We catch up with The Sun Day ahead of Belladrum 2024 and ask them a few questions.
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What would be your FFO list?
LUKE: We draw influence from a lot of different stuff but I’d say we maybe sound the closest to bands like Title Fight, Pixies, The View, Nirvana, The Libertines and The Strokes.
Tell us a little about how the band came to be and a story so far.
RITCHIE: This version of the band all came together in 2021. Luke, Aidan and I all went to the same school. We needed a new rhythm section cause our old bassist and drummer left to do uni so we started jamming together with Aidan to see if it’d work out and it did so he was hired.
While that was going on, me and Luke were studying music at college and met Craig. Craig and I were put in a band together as part of the course. After we had worked on stuff in class for a while, I asked him if he wanted to jam with the rest of us at my house at a practise and it just all clicked from there
As an act, how has 2024 treated you so far?
AIDAN: 2024 has been pretty good to us so far! We released our second EP, ‘Spacial Awareness’, earlier in the year and that’s been received very well by our fans. We’ve also played a lot of great shows up and down the country with a special mention going to our just recent headline in Aberdeen. That was a great night. We’re also getting to play Belladrum again this year which is always a good time.
You have three original songs to wow the Belladrum audience, which ones would they be and why?
LUKE: I’d say the three wow songs for me are ‘218’, ‘Sixteen’ and ‘Strangers Again’. I would say ‘Streetlights’ but that one’s an unreleased one…
Festivals are renowned for horrible clashes, which act on the Belladrum line-up would you least like to clash with and why?
CRAIG: I think The Vaselines are the big one for me this year. I’d hate if we clashed with their set. rEDOLENT are also a band I’ve been following for a little while so it’d be good to catch them as well. I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to see Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s set as well though.
RITCHIE “I really don’t want to clash with Jake Bugg’s set as I’ve never seen him live before and he’s a phenomenal guitarist.”
What are you favourite memories of Belladrum? If it’s your first time, what Is the draw to playing Belladrum?
AIDAN: My favourite memory of Belladrum is when Craig drank a red bull for the first time ever, he literally danced for twenty minutes and then passed out and just hit the deck… good times!
CRAIG: To be fair, I hadn’t slept all night cause of the heat in our tent and the noise coming from the dance tent – I was fine after my wee nap though. I think my favourite memory was watching Kyle Falconer’s set at the barricade when he played a few years back. That and being convinced by Ritchie’s sister, Nicole, to go and see Gok Wan’s DJ set.
LUKE: For me, it was just like the whole experience of getting to play a festival. Seeing so many artists play so many legendary sets in person and just the experience of going to festivals ourselves as part of the audience to then playing at one as special as Belladrum was really important to me.
RITCHIE: Craig having his first Red Bull and crashing afterwards was really funny. I also have great memories of moshing to Nile Rodgers & Chic when they played Get Lucky.
Given the Love theme, if you had to create a love playlist with only five songs, what would be on it?
RITCHIE:
- My Kind of Woman – Mac Demarco
- What Won’t You Do for Love – Bobby Caldwell
- Beast of Burden – The Rolling Stones
- Last Request – Paolo Nutini
- Scotty Doesn’t Know – Left For Dead
CRAIG:
- I’ve Just Seen A Face – The Beatles
- Louisa – Lord Huron
- The Little Things (My Baby Does) – Bruce Springsteen
- Iris – Goo Goo Dolls
- Earth Angel – The Penguins
AIDAN:
- Glue song – beabadoobee
- Arrow Through Me – Wings
- Say Yes – Elliot Smith
- Hold On – John Lennon
- Didn’t I – Darondo
LUKE:
- Something stupid – Frank Sinatra
- I Saw The Light – todd
- I Wanna Dance With Somebody – Whitney Houston
- My Baby Just Cares for Me – Nina Simone
- Moon River – Audrey Hepburn
If you could travel back in time which Belladrum would you like to revisit?
CRAIG: 2019 had a pretty decent lineup. I’m a massive CHVRCHES fan and they headlined that year so I would’ve loved to have been there for that. Johnny Marr also played that year and me and Luke are both big fans of him as well.
AIDAN: I’d probably go back to our first time playing Belladrum (2022) to see The Fratellis’ set cause we missed it and also just to relive what it’s like to actually be part of the festival.
In your act’s repertoire, what is the most romantic song you have?
RITCHIE: Definitely Notes on Love although we don’t play it live. If not that one then either Drugstore Makeup or Strangers Again.
CRAIG: Cigarette Baby is a pretty lovey dovey one as well.
What’s on the horizon for you after Belladrum?
We’ve got some new music in the works so hopefully we’ll be getting some of that released and out into the world.
The Sun Day perform at Bella Bar stage 1645 on Thursday and can keep track of the band here.
EP “Spacial Awareness” is also out NOW.
