At the recent launch night for Brid on the Map, our Editor Kath finally caught up with Pickering alt-rockers Different State for a dig into name changes, support networks, future plans and more…

For reasons too numerous to mention, this interview was first mooted six months ago when Hunter Gatherer evolved into Different State; but only finally happened in the last few weeks. Perhaps it was ultimately a dint of fate because here, at the launch night for Brid on the Map, gratefully squished into a teeny broom cupboard ‘green room’ at The Stirling Castle whilst loud sound checks went on downstairs, it honestly felt like the perfect moment to speak to Sam Womack, Rob Ted Firth and Lucas Pettit – the trio otherwise now known as full-fat alt-rockers, Different State.

The Pickering chaps were formerly Hunter Gatherer, so my first question is, why the change? The truth, they explain, is that everything genuinely had moved into a different state; Sam was the only original member left from Hunter Gatherer, and he says that things really felt like they’d moved on when Lucas joined as drummer; in terms of the songs and things that had driven HG, it now felt like ‘throwing things at a wall but it doesn’t stick.’ So, with their last performance in their old skins at Pickering Rocks 2024, where I first heard that a change was afoot, they soon shed the old guise to emerge as Different State.

So, did this mean all the old songs were left behind? Essentially, yes; some of their current catalogue had started progressing as potential songs before the new formation, but everything they play now is a finished product of their new era. The name even came from the song, originally called Different state but later retitled Never Grow, which had some lyric ideas written before the turning point, but not the music. “We liked that as a band name because we felt it fit well with the way our music was changing and also our lives outside of music.”

As to their individual musical progression before being in either of these bands, it seems that only Lucas started out on the instrument he ended up with, having been encouraged by his guitar-playing younger brother to play drums to accompany him; as he also admits that his musical influences largely come from skateboarding, and Tony Hawk videogame soundtracks! Ted, meanwhile, had wanted to learn drums but instead ended up getting a guitar around age 11, teaching himself; he eventually moved to bass, noting that a friend taught him how to play Seven Nation Army and at that point, he was hooked. Sam similarly started out on drums aged 4 or 5, but moved on to guitar; citing influences across a spectrum from Linkin Park to Busted. They are all self-taught; Sam feels that “if you teach yourself, then you play like yourself, rather than like the person who taught you”; but on the flip-side, Ted wryly notes that lessons perhaps help musicians communicate with each other – “so maybe that’s why we struggle!”

So, that’s the past and into the present; what of the future? As we sit in the ‘broom cupboard’, the three chaps in a line almost if I’m the one being interviewed for a job (I still haven’t heard back…) they are clearly excited to be heading to the studio in May. They enthuse about producer George Collings, recommended to them via a ‘band friend’ they met at the Fulford Arms; George runs the In Heart Studios in Blaydon, Newcastle. “We’re probably the softest band he works with; he’s normally working with really heavy metal bands!” Though young, he’s also regimented and disciplined and they’re following suit – “We want to get two songs down next time we go there, it’ll be our first time trying to do more than one in a session so we have to really plan!”

That plan extends to eventually having a ten or twelve track EP, towards the end of this year, or early next, releasing some singles and shorter EPS in the run-up. They are not currently looking to go too fast nor overload with gigs – work and family commitments abound, particularly for new (and clearly proud) dad Lucas – but the project isn’t slowing down, just taking a focused route through getting more songs written, working on some videos, and select gigs such as tonight, where they are the first band to perform for the inaugural Brid on the Map nights. Then there’s a gig at the Fulford Arms in York on May 29th, a co-headliner with their good friends in gigging, Ten Eighty Trees, which they’re also clearly excited about, rating it as one of the best live music venues in the region.

Of course, if these plans interfere at any time with their day to day lives, they’ll soon know about it. They reveal, “We have a WhatsApp Group, a bit of a leftover from the Hunter Gatherer days, as it’s still called ‘Gatherers and Groupies’. It’s just us and our partners, and trust me,” says Lucas, “If they think anything we might want to do is daft, they’ll soon tell us we’re fucking stupid!” The support network and skills are also close to home, with Sam’s partner creating a lot of the artwork for the band, as Jane Isobel Art, and Sam himself putting their videos together. In the course of conversation, it’s becoming clear that the energy and mix of talent and personalities in the band, and their nearest and dearest, is a great combination.

When it comes to songwriting, the teamwork is evident too. “One of us has an idea, usually a song without lyrics, we start maybe with a guitar riff, then a vocal melody; lyrics usually come last – often four weeks later!” Though sometimes it only takes about twenty minutes – in any case, they acknowledge that a deadline helps them focus this process. Coming back round to the evolution of their sound as much as their band identity, they sum it up as, “Less groove, more move!” – rock music you can dance to. They also feel as a trio that they are now more focused, more cohesive, everything is completely ‘them’. They’re realistic about success, knowing nothing happens overnight, and treating it like a job.

Even as a fairly new outfit with only a few songs under their belt recording-wise, they still secure decent gigs at far-flung venues, and they attribute this to two things: Persistence with emails, and then how they present themselves when they get a gig; they find that they tend to get invited back, and that word of mouth leads to other offers. When it comes to the future, they just plan to keep digging away; and after building up their song catalogue towards that EP, next year the plan is to get on the roster for as many festivals as possible. I don’t doubt it’s a realistic and solid plan for these determined, good-natured bandmates.

In the meantime, they are just happy to see things steadily growing. There is delight from Lucas that he got recognised on the streets of Pickering by a youngster as ‘that drummer guy’; they enjoy the simple pleasures of meeting at each other’s houses or getting together to rehearse (Lucas and Sam live so close to each other that Lucas can ‘”smell Sam’s chicken cooking”); they have some special gigs lined up and a new music video coming soon – plenty for fans to keep watch for. The band feel like they’ve found their sound, and with it, everything for them feels easier, better, more natural – and to the audience, I’d say it clearly shows.

Upcoming Gigs:
Fulford Arms, York – co-headliner with Ten Eighty Trees – 29th May (Tickets available soon)
Little Buildings, Newcastle, supporting Wrex – 27th June. Tickets.
The Queens, Bridlington, with support from Shindig, 19th July. £5 adv/£7 OTD, 14+ Event Link.

Links:

Different State: Bandcamp : Spotify : Facebook : Instagram : TikTok

The next Brid on the Map takes place at The Stirling Castle on May 9th, with Edge of 13‘s EP release launch show and support from January Jam.