Holy Coves singer song-writer Scott Marsden sits down with Roy Fletcher from The Shed Project to discuss The Shed Projects story, their plans for the future and the independent music scene.

Scott – So give us an introduction to yourself, Who are you and where are you from?

Roy – I’m Roy from The Shed Project, I’m a painter and decorator from Bolton, I am the lead singer and songwriter.

Scott – Some people are funny about talking about their jobs or even their age! But I want these interviews to reach out to people and inspire them. I think it’s healthy to talk about how real it is. It shows character. I love and respect that.
So you’re just recovering from London?

Roy – Yeah it was absolutely brilliant, best gig we’ve ever played, best crowd we’ve ever played to. A surreal experience.

Scott – Was it at The Water Rats in London?

Roy – Yeah, The Water Rats, iconic. For us lads from Bolton to go down there and absolutely smash it, it’s just unbelievable.

Scott – It’s a great venue, I’ve played there myself too. It’s an important venue for getting on the ladder and climbing and it’s got so much prestige.

Roy – From start to finish of going down there it was a buzz, it’s the first time we’ve ventured out of Manchester and the North West and to get nearly a full house there on the night! I think we’d got into the third tune and when they started singing back to me I had an outer body experience, unbelievable.

Scott – What dreams are made of! You’ve had decent momentum from other shows that has been building up, that’s important, you’ve been concentrating on Manchester and that end and that’s been important. When I was younger I wanted to get out and play everywhere as you do, but sometimes that meant playing to zero people, but I didn’t care, I would play to two people! But as you get older, you get a team behind you, decent promoters and they’ll tell you to concentrate on this area, take your time, you’ve got to generate that buzz. At the end of the day it’s important that people come out to watch the shows.

Roy – Well that’s what it’s all about. we’ve been lucky enough from our first gig, when we started we were playing at The Phoenix Club at Bolton and we had nearly 400 people there, It’s madness. We’ve concentrated on getting a bit of a following around here and then last year when we played the academy we thought we’ve got to get further out of Manchester. I checked out our Spotify to see where was most popular, London, Birmingham and even Glasgow.

Scott – What about Liverpool, you thought about Liverpool at all?

Roy – We’re going there end of October I think but we really just want to get these three done and then just see where it goes because obviously we’ve all got full time jobs and we’ve all got family so we’ve got to book it all round that and I’m not 21 anymore!

Scott – Yeah were getting on now!

Roy – Yeah I started making music 3 years ago, I’m 46 now so yeah when I was 43. It’s just surreal.

Scott – It doesn’t matter, I’ve been at this since I was in my early twenties, I took a massive sabbatical from music, my manager passed away ten years ago and it kind of fell apart because I didn’t know how to book a venue, I didn’t know how to do anything so I know that buzz of getting back into it. As you get older age doesn’t matter at all, I used to think that if you haven’t made it by the time your 30 then your fucked and that’s just bullshit. Music is forever. For me being able to come back to music has been the best decision of my life but I realised I needed certain things in place to be able to do things properly to be able to carry on making music. So the fact that you’ve already got a fan base, you’ve got something that is only going to keep getting bigger with each promo campaign you do and each single and album you release.

Roy – We get to do things on our terms so we’ve got nobody dictating us, nobody telling us what to do and that’s how I work. Just worked with Ross from Adored in London, he’s been brilliant, we’ve had a few promoters. Just got to keep doing it and enjoying it.

Scott – That’s important, I remember when I first started there was a very clique thing and that can be hard to get into and so you have to start something yourself. This is why I wanted to do it all myself like you guys. I started a label when I came back, my way or the highway, it doesn’t mean I’m not listening to the people I’ve got around me it just means I’m not listening to the bullshit because there is a negative side to it. What you guys have done it’s amazing, you should be proud of where your up to already as it’s only going to keep growing bigger. You’ve gained a lot of attention already.

Roy – It’s all about determination. If I’m not giving it 100% then I’m not doing it. I do feel sorry for these kids, who are 17, 18, 19 and have all these dreams, get picked up by these promoters and as soon as they can’t sell any tickets they get dropped just like that and with the radio thing it’s just hard, it really is. We have been lucky so I do feel sorry for these kids who are in the game.

