“ANTONY SZMIEREK WAS MY ENGLISH TEACHER” | BALANCING ACT ON NBHD FESTIVAL, THEIR 2ND EP AND MORE!

INTERVIEW | KAI ROBERTS AND JACKSON COUZENS – BALANCING ACT

We’re now less than a week away from Manchester’s biggest multi-venue festival! Bringing together some of the UK’s best new and upcoming talents to play across some of Manchester’s most beloved venues. We caught up with Kai Roberts and Jackson Couzens of Balancing Act ahead of their appearance at this years Neighbourhood Festival!

Interview By Keira Knox

Keira : Balancing Act already have such a dedicated fan following, I’ve seen fans collecting setlist and even getting your lyrics tattooed! How do you hope this new era of music will be received by your fans?

Jackson : Hopefully the same as before! More of that would be great. We did a gig in Paris, last week or the week before, and people were waiting outside. They made us friendship bracelets with song titles on, even the newer ones were coloured in the same way the new EP is. If anyone else wants to get tattoos that would be great! (laughing)

Kai : I think it’s cool, when those things start happening you realise like ‘Oh, we’re actually a band!’ We’re now a band that people put their personal time into, and invest into. It’s not just our mates coming to watch us at a pub! (laughing)

Keira : What do you hope to achieve with the release of your second EP, ‘Tightropes and Limericks’?

Jackson : I suppose, just be bigger than the first one! (laughing) We’re going on tour straight after it, the EP comes out this Friday, then our first date of the tour is NBHD on Saturday. We’re doing bigger venues than what we did last time, tickets are selling better, we’re reaching more people. Again, just building on the fan base we’ve already started making and meet more lovely people that give up their time and effort to come and watch us or listen to our music.

Keira : Have you got a favourite track from the EP? If so, why?

Kai : Mine is ‘AWOL’

Jackson : As is mine!

Kai : It was written about a year ago, it was from a writing session we had going on for about 2 weeks in our mates studio in France. I’d lost a friend of mine whilst I was out there, and I lost all my ambition to write in the moment, unless it was something brand new. This song ended up being about her, we just couldn’t make it work, it was the last day and we were knackered! I don’t know, something just happened and we ended up making this song in about 3 or 4 hours, it just ended up being one that was so special to us. I mean, there was actually talk about this not coming out on the EP, maybe being something we released later down the line. It just felt like the right time to do it and its ended up becoming a bit of a band favourite!

Keira : What was the biggest learning curve in writing and recording ‘AWOL’?

Kai : In that song, something that we didn’t already know but was proven to us, especially in that song, is that if something doesn’t work then stop it straight away and move on. Don’t get married to a section of the song just because you’re the one that came up with it. If it doesn’t connect with the song, or if it isn’t going to connect with people immediately then scrap it!

Keira : Are there certain inspirations that you find yourself coming back to frequently, especially in the writing process?

Kai : Yeah, but we’re not allowed to say (laughing)

Jackson : Sonically, we always go to Trip Hop, with bands like Portishead and Massive Attack. They are very much outside of our like indie-rock world, we’re searching for a way to bring something new and exciting to it. There’s so many textures and sounds that those bands use, that we try and sprinkle over our stuff. They’re two that we always go to!

Kai : To switch a song up or get us out of a rut, we do that but if I need a kick up the arse with lyrics, I’d go for someone like Father John Misty. To listen to the way he will narrate his songs, not always doing the ‘I love you, she loves me, let’s dance all wearing Doc Martens’ (laughing) It’s good to have someone who’s just so absurd, he’s a big one for us.

Keira : You’re well known for your outstanding live performances. How excited are you to be performing at this years NBHD Festival?

Jackson : We can’t wait! It’s our hometown.

Kai : We’ve not played Manchester for so long! We played a support show in Manchester, that was very much to people we hadn’t played to before. I think with NBHD will most likely be for people who are coming to find us, so we’re very excited.

Jackson : I’m really excited for the actual day too. We’ve got some friends playing as well, it also gives us chance to go home and see our families for 5 minute.

Keira : Does the vibe feel any different for a hometown show?

Kai : It’s weird because we kind of have two hometown shows. Me, Jackson and Pat are from Manchester but me and Jackson found our new home in London about 2 to 3 years ago. It’s a split one, Manchester’s special but there is nothing quite like a London show.

Jackson : They are different because it is usually full of people that you know, playing in front of a load of people you know is far more difficult than playing in front of a load of people who you don’t know.

Keira : 100%, the pressure is definitely on with that one isn’t it? (laughing)

Jackson : Yeah if you do something stupid or make a mistake, your friends will be reminding you of that for a long time!

Kai : That’s how good of a friend they are! (laughing)

Keira : How does it feel playing festivals in comparison to headline shows? Do you have a preference?

Kai : Festivals are daunting!

Jackson : Yeah they are! You have to get there an hour before you go on stage. They’re much more of a whirlwind. They’re over before you feel like you’ve really started!

Kai : You’ve also got no idea if anyone is going to come and watch. At least with your own shows there is a rough ticket count before you go on. If you’re lucky enough to sell out a show and things go well, then you know. At a festival, you could clash with anyone which could just destroy your set. Maybe we got lucky, festivals this year were just amazing but my god was it stressful!

Jackson : When we’re sound checking, you’re in this big tent and someone else is playing the main stage at the same time and it’s all you can hear.

Kai : And there is nobody in front of you when you’re sound checking and you start to panic thinking ‘Oh my god we’re on in 15 minutes!’ You go off stage, have your nervous pre-show wee, you come back out and the tent is full! Tramlines was probably the most amount of people, as a band, that we’ve ever played in front of. Even more than any support or headline show we’ve ever done! That just completely took us by surprise. Festivals are exciting but I like a bit more stability! (laughing)

Keira : When you’re performing at festivals, do you ever get the opportunity to go and watch other bands or artists? Is there anyone you’re looking forward to seeing at NBHD?

Kai : We’re going to go and watch our friend Andy, Andy Goodwin!

Jackson : I would say Overpass but I think we’re clashing with them, which is annoying. There is a girl called Beattie who is really good, I’m not sure when she is on. Who else?

Kai : They’re all our enemies anyway! (laughing)

Jackson : Antony Szmierek!

Kai : Is he playing? Antony Szmierek was my English teacher in high school!

Keira : Really? That’s mental!

Kai : He’s a legend! I used to get sent out of class by my English teacher and I’d end up just going into his. Then me and him would just sit in the corner and talk about Arctic Monkeys and stuff! Small, small world! We’re still yet to see each other play but hopefully it will happen.

Keira : What does your preshow routine look like to get you in the mood for a festival?

Jackson : (laughing) It’s not mental in the slightest!

Kai : Most the lads will probably have a drink but at the moment I’m the designated driver, so there is no drinking for me. Also I don’t want to damage my pretty little voice, so it’s just ginger shots, honey and Queens of the Stone Age!

Keira : What would you like new fans and listeners to take away from you performance at NBHD?

Jackson : Come back!

Kai : There is so much more to come!

Tier 2 tickets are nearly sold-out, your last chance to grab tickets for Manchester’s NBHD Festival will be available through the final tier of tickets released. Available through Gigs & Tours, Ticketmaster and other partnering sites!