Interview: Shooting Daggers @ 2000trees
Shooting Daggers by Jez Pennington
We caught up once again with Shooting Daggers, the fierce trio who stormed onto the scene earlier this year with their debut album Love & Rage. When we last spoke, the band was celebrating the release of their powerful record, and now, fresh off an exhilarating set at 2000trees, they’re continuing to build on that momentum.
We talked about how life has been since the album’s release, the energy of their live performances, and what it’s like to connect with fans through their intense, unapologetic music. With more festivals, gigs, and the possibility of a new member on the horizon, Shooting Daggers is a band that’s not slowing down anytime soon.
It’s so good to see you here at 2000trees! We haven’t chatted since before the album came out, and we finally got to catch your set—how was it this morning?
Sal: It was great. There were loads of people, and some of them knew our lyrics—that was really cute. Yeah, we had fun. We had to cut one song because we were running a bit late, but it’s fine, you know, we had fun. It is what it is.
Sal: I think I’ve seen them already—The Menstrual Cramps and Meryl Streek.
Bea: I want to see Manchester Orchestra and Hot Mulligan. I wish Gouge Away was playing today. Gouge Away are big one. I haven’t checked the schedule but I think they’re definitely on Saturday. But we’ll just go around and see who’s playing. Play it by ear, basically.
You obviously had your debut album out this year, which was really well received. How was all of that for you?
Bea: It was great. The reception was really good. We did a very good release show at Rough Trade in London. And then we got great reviews, which we didn’t expect. It really boosted our ego. So that was really good, but yeah, really good reception. We’re really happy. We didn’t expect it to be this big, but we were really proud of the album.
Sal: I’m just happy people like it. Because if they didn’t, I would have been really disappointed. Because we really liked it.
Bea: We really like it! So we’re happy that people are feeling the same.
It was really great. I still love it.
Sal: And we will love it forever.
Your songs are obviously really intense, but I was noticing in your set, Sal, you were a bit more growly today than I think I was expecting? This was my first time seeing you live. How do you bring all of that energy to the live sets, especially at a festival where you’ve got more space to fill?
Sal: For the growling, I think it just depends on the sound. Like if I can hear myself really well, sometimes I growl a bit less. It depends on the people as well. If I feel like I need to wake them up, I’m like, screaming a bit more. So I guess, it just happens.
Bea: But you generally growl a bit more live than on the recordings.
Sal: Yeah, mostly because when I record, I play guitar and then I sing, so I can think about how I’m going to sing. But when I do both at the same time, sometimes it’s like, whatever comes out is what it’s going to be, you know? I have to focus on two things, so I can’t really predict how I’m going to sound sometimes.
Bea: You sound more heavier live, for sure. But it’s the crowd that brings you the energy that makes you want to bring it out. I also do way more backing vocals live than I do on the recordings, just because I want to participate, you know? I want to sing! It’s so cool! Definitely, it’s the crowd that brings the growling out of you.
Sal: Yeah, it always depends. If we’re stressed or something like that, we might growl a bit more. Hust depends on your mental state; your inner being. And today, we growled.
I genuinely loved it. And you’ve got quite a few more festivals coming this summer right?
Bea: Well, we had great supports more than festivals this year. We opened for La Dispute and toured with One Step Closer. We played Manchester Punk Festival. Another festival we’re going to play is Burn it Down Festival and Boomtown.
You’ve had a very full year! Are you still feeling energised?
Bea: We are a bit tired but we’re eager to tour. We’ve got a lot of good single gigs and single festivals, but we can’t wait to tour. We were supposed to tour, but we had a few issues with setting it up. Hopefully, everything we didn’t get for the summer, we’ll get in autumn, winter, and next year. So that’s where our focus is now—just go and tour outside Europe and the UK. That’s where our heads are at. So actually, we don’t feel tired yet.
Raquel: It’s really been, almost quiet.
Bea: We really want to tour with the album properly. We did six dates with Spaced in the UK in April, but it was mostly in the south and we play the south a lot. Now our goal is Europe and maybe northern UK, Scotland, and Ireland—that would be nice.
Raquel: We’re going to Belgium in October.
Bea: Yeah, first time in Belgium. We’ve played a lot in France as well. We played in Paris at a very good queer show.
Sal: Really good show at Les Murènes.
Bea: Les Murènes is a very cool collective in Paris. So yeah, we’ve been going around, just single dates here and there, but now we’re working on doing a proper long tour, possibly.
What are you all listening to when you’re on the road? What should other people be listening to?
Raquel: Vocal warm-ups in the car? Forever?
Bea: A lot of vocal warm-ups. I don’t know, what do I like?
Raquel: Gouge Away? Mannequin Pussy? Obsessed.
Bea: Gouge Away and Mannequin Pussy definitely.
Sal: Amyl and the Sniffers, as always. Their new singles are really good.
Bea: Touché Amoré, always.
Sal: I’ve been listening to a lot of Crown of Thornz lately. It’s a hardcore band, very cool. I think they don’t exist anymore, but they were really cool. They were like Turnstile before Turnstile.
Bea: Something different, I like TR/ST a lot. They are a synth-pop, dark wave artist—really good.
Sal: Oh yes, the new single by Hi-Vis is really sick, really good. Love it, yeah, really good. Then Higher Power also—their new singles are really cool, just released.
Bea: Yeah, I would say the main ones for me: Gouge Away, Mannequin, and Touché Amoré.
Raquel: Always.
Sal: Everyone! La Dispute…everyone should listen to tummyache.
Bea: tummyache was the band that opened for La Dispute with us. Such a revelation, so good
Sal: They are really talented.
Bea: If you have to do one shout-out, it’s tummyache.
Bea: Remember this name—tummyache.
Anything you want people to know as you keep touring and gigging this year?
Sal: Well, we’re looking for a new guitar player.
Bea: Oh yeah, we’re looking for a new guitar player! We’re trying some people soon, hopefully it will work out. We’re not in a rush; we work well as three members, but we’re looking for some help—something to boost us and just make everything a bit smoother.
Raquel: Can jump around the stage?
Bea: Yeah, so if you’re queer, a woman, or a queer non-binary person who plays guitar decently—quite well, I would say—and lives in London, you can hit us up. But we’re also in the mindset that we need to find the right match because we work very well as three people. So we want to find someone that really fits. We don’t know how long it’s going to take us to find someone—maybe straight away, maybe the first person, maybe it’ll take another year. We don’t know, but the call is out there for a new guitar player.
A new guitar player that fits the vibe and believes in the message, because you were up there, shouting it between every song - this is for the queers and the women. It was really powerful.
Catch Shooting Daggers this month at Burn It Down Festival, and in September at Wotsit Called Fest.
