Interview with Simmons And The Stags: ‘We want people to feel a big burst, to know what’s coming’

London-based rock band Simmons And The Stags brought out their debut EP ‘Stags’ earlier this month, giving us energetic rock anthems, poignant breakup ballads and their own brand of social commentary.

They comprise Sean Simmons (vocals and guitar), Tom Franklin (guitar) and Mikey Hobley (drums): ‘Tom and I, we were both on the local scene playing open mic nights and acoustic nights,’ Simmons said. ‘Mikey and I have played football together for four or five years. First, it was just Mikey then Tom and I rekindled.’ Their name references that Simmons originally conceived of it as being a solo project with rotating musicians or ‘stags’ before deciding to form a band. ‘It’s also related to a stag do. If I get married, they’ll be my stags, my best men,’ Simmons said.

‘Stags’ showcases how sonically diverse they can be, moving between bluesey rock, punkier tracks and ballads with ease: ‘One of the things I love is that we can make every song sound different, we kinda know what avenue is for us,’ Simmons said. Their debut single ‘Lucy’ – and EP opener – is led by an energetic rock riff that you can really dance to. It’s infectiously good and feels as if they have tracked about 10 guitars and when I tell Simmons this he laughs: ‘Tom puts more and more on each track, he builds it up,’ he said. ‘It’s down to our producer Andy Furmage, he plays bass on a lot of our songs, he knows just what sound we want. I wrote most of the tracks on the EP. ‘Lucy’ was the beginning of the project, I knew there was potential there. A lot of bands have songs with girls’ names in them (laughs). I didn’t know a Lucy at the time but I was in a relationship. It’s about lusting after someone, it doesn’t matter if you’re single or in a relationship, it could be your best mate. You know you shouldn’t want them, they’re the forbidden fruit (laughs)!’

‘When we play it live, we extend the guitar solo, it’s amazing’

As the track erupts: “Oh, you just caught my eye and I don’t know why. You just keep walking around in my mind. And I know that we can’t but I may just have the chance tonight.” On the EP version, the blistering guitar solo around 2.45 minutes in is played by their friend Tom Monks. ‘When we play it live, we extend the guitar solo, it’s amazing, it has that hook,’ Simmons says. ‘Our Tom – in the band – has added bits in live and we’ve switched the drums up.’

Next up will likely be their single ‘Hold On’ from their upcoming EP, which they will likely release as a single before the end of the year: ‘We open with it at the moment, it’s Britpop rock,’ Simmons said. ‘When I wrote it, it was about hanging on through COVID but I’ve tweaked it to make it about a relationship. It’s got such a strong guitar riff at the start where you just start moving.’ Talking about another upcoming song, he said: ‘ I want the sound of ‘Get Drunk’, it’s about meeting someone when you’re young, which include lyrics like “He was a little youngster, pumped up kid, wannabe rockstar. Met her too young, he’s scared of the altar.” We’re writing the next EP now. I was writing lyrics on the way to work today! It’ll be Britpop rock with social commentary lyrics. We want to go even bigger with the intros. There’ll be around five tracks on it.’

I say that writing seriously catchy, guitar-driven intros is becoming their trademark and he grins: ‘It’s something I love from the music I grew up with,’ he said. ‘We want people to feel a big burst, to know what’s coming. When I was growing up, I listened to a lot of pop rock and pop punk – bands like Busted, McFly and Fall Out Boy – they’re great songwriters and write big riffs. I also listened to a lot of Paul Weller until I saw him live, he didn’t seem to want to be there, he looked bored playing his new stuff,’ he said, looking a bit dejected. ‘I listened to The Jam, Queen, David Bowie and the noughties punk rock scene. Oasis and 90’s Britpop all started with big riffs and catchy choruses. We want to emulate that. Kid British, they were a ska punk from Manchester. They influenced us a lot, and I became friends with them in the end.’

