Interview with Sienne: ‘When we slowed down ‘Can You Hear Me Now’ it felt like a big release from normal life’

Liverpool-based band Sienne released an absolute belter of a single, ‘Gone Too Long’, at the end of August, with an anthemic, soaring track, ‘Can You Hear Me Now’, due out next month.

The band comprises Calan Nickle (lead vocals), Richard Taylor (guitar), James Rookyard (bass) and Charlie Skeggs (drums).

Later this year, they will release an EP comprising ‘Gone Too Long’, ‘Side by Side’ ‘Coming Alive’, ‘Where is Home’ as well as the two new tracks ‘Can You Hear Me Now’ and ‘We All Look To The Same Sky’.

‘Can You Hear Me Now’ came about almost by chance, Skeggs said: ‘We knew this guy who had this song with a really good chorus but he didn’t really want to do anything with it, so he let us have it. Me and Cal said let’s try and work with this. To start with, it was more fast paced than it is now. We made it more dirty and grungy [laughs]! In the studio, people really bring something to it. That big chorus felt as if it was from 1986! When we slowed it down, it felt like a big release from normal life. We all felt it.’

‘At the start, where it’s just the four of us singing together, that’s really special to us’

The beginning of ‘Can You Hear Me Now’ where all four voices sing in unison ‘Can you hear me now, calling out your name, it never feels the same’, before launching into a Queen-line thumping intro is especially beautiful. ‘At the start, where it’s just the four of us singing together, that’s really special to us,’ Skeggs added.

Another track ‘We All Look To The Same Sky’ was an idea of Rookyard’s, who also wanted to put strings on it. ‘Cal got onto the lyrics coming into lockdown and everyone came together over it. Where we sing ‘We all look at the same sky’, it felt really poignant to us, we knew it had to be the name of the album.’

Interestingly, the songs feel like songs about lockdown, even though all of them were actually written beforehand. ‘When we finished the EP, we were listening to the mixer and we realised that it sounded as if it was about lockdown,’ Nickle said. ‘It isn’t for us but obviously we want people to take from it whatever they want, so we understand that it will be interpreted by some as a lockdown album, which is fine with us as well!’

Each of their four singles comes with a shot of New York, from the Flatiron building to the subway. Taylor’s roommate turns out to be a photographer, so they borrowed the artwork from him. However, even the artwork holds secrets, or what the lads refer to as ‘Easter eggs’ for listeners to discover. They admitted to an ambulance in one photo but are keeping schtum about the others!

They find it hard to pick a favourite out of their songs. For Taylor, ‘Side by Side’ ‘is the most emotional one but ‘Same Sky’ is just a hooky song and had a big impact on us at the time’, he said.

‘What I love at the minute is all the grassroots bands coming onto the circuit’

Liverpool’s booming music scene is also hugely encouraging, Skeggs said: ‘What I love at the minute is all the grassroots bands coming onto the circuit. It’s so encouraging for bands like us starting out. Bands like the Red Rum Club pave the way for the rest of us. They’re one of those bands who are always on our list, what with the mariachi influences and the trumpet. They’re making huge waves.’

Rookyard is a big fan of local singer Natalie McCool, whereas Nickle goes with Zuzu. ‘She’s got that 90’s feel,’ he said. In terms of their broader influences, Rookyard describes them all ‘as pretty old skool’: We like The Beatles, David Bowie and Pink Floyd. The fundamental influences all come from yesteryear.’

If they could tour with anyone, Nickle said: ‘Either Gallagher brother for all that they’ve done for me musically or Biffy Clyro because I reckon we’d have a right laugh.’ Rookyard goes with The National or Interpol, ‘partly because I’d have a great time watching their live shows every night!’

In terms of collaborations, they all pick someone different. Taylor picks his ‘wild card’ of Biffy Clyro, Skeggs goes for John Mayer. Nickle would love to collaborate with Florence Welch or Lorde. ‘We’d do such a nice, refreshing indie song with Lorde,’ he said. ‘Florence would belt it out, wouldn’t she? She’d let loose at the end of the song and I’d just stand back and watch!’

(Photo from left to right; Cal, James, Rich and Charlie)