Photo: Roger Sharp
Let’s play “This or That.” I name two things and you tell me which one resonates with you more. Here we go: Festivals or clubs?
All: Festivals.
Touring or recording?
Pete: Touring.
Rory: Touring.
Rob: Touring.
Jed: Recording. I love both equally, but it sort of depends. Sometimes when you’re recording there is that minute when you hear the playback and go “That’s magic.” That’s really exciting. The gigs are great and I love playing all the time, but actually making something and hearing it back is cool.
Stagedive or singalong?
All: Singalong.
Beach Boys or Beatles?
Rory: Oooo. (grimaces)
Jed: Beatles.
Pete: Beatles.
Rob: Beatles.
I heard an “Ooo”…
Rory: “God Only Knows” – that’s fucking amazing. The Beach Boys are amazing in their own… I’m not answering.
Jed: I think Pet Sounds is amazing, but the sheer volume of material that The Beatles amassed eclipses one great album.
Noel Gallagher or Liam Gallagher?
All: Noel.
European Football or American football?
Rory: American football.
Rob: European.
Jed: European.
Who is your team, Rob?
Rob: Fulham.
Rory: Do you follow soccer, Corey?
I do.
Rory: My local town just got into the Premier League. Bournemouth FC. I’m going to start supporting them for when they go up against Newcastle (chuckles at Jed).
Snapchat or Instagram?
Rory: Instagram.
Pete: Instagram.
Rob: Instagram.
Jed: Instagram. I think Snapchat was fun for about a week, wasn’t it?
Guitar shred solo or slap bass solo?
Rory: Ohhhhh!
Jed (looks at Rob and Pete): You two can take this one.
Pete: Guitar shred solo.
Jed (looking at Pete): You watched a lot of Guns N’ Roses yesterday, didn’t you?
Pete: Yeah, I watched an entire two hours of Guns N’ Roses yesterday. It was pretty awesome.
Rob: I’ll go slap bass. It’s a rarity, so it’s good when you hear it.
Blonde or brunette?
Rob: All of them.
Rory: Strawberry blonde.
Jed: Both.
Pete: Both.
Gibson or Fender?
Pete: Fender.
Rob: Fender.
Why?
Rob: I’m a big fan of the classic single coil sound. I think it’s prettier.
Socks or no socks?
Rory: Socks.
Pete: I’m not even wearing shoes.
Star Wars or Star Trek?
Jed: Star Wars.
Rory: Star Wars.
Rob: Star Wars.
Rory: Pete?
Pete: Neither. It’s all sci-fi crap.
Skateboard or BMX?
Rory: Skateboard.
Pete: Skateboard.
Jed: Skateboard.
Rob: Oh, BMX. When I was growing up I was always on my bike. I don’t skateboard.
Metallica or Slayer?
Jed: Slayer.
Pete: Megadeth.
Jim Beam or Jack Daniels?
Pete: Jim Beam.
Rob: Jim Beam.
Pete: Jack Daniels is a bit too sweet.
Jed: Isn’t Jim Beam a bit cheaper?
Pete: But that’s not why. If they were the same price, I’d drink Jim Beam. Kentucky Bourbon.
Superman or Batman?
Rory: Batman
Jed: Superman.
Pete: But Batman’s got a cave!
Jed: There was the best argument for this ever in Kill Bill that explains why Superman is the best super hero. It’s because every other super hero has their super hero costume but Superman’s costume is blended in like regular folks. He’s always a super hero. His costume is being Clark Kent. His costume is being human. He’s the other way around.
Pete: But that’s the same as Batman…
Jed: No it’s not. Batman is always Bruce Wayne.
Rory: But Batman hasn’t got any special powers and he still goes out there like a machine.
Pete: He’s got a cave, man. Superman doesn’t have a cave.
Jed: You’re not gonna change my mind on this one.
Rory, how long have you been growing that beard?
Rory: Umm, well we got back home for a couple weeks about two months ago. I got home and thought it was going to be sunny, thought I’d get some sun in the face and grow it in. But it rained for two weeks so I had this dirty [facial hair]. It’s had a little trim, a little tidy up. I’m going to try out one of your barbers while I’m here. Get a little trim, a hipster trim.
Jed (looking at Corey): Can I ask you a question?
Sure.
Jed: Would you rather have fingers likes toes or toes like fingers?
Where did you think of that?
Jed: Someone asked me that the other day.
Toes like fingers because you can hide your toes.
Jed: That’s what I said.
Rob: It’d be good for surfing.
Rory: Corey, if you could be any dinosaur what dinosaur would you be and why?
A raptor.
Rory: And why?
They’re agile. They’re fierce. They’re sexy.
Pete: They’re cunning.
Jed: What are the flying ones called?
Rory: Pterodactyls.
Ok guys back to it… music or surfing?
Jed: If you had asked me Saturday afternoon I would have said surfing, hands down.
Pete: We’re going surfing tomorrow, but we’re also playing a gig tonight.
Rory: You can’t ask us that, Corey!
That’s why I asked.
Rob: It sort of changes.
Rory: (Sarcastically) This interview is over.
Pete: I’m going to say surfing because we do a lot more music at the moment.
So last question, when I looked you guys up before this interview, everything I read compared you guys to Kings of Leon. Are you sick of that comparison yet?
Rory: Noooo.
Pete: They’re like one of the biggest bands of our time. How can you be sick of being compared to that?
Rory: We’ve had comparisons to some other bands that I won’t mention.
Pete: Someone called us the Red Hot Chairlift Peppers. That was the most inventive one yet, I think.
Jed: I get some of the comparisons. They’ve got good vocals and we have good vocals with Rory. But we have a piano and all our tunes have big piano elements.
Rory: I don’t hear it, but I also have bought every single record [Kings of Leon] has released, so I’m not going to be like “Oh no!” To me, it’s cool.
Sunset Sons to release new single this summer. For further information visit SunsetSons.com. And don’t forget to Like them on Facebook as well as follow them on Instagram.
