INTERVIEW: Boston Manor chats US tour with Have Mercy as well as new music!

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This upcoming Sunday in Boston is a music lover’s fantasy. How do you choose though between all the incredible options? We’re here to help! Blackpool, UK’s Boston Manor will be playing the main support slot opening it up for Have Mercy on the last date of the tour at the Sinclair in Cambridge!
The guys are just over the mark or so of their latest record, “Be Nothing”, and are sure to be playing many of the tracks off the album! Joining them also will be Can’t Swim and A Will Away! We talked with lead vocalist, Henry Cox, to talk their US touring experience as well as their current songwriting process which hints at a new record for next year!

Find our interview below and find us at the show Sunday! Advance tickets are $16, $18 at the door with doors at six, show starting at seven!

Let’s kind of just jump right into it. You just started your current US tour with Have Mercy a few days ago. Maybe how have these shows been going so far for Boston Manor?
Yeah, a lot of fun. It’s been wicked. First time we’ve higher up on the bill I suppose so that’s not bad at all.

Then maybe how have you been planning these sets? Obviously, “Be Nothing” has just passed the year mark, are you focusing on the record, are you road-testing new material?
I mean, pretty much yeah. It’s been going pretty well. So we’re still trying to, I don’t want to use the word “push”…but I suppose that’s what we’re doing. We’re still trying to introduce as many people as possible to our music. We still have lots of people coming up to us saying, “I’ve never heard of you before but I really enjoyed the set, I bought the record”. That’s awesome. And I mean I know most bands do start to move on to a new record after a year, we do have plans for another record, but we’re not rushing into it just yet.

Then considering the band has been together for a while now, how do you think the writing has progressed, if its’ changed? Maybe something left field you tried recently?
Definitely. I mean, yeah the new music we’re writing is definitely different. And I think to be honest, it’s just kind of a practice makes perfect thing. Well, not perfect, do you know what i mean. Kind of just, definitely it just gets you better at it. The more we’ve done it the better we’ve got at it. Refined our process a little bit and we’ve been more willing to explore things.

We’ve worked with some other people that we trust, not as much writing with us, more to like sound board ideas off of this time around. I think it’s cool. I think it’s more like a fresh set of ears. We’re not necessarily doing anything different, we’re just getting better at it.

Then you guys have put serious time into touring the US recently unlike a lot of English bands unfortunately. Maybe what has been the hardest part and maybe the mot rewarding part of all this time you’ve spent in the US lately?
I mean obviously, we’ve been in America more then we’ve been at home. It’s great, we love it. It was something that we talked about when forming the band, that we have to go to America. I personally had never been to America before. Like never on vacation or anything. So it was great and I still really enjoy it. It can be difficult at times for anyone that does what we do. The best part is just the fact that we are playing America. And you get to see more. It’s a very interesting and vast country and difficult to take in. But, you know, you talk to people every night, and you’re like, oh, well, I’ve never been to California and you’re like, no, wait we have been. The hard part, I wouldn’t say specifically is touring the US. I think we enjoy it just the same. I think the hardest parts are just part of long term touring in general.

And you guys, still obviously not superstars here, but maybe advice you would give to bands that are making their first visit here?
Don’t expect anything instantly. You’re not going to see immediate results. It’s going to take time. You can do a whole UK tour in like a week and make money. I would say make sure it’s worth the investment. You won’t walk away with a lot after the first tour. You just have to keep doing it. It’s really worth it. So just make it happen. Do it right though. I know some bands who tried to come to the US without visas and just pretend that they’re on holiday, that’s not a good idea. But, it’s very fun.

Then Iike I said before, you just started this run with Have Mercy in the states. What is the focus over the next few months for Boston Manor? I know you have the Kerrang tour a few weeks after.
There’s stuff in the plans that I can’t talk about quite yet. As far as touring goes, I mean you’ve got the US tour and Kerrang, that takes us to Christmas. So after that, we have a pretty jam packed year next year. Plenty of touring, there will be another record as well. So yeah lots of exciting stuff that I want to talk about but unfortunately I can’t. In the next few weeks, there will definitely be stuff coming out!

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Colleen

Colleen has been writing about music since 2009. Interviewing bands since the glory days of Warped and has continued to do so for now over fourteen years. As well as doing freelance for other publications, the love for everything rock continues today.