues. “We wanted it to translate in everything, from the artwork to the songwriting.”
Thematically, the EP explores the complexities of relationships, both past and present. “A lot of our songs follow themes of friendships or relationships that might not have worked out, but we try to approach this from a more optimistic angle,” India explains. “There’s a lot to learn from the connections we have with one another, whether past or present, and there’s definitely a relatability to lyrics that touch on these things.”
The band isn’t resting on their laurels, either. “We have a lot of exciting new things we’re working on,” India reveals. “We’ve been testing out some new tracks on our recent tour and the response we’ve had has made us eager to get them out to the world.”
Despite their relatively green status, overpass are fast becoming seasoned live performers. “The tour has been great; we’ve played some iconic venues like King Tuts in Glasgow and the Deaf Institute in Manchester,” India says. “All of the dates were sold out, which made us all the more excited to get out on stage. We were so overwhelmed with the reception we had; hearing the EP sung back to us each night was quite an emotional experience.”
“We have a lot of exciting new things we’re working on”
India Armstrong
Festivals are another highlight. “Isle of Wight was a great one and probably a highlight because we spent the whole weekend there watching great bands,” India recalls. “We also love Truck; the crowds are always energetic, and we’re super excited to be playing on the main stage this year.”
Looking ahead, Live at Leeds offers a chance to catch some inspiring acts. “The whole line-up is great! We’ll definitely be sticking around to watch The Kooks and Declan [McKenna],” says India. “It will also be nice to catch up with Vistas, who we supported back in November.”
That headline show at the Birmingham O2 Institute remains a dream come true. Like any band, there’s always a run of hometown venues that seem like starry-eyed dreams as they start out. Finally, getting to grace those stages is like making it big on a hyperlocal level. “It’s been at the top of our bucket list since we started playing music together,” India admits. “It’s so surreal that we’re about to tick that one off; it was always this ambitious dream that we never thought would actually happen.”
But for India, the real joy lies in the experiences and the friendships they make along the way. “It’s being able to play shows in so many amazing cities to such friendly people who always put a smile on our faces,” she says. “I’d never been to Scotland before we played shows in Glasgow, and playing Dublin for The Road To The Great Escape will be my first time in Ireland this summer. The band has given me the chance to have so many amazing experiences, and I’m really lucky that I get to do it all with my friends.” ■
overpass’ EP ‘From The Night’ is out now. They play Live At Leeds: In The Park on Saturday 25th May 2024. Get tickets and find out more at liveatleeds.com now. Follow Dork’s PLAY Spotify playlist here.
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