Music

Interview: Modestep on their UK tour and the British dubstep scene

Modestep’s unique electronic/rock blend is set to result in some of the best live shows this side of 2015, as they tour the UK this November.

Having this summer released their second album, London Road, the UK four-piece set about storming Download, Glastonbury and Reading and Leeds Festival.

Ahead of their headline run, we chat to singer Josh Friend about the band’s social media status, the UK’s dubstep scene and why the band won’t be losing any sleep over gig reviews anytime soon. Read the full interview here.

Your UK tour is just around the corner, how’re you feeling about it?

“Really excited to be honest. We have just come back from a small US tour and can’t wait to play all the new bits to our home crowd!”

Are there any venues on this run that you’re particularly excited for?

“We are always excited to play in London as its our home town. We always have great shows in London, but seeing as this is a small tour, we are just really excited to be playing in as many places as possible.”

Modestep Ticketmaster interview

You relied heavily on self-promotion, YouTube and social media when you were starting out, how important was that for you and is it still the case today?

“The Internet helped us to get where we are now, theres no question about that. It’s all about utilising the tools at your disposal. We were lucky to be helped by the UKF channel and the ‘dubstep’ Facebook group which helped boost our reach out to people. But providing your own interesting, unique content is the key.”

You’ve been dubbed the ‘UK’s biggest rock/dance crossover band since the 1990s’ in reviews, are you aware of that kind of feeling you’re creating in the industry?

“Hearing stuff like that is always cool but to be honest, we don’t really listen to the industry or what reviews of us say. We just enjoy making music and playing shows for our fans. We could be dubbed anything and I don’t think it would change us in any way. We just do what we do because we love it.”

For anyone who isn’t totally familiar with the UK’s dubstep scene, where can we go (cities or particular venues) to hear the best artists and discover new talent?

“Obviously many of the amazing nightlife venues in London have closed down in the recent couple of years, but luckily enough we still have Fabric and Ministry where you can still hear dubstep being pushed on certain nights. If not, the best place to go is to modestep.com/radio every Sunday night 9-10pm. When we are not touring, we try and do a free radio show every week showcasing all of our favourite music which includes dubstep, d&b, grime and house.”

Modestep 2015 uk tour

And for anyone who hasn’t picked up tickets for your UK tour yet, why should they hurry up?

“If you’re bored with your conventional electronic shows; watching artists behind laptops and you fancy something more intense then come see us play. It’s an onslaught of energy and live music. We are planning something special for our UK tour, so come along and get involved!”

Get tickets to see Modestep on tour in the UK this November at Ticketmaster.co.uk.

Modestep x UK Dates