INTERVIEW – SNAYX AT KENDAL CALLING

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to catch up with South-East-based trio Snayx, vocalist Charlie Herridge, bassist Ollie Horner and drummer Lainey Loops at Kendal Calling. Perfectly straddling the line between punk and alternative rock, Snayx is among the fresh wave of British bands making waves in the UK music scene. They also feature an outstanding female drummer, and you’re aware of my fondness for female drummers! The bands energy and passion are infectious, and their music is powerfully compelling. The band has toured Europe, energising audiences across the UK and the continent while opening for Kid Kapichi and Royal Blood. They released their highly acclaimed EP ‘Better Days’ in February.

In the spirit of pure shit journalistic curiosity, and with apologies, I feel compelled to ask about the origins of the name Snayx…

Charlie: Don’t worry ha the origin of the name “Snayx” is quite amusing. “WE JUST LOVE SNACKS, DON’T WE?” Everyone started calling us “Snacks,” but we’re actually “Snakes,” spelled “Snayx.” We believed we had crafted the coolest band name ever, and then the snack references began pouring in, prompting us to think, “We may have misjudged this!” But yeah to clarify, we are named “Snakes” as a tribute to “The Amazing Snake Heads”, thanks to Ollie, our bassist, for introducing them to us. What a band, Dale Barkley, introduced us to Buckfast which is our go to drink for touring, so we love those guys and named our band as homage to them. We tried to spell it a little interesting but it turned out to be a bad move but we turned a negative into a positive and we now have SNAYX mech, if you’re gonna call us snacks we’ll make some money out of you haha.

So, how is everything going, I know your extremely busy with the release of your second EP in February, touring, festivals etc…

Ollie: Yeah we released our second EP “Better Days” back in February, which did really well for us.

Lainey: Yeah we’ve been so busy, we went on tour with Kid Kapachi in Europe which was such an honour, Canadian rock band Billy Talent UK tour, Royal Blood its just been back to back touring.

Charlie: I feel like you blink and then you’re here, we’re already coming out of the latter part of the summer. It’s like where did that just go, we’ve been constantly on the road and it just goes too quick.

Can you tell our readers a little more about the recent EP release ?

Charlie: “Better Days” represents an exploratory phase for us; we delved into a much broader range of sonics and sounds. We all envisioned a record that traversed various paths—some tracks are anchored in much heavier electronic riffs, while others exuded a more playful, relaxed vibe, reminiscent of Gorillaz. Our goal was to evoke a sense of nostalgia with this release. Even with the title “Better Days,” we aimed to evoke that sense of nostalgia while keeping it modern. Lyrically, it’s about the journey of moving on from negative friendships and embarking on a path of self-discovery. I think the song “King” attempts to poignantly convey feelings of inadequacy, reminding me that perfection is unattainable and that being true to yourself is vital.

I always wonder with songs that have a lot of personal meaning, is it easy to get those sensitive topics across live?

Lainey: These songs have definitely taken a softer turn compared to our previous work, but we do try to inject the same level of energy into them. They’re not super slow they’re just more laid back than a lot of the other songs.

Charlie: “Concrete” and “Sink and Swim” they’re the more punchier ones of the set.

Ollie: A few slower ones give us chance to catch our breath.

So, as we’ve discussed its already been a crazy few months touring with Kid Kapachi and Royal blood, now it’s into full on festival season. Where do you prefer playing the touring or festival season?

Charlie: Performing at festivals can be daunting, as the audience may not have researched you beforehand, and you might be playing for someone who has no idea who you are or what genre to expect. The pressure is indeed much greater at festivals than say supporting Royal Blood. People might not recognise you, but if you announce, ‘Ah yes, we’re performing onstage with Royal Blood later tonight,’ that’s an endorsement I’d happily accept all evening haha.

Lainey: Yeah, I’d have to agree haha.

Would you say that the intense pressure of a festival reveal your finest qualities, or does it set you on a path of nervousness?

Charlie: I think sometimes it can bring it out of you as it can be a lot of stress preparing for the set at a moments notice. Suddenly there’s like a switch, you’re onstage and you can release all that pent up stress. At a festival everyone’s being day drinking, everyone’s in high spirits compared to say warming up a cold crowd.

Ollie: They’re all up for it because they’ve been watching music all day, they’re raring to go so that’s a definite benefit with the festivals. Also the Northern crowds are always up for it!

Yeah, we don’t mess about up here straight in ha. I guess it’s almost like a pressure cooker pre-stage! So, is this your first time at Kendal Calling?

Charlie: Yes, it’s our first time, and it’s been quite the whirlwind getting here as we struggled to bring our equipment onto the stage, but we’ve made it, and it’s been fantastic. We arrived at the stage just an hour before our set, so everything was a bit chaotic. Our experience included catching glimpses of Dead Pony and the incredible CMAT, and now we’re here talking to a few magazines. We’ll be hanging around for a little while longer, and then we have the long drive back to Brighton.

Ollie: Then, we will be back up North on Sunday for the Rebellion Festival in Blackpool.

Busy, busy so what’s next?

Charlie: We’re on a rollercoaster ride, from Pride Rock to Camp Bestival, jetting off to Europe for the Reeperbahn Festival and then to Cologne, Germany. Exciting news dropped today too – we’re hitting a festival in Oslo, Norway we’re all really excited about that “Snayx on a plane” hahaha. After that, it’s our UK September tour kickoff in Glasgow, sweeping through Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester, Bedford, Portsmouth, Cardiff, London, Nottingham, and Hull. The big one’s in London at Village Underground, set to be our largest headline show as a band. Can’t wait for that one either!

Would you say the European crowds are different to over here? I’d say the North/South divide is a subtle yet significant distinction…

Charlie: They’re unbelievable; very polite, yet it’s a mixed experience, similar to the UK really where some crowds are incredibly enthusiastic, while others are not at all. Yeah in London, they can sometimes seem too cool for school, can’t they? (we all nod and laugh in agreement, haha). We want people to let their hair down and dive in—that’s what it’s all about, having a good time.

Before you disappear into the festival vortex, are there any plans for a new album on the horizon?

Charlie: It may be a bit premature to make any announcements, but I will say that we’re currently in the studio doing a lot of writing for new material. This weekend marks our final stretch of performances, and after that, aside from a few select dates, our attention will shift back to the creative process for the remainder of August and September.

Know this though, 2025, its the year of the SNAYX….

You can get tickets for all SNAYX dates here: https://linktr.ee/snayx_fan_tickets?mc_cid=a299813569&mc_eid=d527581905