EELS! EELS! EELS! On Referencing Ghost Stories, Playing In A Crypt, And New Track “Glorious”

Go on then, 'ave a pint [photo: Eels! Eels! Eels!]

I think I speak for all of us when I say that sometimes, a band's name is all you need to know to decide whether you like them or not. And, in most cases, the more ridiculous, the better. Case in point - the absurdly brilliant EELS! EELS! EELS!, a fresh new band based out of Cambridgeshire. With new track "Glorious", the band channel their energy into something that is purely fun and whimsical - a joy to listen to.

The band reached out to me, and I had a great time chatting to guitarist/vocalist Harris about the band and the release.

R: Hey guys! Thanks for getting in touch. First thing I've got to ask - where did the name come from? It's great. 

H: Hi, no worries, thank you for having us.

When we were coming up with the name after a few practices, we wanted to have something that evoked the essence of the natural landscape and wildlife in East Anglia, and also something that was peculiar. Given the fact only one of us is from Cambridgeshire and the others moved to the area a couple of years ago, it just felt right to play an ode to the wetlands. When researching ideas, we stumbled across a wonderful illustration from the adroit and talented artist 'Fen Folk', then it was decided we'll be named Eels! Eels! Eels!

"Crypt then a Church, I feel this is quite apt for us"

You've recently released your new track "Glorious". For anyone that doesn't know you guys, what can they expect from it? 

"Glorious" is a track about transcendence and the spirit of being an itinerant. It pays homage to trailblazers and vagabonds who have had to venture beyond the comfort of home, following the wisdom of soothsayers calling out for a less conflicting life.

Sonically, I was listening to lots of Amyl and the Sniffers at the time when I came up with ideas.  We jammed it out and mixed a few things around and something glorious happened [wink wink] . There's some college punk and honky tonk blues in there. Bit of a melange if I'm honest.

The track's also accompanied by a great video - what was the idea behind it? 

[Our bassist] Robbie orchestrated the whole thing - the editing, filming, storyboarding, etc. I found the location on a leisurely stroll.

Look, we love a good old folk story, and the video, which was filmed in the fens and fields around Ely, takes its cues from the short story A Warning to the Curious by M.R. James, the former Provost of King’s College Cambridge.

We are inspired by both the natural and supernatural landscape of Cambridgeshire, East Anglia and the Fens. The folk stories and ghostly encounters referenced by writers like M.R. James was always going to creep into our songs, so it’s fitting that our first music video allows us to try and pay tribute.

Video for "Glorious" [cred. Eels! Eels! Eels!]

Who would you say your biggest influences are as a band?

Again, there's quite a range of artist blended in there, cliched, I know, but we would say we're heavily inspired by Queens of the Stone Age, Wet Leg, Jack White, The Black Keys, Anna Calvi, PJ Harvey, and Eagles of Death Metal.

"There's some college punk and honky tonk blues in there. Bit of a melange if I'm honest"

And lastly, what does the rest of the year look like for you? 

We’re looking to perform more shows, reading, writing more songs, gaining as much influence that the world provides us. 

We want some shows around the country. Our live shows are getting more interactive, we always love it when the crowd plays a part in a show. So come on down, have a pint and see what the crack is. We do have a show in London on the 1st of July in Camden, at the Dublin Castle but our next show is in Norwich at Louis Marchesi, in a crypt, on the 30th of May and then Ipswich at Stephen's Church the day after on the 31st.

Crypt then a Church, I feel this is quite apt for us.

"Glorious" is out now [photo: Eels! Eels! Eels!]

"Glorious" is out NOW on all streaming platforms