Scott – It’s not easy.

Roy – It’s hard for independent bands to make it.

Scott – I’ve had moments in the past where I had success but maybe didn’t carry on the momentum. An album came out but I didn’t get to follow it up with the physical side of things. Not having a manager in place doesn’t help. What I’ve tried to do since coming back, I’m all about helping the younger bands, we’ve set up this Yr Wyddfa showcase where we will be putting on shows all over Wales and the UK, we’re going to be bringing in bands from all over the place, a lot of piggy backing, helping each other out because at the end of the day you can go out there as many times as you want your not always gonna have a crowd straight away, you need to be given a chance. You definatley have to learn to manage yourself in this business too.

Roy – Yeah of course you do. That’s why I share everything on socials, other bands and stuff like that. I was still stuck in 1989 up until 3 years ago listening to The Stone Roses and The Happy Mondays and then obviously when I started this I started discovering all these new bands and They’ve blown me away, the scene is unbelievable. The kids coming through and even people our age and it’s better than any mainstream rubbish being played. The Chris Moyles thing says it all and the industry. It’s the same with festivals, same names and even the unsigned bands, with This Feeling, I’ll say it…if your not in with them your not getting on any festivals, it’s as simple as.

Scott – I know what your saying. It is difficult and it’s about money at the end of the day. I do understand it from a promoters point of view because I pop up on shows myself and I do understand that you could have a band and sooner or later if they’re not going to sell tickets in an area then your not going to be able to put them on because financially it’s just impossible.

Roy – It’s business.

Scott – I see if from both sides, I’d say it’s who you know with the festivals as well. Your not going to get that from just releasing a song and no one knows who you are. The festivals are looking for bands who sell tickets too!

Roy – We’ve proven that we can sell tickets, proven that we’ve got a following and we can’t get on any festivals. Except we’ve got on a local festival in Bolton. It says something in the industry when a band who has released absolutely nothing, not even got a profile. Tim Burgess has put this tweet out saying he’s listened to two songs from this band and going to put them on Kendal Calling. Everyone’s saying ‘who is this band? They’ve not even released anything yet’, so they set up a profile that day, they got asked how did you get on Kendal Calling? ‘Well our driver did a bit of driving for Tim Burgess’…So what does that tell these young kids trying to get in the business? If you can do a bit of driving for Tim Burgess’ manager then you can get on at a major festival. What does that say to these young kids?

Scott – It’s all about who you know. There’s a positive and a negative to that. It does help if you know people. I’m all about sharing contacts and putting people onto people and I suppose that doesn’t happen enough. But I find lately there is more people trying to help each other in this business. But I do know what your saying about that side of it, it is difficult. I like the idea of being able to create a buzz about a band. It’s disheartening when you see these young bands who haven’t released anything yet get a slot and then you have bands who have a decent following who don’t even get a chance. One thing I’ll back you on a million percent, the scene is really, really hot and the music we’re all putting out compared to that shit is ten times better and I mean as a whole. I’m not just talking about us two.

Roy – People are saying there’s no scene. There’s scenes everywhere you’ve just got to look for them. Like I said I was blown away 3 years ago when I started listening to these bands, bands like yourself, The Heavy North and Skylights.

Scott – The Heavy North and Skylights are both great bands too!

Roy – The Lathams, Snuts, independent bands who are going to make it big but that’s only one year and that’s not enough.

Scott – Your right it’s not enough and what your saying is the problem is these festivals are only sticking to these same bands over and over. They don’t even have a summer off to give someone else a shot. So then other bands don’t get a shot until they’re gone. We all would also love the opportunity to go play with these big bands that are getting those gigs but surely someones got to see the potential of this new breed of bands.

Roy – We’re not even doing it for any monetary value, we’re doing it for a laugh.

Scott – And for the love of it, you obviously love it as well.

