Conqueror's Ball
Most us would rather forgot 2010 – and the quicker the better. For fresh-faced rockers MORE THAN CONQUERORS, however, it has been 12 months to remember
Colin Carberry, 09 Dec 2010
If the consensus runs that 2010 has been something of a bummer, More Than Conquerors have clearly missed the memo.
“It’s been the greatest year,” beams drummer, Jamie Neish, “It’s been brilliant.”
The Newtownabbey/Magherlin four-piece can afford to look generously on the past twelve months. Despite only forming at the fag-end of 2009, they spent the time since getting seriously busy – building up a loyal live following, recording a well-received EP, snagging a few high-profile supports, and signing to local label, Smalltown America.
Such rapid progress, however, will not surprise anyone familiar with this crowd. Despite none of the members being over 21, the band can already claim to be old-stagers. After all – not many bands can ‘fess up to having played live on national TV before leaving school.
“We met at a televised Battle of The Bands contest,” reveals Danny Ball, the band’s guitarist. “I was 15 when we took part – I actually needed a chaperone to play. We were all in different groups, but got to know one another and it made sense to hook up. We’ve all come on an awful lot since then. We’re better writers, better performers; we’re much more professional now. And Jamie doesn’t look quite as feminine as he did.”
“We’ve all discovered loads of music in the time since,” adds Jamie. “ I’d actually say I changed more in the years between 18 and 20, than I did in the eighteen years up to that. We met at an important point in our lives. The point where everyone was leaving school and about to grow up. We all had a lot in common – bible-raised, all from Christian families – and I think we really became friends as much as we became bandmates.”
Evidence of this spiky kinship can be found plastered all over their self-titled debut EP – a collection of songs that compensates for in energy and enthusiasm, what it may lack in subtlety.
“It was pretty raw,” says Jamie. “One of our mates is in Mojo Fury, and we were able to use their home studio. We pretty much marched in and banged it out. Kriss (Platt – vocalist) had written a lot of songs that we only really heard for the first time as we sat down to record them. So, it has a really fresh feel, I think.”
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