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Who are NewState?

NewState are a band with a unique and original sound, blending two-part guitar harmonies with melodic vocal lines and a tight rhythm section. A Leicester based band that are held together with a tight friendship and a passion for music.

Three of us- Ian, Dan and Jason- all attended the same college and live very close so we just met each other. We got together and began playing covers and eventually writing material of our own. After realising our music wasn't up to standard, the final member of NewState, Ollie, joined and the jigsaw was complete.

Who or what are your greatest influences?

We all have hundreds of different influences. Each band member has their own tastes. Some bands which have had an influence on our sound include Incubus, Acceptance, Mae, Hoobastank and Lost Prophets.

What do you make of the music scene in Leicester?

We think Leicester has a brilliant music scene, there are some amazing local bands and venues such as The Shed, giving young bands the opportunity to perform. This really helps discover new talent. It's always good to go down to The Charlotte, a well established venue on the UK touring circuit.

Who are your favourite local bands at the moment and why?

We don't really have any favourites but local bands such as Glitch, Freefall Felix and Switch can pull-off a great set.

As a band we don't have any specific favourite song. We have a tendency to love the newest song we've written, most probably because it's the freshest and we enjoy hearing it the most. The inspiration for all of our music comes from everyday situations.

Where are your favourite Leicestershire hangouts?

Leicester town centre is always a very lively place to be. There are loads of bars and quite a few live music venues that are good to hang out at.

Best gig so far?

We'd like to think if you were to attend any gig of ours then our set would be full of enthusiasm and energy but our best gig to date has to be playing in the sixth heat of The Shed鈥檚 Original Bands Showcase. We opened the show to a packed crowd and a great reception and although up against fierce competition, we eventually earned our place in the semi-finals.

Worst gig?

That has to be playing The Attic to a crowd of five people, with an improvised drum kit due to poor organisation by the promoter. We tried our hardest but struggled to show enthusiasm when playing in front of such a small group of people.

Ian: Probably go out on a big shopping spree.
Dan: Buy a house and a new car, then put the rest towards the band.
Ollie: Buy a house and spend the rest on music production and recording equipment to put in it.
Jason: I'd use the money to promote the band. I love what we do at the moment and really want to give the band every opportunity possible to get noticed and ultimately make a career of something I love.

Best and worst things about living in Leicestershire?

The worst thing for us as a band living in Leicester is probably that there aren't a vast number of venues around to play at. The best thing is probably the lively town centre.

What is you're earliest memory?

Rocking out at Dan's house for some of our first band practices together. It was during the summertime so we all remember spending hours playing, boiling hot, only stopping for lunch in the sun.

Most romantic gesture you've made?

We're not really romantic, although we did decide to buy a gift for the engineer that recorded our EP for doing such a brilliant job and really helping us out, that's about as romantic as we get I'm afraid.