The last time we caught up with Embrace they’d just released their then new album, ‘Love is a Basic Need’, and were about to roll out some shows in the North East. Managing to follow the album promotion tour up with a reunion tour of ‘The Good Will Out’ album pre-covid, Embrace are emerging from lockdown with new tracks in the bag and excitement for some summer shows. Damian Robinson caught up with Embrace bassist Steve Firth to hear more about new music and about how the band are gearing up for Hardwick Festival in Sedgefield.
Did you manage to finish the promo tours for ‘Love is a Basic Need/Good Will’? Or did covid cut that short?
We were incredibly fortunate that our final shows for the album, and the ‘Good Will’ tour, coincided with the covid lockdown. When we played the last few shows of the tour we noticed the mood had changed and people looked a bit uncertain about what was coming.
‘Love is a Basic Need’ was a great album. Do you look back fondly on that?
Yeah, we do. It got a great reception from the press and people who came to the shows or spoke to us about it. We’re working on a follow up at the minute and in the last couple of months we’ve been sending a number of demos to each other; it’s sounding really good and rocky and angry. It’s maybe the direct opposite of the last album which had a number of piano ballads on it, though, like I say, it’s still relatively early days.
Can we expect to hear some of those tracks at your Hardwick Festival show?
I’m not sure of that. Potentially, but we won’t play anything new unless we’re sure that it matches what the final recorded version will sound like. Hardwick is in August so new songs could happen. We’ll see what happens when we start looking at the set-list.
Are you looking forward to playing Hardwick Festival?
Absolutely. I’m in another band as well as Embrace and we played a show recently and it was such a nice experience. As a music fan, it’s so exciting to see bands you like playing, and as a music player, it’s just as exciting, if not more, to be playing live. Hardwick is an important gig for us this year for that reason and we’re really looking forward to it.
Is there anyone you’re looking forward to seeing on the Hardwick bill?
Yeah. I’ve never seen Elvana and they’re on before us so I can’t wait to get there early and see them. I’m told they’re a great live band and I’m fascinated to see how the combination of Elvis and Nirvana works in real life.
Embrace play Hardwick Festival on Sunday 22nd August.
For weekend tickets and more, head to hardwickfestival.co.uk.
