Sinkhole

A fresh, new group is here in Norfolk.

Connor Mumby, Elliott Weston, Freddie Winfield, Tom Anstead and Dylan Stone are Sinkhole.

After making their debut at the University of East Anglia student bar in November, Norwich’s latest rock band took to the city last month, with more dates coming up. With a modern take on a classic metal feel, the five are embracing the dynamic local venues on offer, with their mix of both popular covers and original material.

I sat down with the band, to find out more about this exciting new line-up.

“I think we just naturally found each other,” frontman and singer Connor explains, recalling the way that Sinkhole came to be. “We all like similar music. It’s just a slew of overheard conversations.”

“I was just desperate to be in a band, as I think we all were,” guitarist Elliott added, who tells me that four/fifths of the group were at a UEA Music Production Society taster session when they first met in September.

“I heard them chatting about forming a band, and I was like ‘hell yeah’, I’ll join that then!” Tom, who plays bass, said.

From the get-go, the five were on the same page, particularly when it came to genre.

“When we think of band, we think… Zeppelin,” Connor said.

The others seemed to agree.

“We want to play some rock, some metal, that sort of thing,” said Elliott.

His fellow guitar player, Freddie, adds that they’ve each got “different influences, that complement each other.”

A few of the influences brought up in our conversation included Alice in Chains, Black Sabbath and Muse.

“Anyone who has a cool, unique style – you know it’s them playing. I love that kind of thing. I don’t know how some of those guys come up with those riffs… I want to aspire to be like them,” Freddie continued.

The band have now written six original songs, which they’ve enjoyed playing live.

“As much as it’s a good thing having smaller bands doing their own songs, people turn up to a gig and want to hear a lot of the classics. So, it’s give-and-take. I give you a nice, classic rock song that you want to hear, and you listen to ours,” Connor joked.

The band performed at Space Studios, Norwich, in January.

“The last time we played an original, there was an energy shift in the room. We’d just played a load of well-known songs,” Freddie recalled.

Elliott takes satisfaction in the creative journey of coming up with new music.

“I’ve had these riffs stored up for ages. I love being able to go from just writing it in my bedroom, sitting there, and then playing it in front of people. It’s awesome.”

But how do they bring their ideas together?

“Someone normally comes up with a riff, and we improvise over the top of it, until we find something that works well,” drummer Dylan said.

Connor outlines the full process from when they get in the studio: “Someone brings in a part, we’re like right, Dylan, play these drums; Tom, you come up with something for it, I’ll draw up some lyrics. As much as it’s a good idea to start with lyrics to have that clear outline of your song and what you want it to theme around, I think it’s more pertinent for if you have the song. You know how it makes you feel, and then you write from there. I think we relish in the fact that we can build a song up together.”

So, what can we expect from Sinkhole next?

“I love indie bands, but right now it feels like the late 80s, with the over saturation of hair metal. People are looking for a change.” Elliott said. “We’re already seeing this happening with Wunderhorse and Keo that are helping to pave the way for grunge and rock-influenced bands to come through. I’d love for Sinkhole to be a massive band, but most importantly want us to play a role in shifting the UK music scene in a more raw and heavy direction.”

“There’s definitely a lot of people our age, getting into their Dad’s bands and stuff from the 90s, and I think that’s a good sign of the times,” Connor added. “A shift in attitude. Who knows?”

Sinkhole are next playing in Norwich at The Holloway on the 26th February, and The Reindeer pub on the 14th March.