Who are you and where do you originate from?

We’re The Obsessions. We have been going coming up to a year now under this line-up, which consists of James Robinson, Matt Brennan, Adam Prosser and Peter Smith. We formed out of frustration with previous bands and the poor state of the local scene in general.

We think there are far too many bands on a local level that are content with being mediocre and we strive to be far more than just that.

We think that a band shouldn’t be just a few good tunes, but more of a concept – a way of life.

How did you get interested in music?

As a band, there are many things that influenced us into becoming what we are and to begin writing.

Some classic bands that influenced James and Matt to begin writing together and thus form the band include The Smiths, The Jam, Dexys Midnight Runners and a lot of Motown soul, right up to modern artists such as Arctic Monkeys, The Black Keys, The Cribs and The Joy Formidable, which are heavier influences on the rhythm section of the band.

How would you describe your style of music?

We aim to create melodically rich pop tunes – stuff that’s catchy yet full of interest and energy. A lot of people who have seen us have compared us to bands such as The Kooks, The Libertines and The Cribs. We try not to stick to the same sound on every song, and have started including influences from classic soul and well as stoner rock into some of our more recent songs.

What’s your best live experience so far?

As a band, one of our favourite gigs so far has been playing the St. Paul’s festival in Cheltenham a few weeks back. There was a fantastic line-up that day, an absolutely cracking crowd, and a few hundred quid raised towards Help for Heroes.

What are your plans for the next few months?

Due to college and university commitments within the band we won’t be gigging as frequently as we have been recently, but shall be spending a lot of time tightening up our existing repertoire and experimenting with different styles in our fresh material. We plan to hit the studio sometime in the next few months to record some of our higher quality material as a demo which should be available free online.

Where can we catch you live?

We’re playing on September 30 in the Meze Lounge, Newport, in conjuction with the South Wales Music Collective. I encourage as many of you readers as possible to pop down as there are many class bands on and it looks to be a good day.

Keep in touch with The Obsessions online:

  • facebook.com/theobsessions