Roy – For the love of it yeah, its only 3 years since I started writing music. I was in a tribute band but that was only playing bass for a laugh but it inspired me to start writing music, my experiences over the 46 years of my life. I’ve had a bit of a mad life, I can relay them experiences in my music and people are relating to it.

Scott – You just touched on one of the most important things there and that’s people connecting to your music. People make getting on the BBC the be all and end all.

Roy – We’ve not had BBC Introducing. We’ve been played on John Kennedy once and that was at two in the morning and he just totally blanks us, anyone from the BBC blanks us, This Feeling have no interest in us whatsoever so we’re just going to do it ourselves and prove these people wrong. It just makes me more determined.

Scott – Don’t close yourself off to the idea that someone might turn around and be like ‘Ok I see it now’. Just because they don’t get it now, don’t shoot yourself in the foot saying ‘Fuck them’. I understand the brunt that This Feeling can take, I understand the promoters side of things, I understand both sides and I’m trying to get as many people to connect as I possibly can. Like with what Deano from Away Day is doing. I really like working with Dean. I’m trying to push as many people to work together as I can. The more we all do that the better for everyone it is at the end of the day. I’ve been working with Mike from This Feeling too. He’s a top bloke.

Roy – It’s good that there are people like you and Deano. There is becoming a lot more little independent promoters as well. Dan Potters doing The Heavy North.

Scott – I love The Heavy North too, I love what Dan does as well, I’ve seen what he does on Twitter and Twitter is a good place for bands and networking. I’ve also connected with Dan recently. Another top bloke. Does a lot for independent music. Hes’s also got another band he looks after called The Docksuns.

Roy – Without Twitter we’d be knackered. People on Twitter have been amazing.

Scott – I’ve only just tapped into Twitter since last year. I used to hate the social media thing but i realised a few years ago that I had to do it now, really tap into it. Makes things a lot easier than it was years ago, the tools available now. For any band now I would say whatever age you are you need to get on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, get on there and interact with as many people as you can. even this Tik Tok, there’s a massive network on there.

Roy – It’s hard graft though isn’t it. You get out what you put in. And that goes for everything in life.

Scott – One hundred percent.

Roy – You’ve got a lot of bands who just expect it, they don’t interact with people online and I find that a bit strange especially when your an up and coming band and your not interacting with your fans, its a bit strange.

Scott – That’s where some bands go wrong, they think its going to just happen for them, you’ve got to put that graft in daily. I had a good chat with Turnbull from Skylights and he says he was spamming everyone, literally pissing people off who then when they’re doing alright unblock them and follow them! I spam just the same, I hammer Holy Coves campaigns, if you don’t do that no one’s going to talk about you unless you put it out there yourself, you almost have to piss a few people off and not be frightened to do it. It’s not that I’m out there to hurt people or set people off, I’m just trying to get it out there and if I offend you just don’t follow me. It’s important we shout from the roof tops, share what everyone’s doing. Just share!

Roy – I’ve got an awful lot of respect for Skylights. They were doing it years and years ago and they gave up, then started up again, and they’re just like us, normal kids.

Scott – Yeah, from a Council estate and it’s the same with your music, I connected with it straight away, where your from because I’m from the same place myself and I grew up like that so I relate to that fully. Skylights are a band the young ones need to look at. They’re timeline was almost identical to Holy Coves, when we started and when we stopped and we’ve all come back now. I relate more and identify more with this timeline now, Holy Coves are more in tune with Skylights as much as we started a long time a go. All these bands we grew up with like you mentioned earlier Stone Roses and Mondays, loved them all myself, The Verve, Oasis were popular but I was more into bands like Smashing Pumpkins and Spiritualized, I’m into psych but I like indie stuff too so were spoilt for choice in music but ten years after all that music people just weren’t as interested in it, it had been and gone but now it’s so far away.

Roy – What about Pastel?

Scott – I’m a huge fan of Pastel, I speak to the singers Dad Andrew a lot online, he’s a good lad, helped me out with a few things, put me onto some great music as well, they are a special band. I rate them highly. It’d be interesting to see all these bands that we’re talking about how big can these independent bands go, you know Oasis, Verve, how big they went I’m not too sure these independent bands playing the exact same music as Oasis or Verve can be as big.

