INTERVIEW: Sterling Press discuss their origins and inspirations alongside their explosive new single ‘London Girls’

After the roaring response to their much-loved debut EP ‘Baby Steps’ earlier this year, London-based outfit Sterling Press are back to their best once again with their explosive new single ‘London Girls’.

Taking their cues from early Blur with their latest release, ‘London Girls’ marks one of their most impactful efforts to date. So with the new single now out and about, we joined them in a chat to find out more about their origins and inspirations recently.

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What was the first rock song or artist that made an impact on you?

Marlon: Green Day

Lucien: Queens of the Stone Age

Ed: Lithium – Nirvana

Greg: Back in the USSR – The Beatles

Who are some of your biggest musical influences within the rock genre?

We will always be looking up to bands like Soulwax and Blur which almost shapeshift through genres whilst keeping the core foundations and grit of a rock band. In the rock genre specifically, we’ll never EVER get bored of the Songs for the Deaf album.

Are there any non-rock musicians or genres that have also influenced your music?

Electronic & Dance genres are a big part of the SP diet. The sounds of LCD soundsystem, The Prodigy & Justice have developed an unhealthy obsession within us for sub bass and eventually led to us buying a Moog. It’s been a lot of fun blending it with the heavy guitars.

What is your main inspiration when looking to write new music?

Life in the city. London is full of characters and stories so there is always something to call on when writing new tunes but we’re not ones to take ourselves too seriously. All we want to do is make music that makes us laugh, cry and jump around. With London Girls, we met our mates girlfriend from New York and literally wrote a tune about how cool of a place New York is. (in our minds at least – we’ve never been) 

What do you enjoy most about performing live and do you have any memorable live performance experiences you’d like to share?

At the time of writing, we’re in the van on the way to our London show. It’s been incredible travelling around the country and it’s been a bit mental meeting all the people that turn up to watch us and are genuinely invested in the music we make. Playing in Europe with our good mates STONE was brilliant too and honestly felt like a holiday rather than a tour. 

What has been a particularly rewarding moment in your musical journey so far?

Touring with Circa Waves earlier this year was totally surreal and a big milestone for us. We grew up listening to their music and even used to cover their songs when we first started playing together so we went and jumped straight into the crowd after we’d finished opening for them. 

How would you define success as a musician?

Think it’s somewhere along the lines of writing the music you love and playing shows to millions of people but really we just want to do what we love for a living. 

What advice would you give to aspiring artists who are just starting out?

Don’t overthink things and make sure you’re staying authentic to yourself.

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Listen to Sterling Press’ new single ‘London Girls’ below.