aaamusic | On 28, Sep 2015

Who are you and where are you from?

I’m Kat Marsh and I’m the lead singer/founder of Bristol industrial gothic-pop band Lionface.

What inspired you to get into music?

I began writing songs at about 14 and from then on I wanted to make music forever. My brother was a big inspiration, he played drums full-time in punk rock bands No Comply and Crazy Arm when we were growing up and it was always really exciting to see him play shows. I spent about a decade writing songs and playing solo, then I joined The King Blues as bass guitarist for a couple of years of touring/recording. Playing for a punk rock band brought out a heavier side to my songwriting and I began to write the songs that would become Lionface while I was in them. When they split I up I started Lionface fulltime.

What have you done?

Lionface began as my solo project in 2012, I had a bunch of demos and no band members! I started recording with Pete Miles (producer of Dry The River and We Are The Ocean amongst others) and the songs completely took shape. Since then I’ve released three EPs (Run For Cover, Beast and Battle), a double A side and lots of self-produced music videos. I eventually found some amazing musicians who became my bandmates, Scott Claessens, Courtney Bills and Martin Grech (drums, bass and guitar respectively). Lionface is now much more of a band project than a solo project, I write the initial song idea and everyone contributes to the finished track.

We’ve also had amazing support from BBC Introducing, BBC 6 Music and music blogs like Drunken Werewolf and Alphabet Bands. We’ve played Blissfields Festival twice, Dot to Dot, Leopallooza and great venues like Motion in Bristol and Hoxton HQ in London. It’s been a lot of fun so far!

What are you like live?

Intense! We have a lot of energy and aggression in our live show. We play like maniacs and then collapse afterwards.

What makes you different?

We’ve cultivated a pretty original sound. I don’t think anyone out there sounds like us.

Physical vs Downloading vs Streaming…How do you listen to music?

I stream a lot of music and if I love it I’ll pay for a download. I have no qualms about paying for music, I know how much effort goes into making it.

What have you been listening to?

Right now I’m listening to Die Antwoord, Brianna Lea Pruett and Soundgarden.

What are your aspirations for the future?

We’re gonna keep making and releasing music and playing shows. I’d love to tour as much as possible. Also, recording our debut album!

Questions answered by: Kat Marsh (vocals/guitar) of Lionface…

Loinface’s new EP Battle was released last week on 25th September…