Me: I first heard of you guys when What You Want came out. I fell in love with that song immediately! What was the inspiration behind it?
IS TROPICAL: It’s the relationship sometimes you’re in and have nothing but each other. Sick from your collective vices and spending days in bed. Telling each other it’s fine but it’s not.
M: I also really loved the music video for it. It was like watching a short indie film, slightly different to your other music videos. Where did the idea for the music video come from?
IT: Sometimes when we work with other creatives we like to give them full freedom with their vision. I’ve seen a lot of bands get too involved with other people’s art and it tends to get watered down. William Kennedy is an amazing director and we were very excited he wanted to work with us, fair to say he made an amazing visual companion to our track!
M: your covers for your singles and albums are all very different, seemingly sticking to no consistent theme. I love them all - but I am in intrigued to know why they differ so much.
it: Is Tropical has always been a schizophrenic unit, there’s 4 of us always changing our minds of what we want to do. We’re not sure what the new album artwork will look like yet and it was already scheduled to be out...
M: the name IS TROPICAL has always stood out to me. Not only have I wondered where it originated from - but why all capitals?
IT: It was from a dream the day before the naming of the band and we put all in capitals so it’d jump off a poster even when first on. I guess it mirrored our energy 10 years ago. Personally now I’d like it to be all in lowercase, I think we’ve gone from k cider and mdma to xanax and whiskey.
M: I believe you’re from London - as am I! Becoming a band in London, I assume, must be really different to elsewhere. What has it been like growing as a band together being from London.
IT: We formed in London but we’re actually from all over, two of us not even born in the UK. But when you start a band in London you’d better be good as quick as possible as you never know who’s watching. Finessing your show in a small town can really help. But saying that in London you can play 4 times a week easy, especially back when we started. There was 100s of live music nights, especially South and East... hopefully post COVID the arts will come back stronger than ever!
M: with several of you, as a band, what are the biggest hurdles you’ve had to overcome?
IT: Surviving no sleep on tours, getting good management, being able to afford rent, knowing who the good people are and rememberIng to enjoy it all...
M: with this/last years messiness, what has been the light at the end of the tunnel for you all?
IT: We had our first show booked for April this year and our 4th album was gonna drop in the summer. It’s all been pushed back now but that’s given us time to make a better album and really sit on ideas and develop. The new album will drop as soon as Covid is sorted. Also psychedelics Have helped.
M: Would you ever collaborate with another band or musician?
IT: We have done quite a lot. The last few - a remix for Whenyoung’s last single, co writing a single with Deep Tan that has just been released and Vocals on a new French act called Her Demons.
M: Finally I like to end on a fun one - which indie film would you like to make a song for it you could have?
IT: Valerie And Her Week Of Wonders / if that’s not technically indie then Buffalo 66’
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