‘He’s very blues-influenced, we’re both obsessed with John Mayer’

Simmons sings lead vocals on all tracks on the EP other than ‘I Need You’, which was written by and sung by Franklin. It’s the bluesiest song on the album and is also, essentially, about lusting after someone: ‘A lot of the songs, including ‘Better In The Night’ and ‘Get Drunk’ were written about 10 years ago,’ Simmons said. ‘Tom wrote it so long ago, so I don’t remember it but it’s about a lust for a girl, I believe (laughs). He was going to do a solo record but he canned it. He’s very blues-influenced, we’re both obsessed with John Mayer (laughs). I said we should release it and the boys all came together. I added the “I need you’s”, it felt like something was missing. Tom is a very talented singer and songwriter. I want to give him a track on the next EP, I respect him as a best friend and musician.’

The track kicks off with a wailing bluesey riff before Franklin comes in on vocals: “There ain’t no other way to say it, the way I’ve been feeling lately. No, I can’t get you out of my mind, girl, I’m trying but I can’t turn it off…”

‘Better In The Night’ is one of their most high-octane tracks, launching straight in with gloriously distorted guitars and chronicles a drunken night out: ‘Lyrically, it’s about you or someone you’re trying to get with and who looks better in the night (wearing beer goggles),’ Simmons said. ‘It’s a great live track, the “oi oi oi’s” are punchy, it’s such a fun party punk track. It’s the follow-up to ‘Get Drunk’; lyrically, ‘Better In The Night’ is about a night out on the pull (laughs).’

Simmons is the main songwriter in the band: ‘I write most songs on the acoustic, I produce a pretty much finished track and take it to the band,’ he said. ‘It’ll change for this next EP, we’re jamming out more stuff together.’

‘I write the music I love’

‘With You’ is the perfect closer and harks back to 80’s ballads, albeit a stripped back one. It’s one of the most heartfelt and vulnerable songs on the EP, with Simmons singing: “Wherever we go, it will feel like home with you”: ‘It was an interesting one,’ he said. ‘It’s the final track but even Mikey didn’t know about it (laughs)! I came out of depression a couple of months prior and met a girl and it felt really natural. I wrote it before we broke things off but it really helped me, it was a song for her. I wasn’t expecting to meet her, we met at the Oyster Shed, it’s a pub near London Bridge. She don’t know about this song but it’s a thank you letter to her. It felt warm, it felt like home and no matter what it helped me bounce back and I’m thankful for that.’ That comes across in the lyrics: “Down at the Oyster, back in May time, I felt alone but something changed my mind.”

Endearingly, it’s his favourite track on the EP: ‘I listen to us consistently, my friends will talk to me about it (laughs). If a thousand people listen to us that’s brilliant but if just 10 people listen and they connect with us, that’s even better. I listen to us once or twice a day!’

If he could go for a pint with anyone, he is quick to say John Mayer: ‘Musically and lyrically, he’s so amazing and intelligent. People talk about his bad behaviour (he’s been accused of sexism and racism throughout his career) but he’s one of the greatest musicians out there, you could pick a lot out of his brain. I’d ask him for a support slot!’

Simmons’ dream line up reads like a who’s who of legends: ‘I’d have John Mayer,’ he said happily. ‘And David Bowie and The Jam – you’d have to have them. I’m a really big fan of Red Rum Club. I’m seeing them in November, they’re brilliant live. Ourselves (laughs) and I’d bring back Kid British. Can we have The 1975 and Sam Fender? And Oasis in the early 2000’s, that was when they made their best music. That’d be a lot of bands with a lot of energy!’

They’ve had countless funny experiences as a band but a recent one stands out for Simmons: ‘After our show in Nottingham, we went to Dunkin’ Donuts to get nice coffee. Mikey and I both got a very large, iced French vanilla latte. I went to the toilet, came back up and from the stairs coming up, there’s just a flood of iced coffee and ice cubes (laughs). Turns out Mikey left his iced latte on the edge of the thing and Tom whacked it by accident and it flooded and closed off half of Dunkin’ Donuts, there was soooo much spillage down these stairs, no-one was allowed to go down there. You had all the girls coming in to order their coffee taking pictures (laughs), like a new national piece of art in Dunkin’ Donuts! And Tom is just sitting there, shy as anything, not knowing what he’s done!’

(Photo from left to right: Mikey, Sean and Tom.)