Next on the list of bands to speak to at Slam Dunk Festival are upcoming pop/punkers Reachback. Emma Bowdidge speaks with brother and sister (Bassist and vocalist) Joe and Ruby Williams about the band being one of 8 bands winning the Red Bull Bedroom Jam summer festival run including Slam Dunk, Download and Hevy Festival. They explain their inspiration behind new song ‘No One Else’ which leads on to how it felt for said song to be played on MTV’s Punk’d recently.

You just played for the first time at Slam Dunk Festival – How did it go out there?

Ruby: Incredible, it was very sweaty that was the main thing that I remember.
Joe: Sweaty is the word of the day.
Ruby: It went amazing – We couldn’t have wished for it to have gone any better so we’re dead chuffed with our performance.

You got through on a judges selection on RBBJ to play here today and to play many more festivals throughout the summer – How does that feel?

Ruby: Well, when it got announced we’d been picked by the judges it didn’t sink in for ages and we were away recording in Wales at the time so we all didn’t have internet.
Joe: We eventually found out and I was in the car. Ruby and Tom were behind and Craig was driving. He said “We’re through, we’re through” and we were driving down the road and we had golf clubs hanging out the window.
Ruby: Beeping our horns.
Joe: Shouting at everyone saying “We’ve done it, we’ve done it”.
Ruby: We was thinking, crap if we do find out no-ones going to be able to see because our phones weren’t working but luckily it came up on his phone and we were like “Yes!”. It was good, that was a really good day. The next few days we were just buzzing.
Joe: Yeah we was like – Let’s go out and celebrate. We were all up for it so we went out for something to eat and we ate so much we had to go back to bed!
Ruby: We blew up balloons and made water balloons and that was about it really – Went to sleep!

What bands are you most looking forward to checking out today?

Ruby: Well actually on the Redbull stage all of our favourite bands are playing which is amazing – Mayday Parade we’re really excited for, Cartel, The Audition, Forever The Sickest Kids and there’s a new band becoming big called It Boys. We’re going to check out Of Mice And Men. They’re a lot heavier to what our kind of music is but yeah. We all have different kind of genres of music that we like which is good and I think that’s what makes our band.
Joe: That’s how we get our sound.

What can you tell us about Reachback that you haven’t told anyone before?

Ruby: I’m obsessed with Hello Kitty, but I think everyone knows that! Umm Tom has a sad nipple!?
Joe: Yeah he has like a droopy nipple.
Ruby: I guess that’s a secret because no-one really sees it!
Joe: There you go, I think its his left one.

You’ve got a new video out ‘No One Else’ – What’s the inspiration behind the song?

Ruby: I wrote it when I was a teenager. I think every single girl goes through a stage where they fancy a boy and they can’t tell them but he likes someone else and it just goes on and on and on. I think the song really is about that but I’ve left it open so everyone can kind of make up their own story. Everyone has their own personal story with relationships.
Joe: It’s our most darkest song. In general our songs are not as much heartbreak.
Ruby: I think everybody can relate to it.
Joe: Everyone’s had that experience haven’t they!
Ruby: When they like somebody and they don’t really take no notice of them.

‘No One Else’ was aired on MTV show Punk’d recently which featured All Time Low – Was it a compliment knowing people were believing it was a new ATL song after?

Ruby: Yeah!
Joe: People were tweeting them saying ‘This new songs really good.’
Ruby: Straight away when it went out we was thinking people are going to be like who’s this – Because we didn’t realise it was going to be the featured song so once we found out that it was like crap we need to get people knowing that’s our song. Everybody was like ‘Oh my god they’ve showed a new clip of the All Time Low song’ and straight away we’re writing back saying ‘No it’s not!’
Joe: They were like ‘I hope the album sounds like this.’
Ruby: Which is really good because All Time Low are on of our favourite bands and Demi Lovato, she’s an incredible artist.

How did such an opportunity like this come about?

Ruby: MTV are kind of big fans of us and they help us a lot with getting our music out there and stuff like that.

News has it you’re back in the studio recording a follow up to last year’s EP ‘Wake Up’ – What can fans expect from this new record in the making?

Ruby: I think for a young band like ourselves it takes a while for you to find your actual sound. We’ve kind of experimented with being more dark. I guess now we’ve figured out the more happier, more Pop/punky stuff is where we want to go rather than the dark – Like Paramore are. We’ve chosen to go the pop/punk side and yeah it’s fast, fun and loud.
Joe: We got a single and a b-side coming out. The single is nice, fun and summery. I guess the b-side is kind of a little bit more dark. Another one of these ‘situations’.
Ruby: I guess it’s not so dark really..
Joe: Lyrically it is.
Ruby: You’ll have to take a listen and let us know what you think! It’s due out July.

Thanks for your time – Any last words?

Ruby: If you haven’t already checked us out – Make sure you do! We’re on Facebook.com/reachback, Twitter – @reachback. We’ve got a ton of stuff up on YouTube if you want to check us out live before you come and see us live. Come down to a show you’re guaranteed to have a good time!
Joe: There you go, she’s sold it!

Watch Reachback’s brand new official video for ‘No One Else’ HERE and catch them at Download Festival next weekend in Donnington Park.