Roy – That’ll never happen again. You wont find a band as big as oasis again.

Scott – I’m trying to encourage these bands, be influenced by them but you’ve got to grow. You’ve got to think outside the box. It’s not all about being big either it’s about being sustainable for me. Success helps everyone but being able to make music, make records and not stop making music, I never had that ten years ago. What everyone needs to realise is that they’ve got to push the boundaries of doing something different, it can’t just be the same. I take influence from all of them, every band I’ve listened to from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s onward music now is inspiring me too and about ten years ago it didn’t, I though it was all pretty shit, the scene wasn’t as strong but there are so many bands now that I cant keep up with it.

Roy – It’s mad isn’t it, people have said about us, you sound like the Roses or you sound like the Mondays but they know we’re The Shed project and that’s good enough for me, they instantly know my voice and how I put things across and I’m proud of that.

Scott – You’ve nailed it on the head straight away, I know your music unmistakably, undeniably I know it’s you, even if the music progresses slightly, I’ll still know it’s The Shed Project.

Roy – We like to do different things, we’ll give you a high one, a slow one, a full on one but that comes from all our different influences. I’m into the Roses, the Mondays, prog rock, northern soul, heavy metal. There’s going to be five different influences of music.

Scott – Use them all, bring them all into it.

Roy – I’ve got an idea to do a dance EP, I want to do a couple of dance tunes.

Scott – Brilliant, I loved dance music back in the day. I went to my fair share of raves, indoors, outdoors, done it all, been there done that and got the t-shirt. I’ve been around for some of the scenes. I mean I would of loved to be around for the Hacienda scene but I was a bit too young for that. I missed out by about five or six years but I would of loved to have been around that. But I don’t think you have to be alive in that time for it to have an influence on you.

Roy – Yeah definitely. Bands like Marseille and Pastel they’re influenced by bands from the 80’s and 90’s, so for kids that age to be making the music they’re making is unbelievable.

Scott – It’s brilliant. It feels like the perfect time for it as well. I know bands like that are just going to keep growing and their potential is massive. I do the same with Holy Coves, I know where I want it to go, I know which direction I’m going. Sometimes you get that straight away, sometimes it progresses, there is no right or wrong way with it, you just do what’s right for your music.

Roy – We’ve got 20 odd tunes now and we’re half way through the second album which is scheduled for October and we’re even looking at the third album as well, so it’s just growing and growing. With the tunes there’s no shortage of ideas so we’re pretty much here for the long haul. MC Tunes, the experience he brings, he does a DJ set and then we do two tunes with him on stage. He’s unbelievable, we like to give it that Hacienda vibe. He plays all those sorts of tunes before we go on. Someone said to me ‘It’s not a gig, you make it as an event’.

Scott – Well that’s important, maybe the standard of a gig, structured and always the same doesn’t always work, can be a bit boring. It’s good to do something new and different also create some nostalgia for the older generation of fans. That’s a good thing.

Roy – That’s how we’ve got it a bit different, we’re bringing that back to people.

Scott – So How did you get started?

Roy – I was in a tribute band called The Attics, there was me, and John who’s our rhythm guitarist. It stemmed from that, I was playing bass then it inspired me to start writing lyrics so then me and John got in his shed, started writing a few demos and then that was The Shed Project. Then Olli and Shane come along later and that’s the band, so that’s how it started about 2019 when we got in the shed.

Scott – How did you all meet? Did you all already know each other

Roy – Yeah we all knew each other, I’ve known John 30 odd years, Shane I grew up with, Tim I’ve know for quite a long time and young Olli, I work for his Dad. Olli’s only 19 were all in our late 40’s so he’s the looks of the band! But yeah were all mates, good mates and it works.

Scott – The next question was who’s in the band but you’ve covered that already. The album The Curious Mind Of A Common Man, when did you record that?

