Interview: Getting to Know The Bitter Pills
UK alt-rock crew The Bitter Pills reveal their self-titled debut album on Friday 25th September, and it’s a full-volume statement built on distortion, urgency, and zero interest in restraint. Prior to the release, the band have dropped their stomping new single and video, Set Me Free, out now. In this interview, we get to know them a little better.
1. Hello! Thank you for taking the time to chat to us. First things first, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started.
Hi thanks for having us, I’m Nico and this is Chris, we got started together in 2019 when Chris joined me after my previous drummer was unavailable, we had been in other bands previously in our childhood and it clicked and the rest is history so far anyway..
2. Someone comes to you and asks you to sum up what kind of music you play – what do you tell them?
Heavy fuzz rock with lots of energy.
3. What’s currently keeping you busy? A new album/EP/single release? A new video? Playing live, or planning ahead?
Planning ahead for some live shows at the end of the year and an album release with some music videos sprinkled in too so lots keep us busy!
4. What is about this current period that is particularly exciting for you?
Seeing the reaction to something we have been working on for over a year.
5. Tell me about the work that has gone into making it a reality and what it means to you.
I’d say a lot has gone into this record that we haven’t done before. Yes we have recorded lots before in other bands but with this one we sorta had the full creative freedom to create exactly what we wanted and how we wanted. Which is why this album means everything to us.
6. Making music and being creative can be a very positive experience and can be very good for the mind. In what way has making music had a positive impact on your mental health?
Chris Cooper – it gives you the ability to switch off and almost relax from the world even for an hour or so.
Nico Scerri – it’s about getting what is in your head out and into the world so you can almost breathe again.
7. It can also be incredibly challenging, more so in the modern times. What have been some challenging aspects of making music and how have you overcome them?
Chris Cooper – suppose a challenge would be coming up with something original on the drums that hasn’t been done before on every track can be a stressful endeavour.
Nico Scerri – I would say mentally one of the songs we are releasing on this album is very close to the challenges I have faced. As it’s mainly focused on mental health and how you are overcoming that.
8. How do you handle the online aspects of being in a band? Having to put out content constantly, promoting across several different social media platforms, and having your success measured in likes and follows?
Chris Cooper – I don’t really let it bother me and kind of just enjoy the moment and journey.
Nico Scerri – I’m the entire opposite and stress massively over it so we kinda balance each other out.
9. How do you make this part of things enjoyable, and fulfilling, for yourself?
Make it relatable to us and have fun doing it.
10. Speaking directly to listeners – what would you ask they do to help support you?
Buy our merchandise. And come to our shows.
Everything else always helps but the first are the most important.
11. Outside of music, what do you like to do to relax?
Chris Cooper – I go the gym and spend time with my family.
Nico Scerri – I go to the gym, spend time with my son.
