Band Interview – Helpless (Bassist Steve Waldron)
Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life are very proud to bring you an interview with Steve Waldron, the bassist of Plymouth based extreme metal band Helpless. Joining Steve in Helpless is Rusty on the drums and Dan on vocals and guitars. They released their debut on the 8th of September via Holy Roar Records. That album is called Debt and it is a brilliant, uncompromising effort. You can read our review of that here.
How did you get started as a band?
Me and Dan used to play in a grindcore band which disbanded a few years back, we were looking for a drummer for a new project so we asked Rusty if he knew any drummers as I only knew him as a guitarist but he responded by saying that he would be up for giving it a go himself. We spoke about what we wanted to do and organised a practice and that was it.
Where did your band name come from?
Its actually the name of a Neil Young song. Rusty mentioned it and immediately we all knew that it was the one.
How would you describe your sound?
Dissonant, bleak and pissed off!
What bands/artists would you say have influenced your style of music?
We all have loads of different influences between us but bands like Gaza, Melvins, The Secret, Converge play a massive part in our sound. Personal influences we have quite different choices, for me you got bands like Deathspell Omega, Maiden & Death, which all play massively in the way I play bass now.
Has the rise of YouTube & music streaming helped or hindered you as a band?
I think it has definitely helped, not many people will make the trip this far south so stuff tends to get missed or just ignored. With the internet and social media it helps to get your name out there to a wider audience. I subscribe to a few channels on YouTube for new music etc. It has its perks but also people then take it for granted and doesn’t get the appreciation it deserves.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not making music?
I often put on shows in Plymouth as well as there isn’t much of a calling down here for the music I like so nobody will put on the bands I want to watch so I do that in my spare time but it’s been difficult this year with recording and the lead up to the release of the album. Other than that normally listening to records or playing video games.
What are your future plans musically? Any tours planned?
We plan to play a bunch of shows in support of the album. We have a Weekender that starts tomorrow with Wren and Watchchries. Supporting Dragged Into Sunlight in Bristol next month and then a couple dates in November which we can’t announce yet. Hopefully next year get out to Europe. During this we will probably start writing more music for a follow up to Debt.
GBHBL would like to thank Steve for taking the time to talk with us. We wish him, and the band, all the best with the recent release. That album, Debt, is available to buy now either from Helpless’ Bandcamp page or from Holy Roar here now. Find out more about Helpless on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Make sure you like and follow them while you are there.