Roy – We released it last year. Basically we had all these recordings in different places. When we did Feel My Love, we hooked up with Danny, the bass player for The Jade Assembly and he has his own bedroom recording studio so we recorded it from his bedroom. So we got them all together, remastered them, re-recorded them and did that as our first album. That was the start, progressing, the second album is going to be the progression from the first album if you get me? It’s just a learning curve, everything is a learning curve and we’re still always learning as we go but we want to get the second album pristine. The first album is a journey, a journey to where we are.

Scott – It’s a starting point isn’t it. Everyone has to start somewhere.

Roy – Well it’s a bit of a biography about my life, all my lyrics are and that will continue.

Scott – It’s what I connected to instantly. So your next album, your half way through recording it you said?

Roy – We’ve completed five songs got another five to go, I’d say we’re looking at October for release. It’s going to be called Our Fear Is Our Power. I saw it written on a motorway bridge.

Scott – I’ve seen that!

Roy – I just think it’s a powerful statement. I’ve wrote a song with that title as well, so that will be the main track. It’ll probably be the next single.

Scott – I’ve seen a lot of stuff scribbled over these bridges, a lot of political stuff. I always notice them, good place to advertise on the motorway. We need to start graffiting all our band names on them too because we cant afford those massive billboards, can we?!

Roy – We graffitied London last week with stickers!

Scott – Stickers are the way forward! My friend is the same, I live in a bay by the beach and he has a band called El Borracho, a great alternative-grunge band, everywhere you go in the bay you’ll see El Borracho stickers! Even in the town and in some of the maddest places.
So your latest single is If You’re Getting Busy (You’re Getting Better), was that a charity single?

Roy – Yeah we released Bedtime a couple of years ago and two kids I know from Bolton, one was an alcoholic and one was a gambler and they set up a thing called Whysup, a mental health and addiction organisation, it goes around all the football grounds raising awareness of stuff like that. People got in touch with Whysup when we released Bedtime to donate money to them so we thought we’d give them a lift up again and it’s brought them even more attention, so whatever we can do to help them two lads we will do. We will help anyone out.

Scott – It’s good with our network to be able to help people out, I’m all about that. I dealt with addiction, something I’ve managed to get a grip of in the last 4 years so I understand the struggles. I’ve also lost a lot of friends to addiction and mental health as well, there’s so much more awareness now and so many more people are looking out for each other.

Roy – A lot of the songs I sing about are about loss and addiction, they’re very personal and dark songs but if I can turn that into a positive through a song and raising awareness then all good.

Scott – I do the same though my writing too. It’s very personal but I got to the point where there had to be some light at the end of the tunnel.

Roy – Writing songs is my therapy.

Scott – Yeah same, writing songs for me now is about connecting to people, if you don’t connect to people then your music isn’t going to be heard by anyone.

Roy – I wrote my life in my back garden cleaning my shed out. It just flows, just comes to me and I can’t play guitar but I’ll hum it to the lads what’s in my head, they’ll play it and then we’ve got a song in five minutes. So for me writing lyrics, i don’t need any music, just a melody in my head, its mad how it happens.

Scott – I know what you mean, sometimes I can wake up with a song in my head, especially if I’m in writing mode. I’ve already written the follow up album to Druids and Bards.

Roy – I listened to your album the other day, what a cracking album!

Scott – Thankyou, I appreciate that. I feel like yourself, we’re just getting started. Both albums I was going through some heavy addiction, it helps now I have everything together because I’m not in that mode anymore. Everyone gets their ups and downs but that’s life. Thankyou for listening to the album, that means the world to me. People say to stay current you’ve got to keep releasing singles but it’s what works for each person.

Roy – Yeah we released singles when we first started but it was just to get out there, getting our name out there but now we can sit back and just do what we want.

Scott – What are your future plans?

Roy – We’ve got Birmingham, Glasgow and we’re doing a Made In Manchester festival, hoping to do Liverpool and Leeds. Just keep doing what were doing.

Scott – That’s it, just keep doing what your doing. Thankyou for talking with me today. I look forward to hearing your next album.




Emily Marsden – Editor
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@MusicSceneWales
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