Dillon Eastoe chats to Menace Beach singer and guitarist Ryan Needham about their freshman release, reading the reviews and keeping it real

Two years after playing their first show, Leeds five-piece Menace Beach released their debut album, Ratworld. a raucous half hour of pop-infused grunge. Ahead of the bandÔÇÖs show at BristolÔÇÖs Louisiana, singer and guitarist Ryan Needham is nonplussed at the time taken to complete the release. ÔÇÿItÔÇÖs been so great to let it out there, but it doesnÔÇÖt feel like itÔÇÖs been a wait at all really. WeÔÇÖve released a couple of EPs and 7ÔÇØ singles in that time, and done a fair few shows and festivals, so weÔÇÖve kind of just done stuff when we felt like it.ÔÇØ

With fuzzy guitars and squalling feedback enveloping sumptuously catchy choruses, this spontaneity certainly carries over to the songs committed to record. ÔÇÿWe donÔÇÖt have band practices as such, so when we went in to do the album we just listened through to all the demos me and Liza (Violet, co-vocalist and keyboardist) had recorded, collectively chose the ones we thought worked and then just played through them a few times with the others suggesting changes here and there and then recorded them straight down. That spontaneity and rawness is very real.ÔÇØ

This approach can have its drawbacks says Needham, as theyÔÇÖve been finding out on tour. ÔÇÿIt can be a little bit frustrating when you start playing live shows and figure out cool parts and wish youÔÇÖd added them to the record.ÔÇÖ Despite this, the band are happy to commit hot-off-the-press ideas to tape. ÔÇÿI think the payoff is worth it. It beats trying to record songs that youÔÇÖre already sick of.ÔÇÖ

As you might expect, there are some lyrical curveballs on the record; named after a 90s Nintendo game featuring a skateboarder that uses frogs and balloons to defeat ninjas and clowns, Menace Beach are no strangers to mixing things up a bit. But Needham maintains that, despite their zany nature, his lyrics do come from personal experience. ÔÇÿI can only speak for the songs I wrote the words for but yeah, most of it is super personal, then thereÔÇÖs a bit of patching up with phrases or words that I find kind of visually interesting. A couple of the songs were written just before moving cities and loosely documented why and how I was feeling around that time, then there are some on there that were written really recently so it kind of spans that whole period of my life.ÔÇÖ

The core duo of Needham and Violet are complemented by a revolving cast of backing musicians, notably MJ of Hookworms, who doubles as the recordÔÇÖs producer, and Pulled Apart By HorsesÔÇÖ Robert Lee. Needham isnÔÇÖt bothered by some of the ÔÇÿsupergroupÔÇÖ comments tossed their way though, ÔÇÿNah itÔÇÖs not annoying. ItÔÇÖs not true, but itÔÇÖs not annoying. I guess it was a point of interest when we put the first few things out and we do operate slightly differently to a lot of bands in that we sometimes have different people playing live with us and stuff. If anything it helped swerve a lot of ÔÇÿhow did you meet?ÔÇÖ questions in interviews; bands have to try and make it sound interesting when really they just met at a university in Shropshire.ÔÇÖ

The current configuration showcases guitarist Nick on his debut tour with the band. In the cramped confines of the busy Louisiana, their tunes pack a punch, with distortion blasting from the PA and Needham and VioletÔÇÖs dreamy harmonies swimming above the grungey rhythm section. From the frenetic blast of ÔÇÿLowtalkingÔÇÖ to the woozy pop of ÔÇÿTastes Like Medicine,ÔÇÖ the band own the stage with an effortless cool. Punters range from pogoing devotees to adolescent indie kids to older bearded types, confirming the good press exposure Menace Beach have enjoyed recently. Needham admits that heÔÇÖs been paying some attention to recent reviews. ÔÇÿWhen the first few were really positive it was like, ÔÇÿok thatÔÇÖs fine, I donÔÇÖt need to read any more.ÔÇÖ IÔÇÖm super relaxed about everything but yeah, thereÔÇÖs still an egotistic brat in there somewhere.ÔÇÖ

NeedhamÔÇÖs ÔÇÿegoÔÇÖ regarding the album is a result of the hard work put into every facet of the release. ÔÇÿItÔÇÖs our first album and we put so much [of ourselves] into stuff like the artwork and videos, and we were involved in every single part of this happening, so it was kind of hard not to read some.ÔÇÖ┬áThis has extended to Needham and Violet carefully putting together trippy and captivating visuals for last summerÔÇÖs festival sets, including DerbyshireÔÇÖs Y NOT weekender. ÔÇÿThe screen at YNOT was great. We put those visuals together with some animation that me and Liza did, and then just cut in all the videos weÔÇÖve done so far. The idea is to just keep chucking each video into the projection loop and adding bits over the top as we go along.ÔÇÖ

The newcomers put some big name acts to shame that weekend with their weird and engaging backdrop, and Needham canÔÇÖt get his head round the lack of attention bands pay to their art compared to their wardrobe. ÔÇÿIt really bums me out when bands have artwork stuff that looks rushed and at odds with itself, yet they clearly spend hours picking out jazzy shirts.ÔÇÖ

After a summer of playing to open fields on big stages, the band are now getting back into the groove of the club circuit to promote Ratworld. Unlike a lot of artists who get bogged down in technical issues and lack of set up time, Menace Beach have no real preference for their own shows over festival slots. ÔÇÿThey are totally different experiences, but IÔÇÖm really into festivals right now. The lead up to the show at a festival is significantly more slapdash and fun. You just turn up, watch a couple of bands, chuck your gear on stage and hope for the best, and I like that element of chaos.ÔÇÖ

For now, Menace Beach are back to the basement as it were, taking Ratworld to clubs and in-stores around the country. ┬áÔÇÿRegular touring is a lot more systematic but you just canÔÇÖt beat playing in dark little sweaty rooms; itÔÇÖs really exciting.ÔÇÖ Keen to keep moving forward and build on the momentum generated by their debut release, Needham already has ideas for the year ahead. ÔÇÿI want to do some more recording with MJ, maybe put out a summer EP or something like that and then just festivals and touring lots hopefully.ÔÇÖ And, with a cracking freshman record under their belt and a live show thatÔÇÖs in fine nick, itÔÇÖs likely that Menace Beach will be continuing through 2015 doing exactly what they set their sights on.