Young West London group, The Hornets have a sound rooted in 60s R&B, blues and rock. Having played at prestigious venues like the Ealing Club and Eel Pie, Jason Barnard speaks to the group to hear why they are creating a buzz: Bailey Penny (lead guitar), Nelson MacLure (bass), Filipp Krisan (drums) and Sam Winn (vocals).
What’s your latest single and what has the response been like so far?
BAILEY: Our latest single, “Loss For Words/Mary Ann” came out at the beginning of May, and has been very well received, both in terms of the single itself and Live performances. We recorded it in my home studio, pretty much live with only a few overdubs.
NELSON: People have said it’s a super track, and it was super fun to record and sits well in our set!
SAM: Great to get some of our own material out – it’s been played on quite a few well known radio stations so really we’re pleased with that!
FIL: The response has been amazing from our great fans.
Can you tell us about the experience of playing at the original Crawdaddy venue for Giorgio Gomelsky’s book launch?
NELSON: Playing at Crawdaddy was sick! It was awesome to hear Francis tell stories from his past – he’s a very supportive and passionate fella. It was an excellent gig – maybe a bit hot on stage – but it sounded awesome!
SAM: It was an amazing experience to be in the same room as these guys! Francis, the author of the book, is an all-round gentleman.
BAILEY: We still all keep in touch with Francis, he’s been a great help with spreading the word about the band.
How did it feel to have Dave Ambrose join you on stage for a Little Richard cover?
NELSON: He played my bass!!! Not many people can say that a founding member of Fleetwood Mac has done that! It was a super wholesome experience, those are the musical moments we should treasure.
FIL: It was great playing with a founding member of Fleetwood Mac, truly a cherished memory.
BAILEY: We all huddled downstairs by the toilets – which we later found out was the original stage location – to quickly refresh ourselves on the song before we performed it. I had the honour of teaching Dave the Bassline!
The Hornets have performed at other well-known venues, such as the Ealing Club and Eel Pie. Can you share some memorable moments from these gigs?
BAILEY: Our performances for the Ealing Club were great – Sam still refers back to our performance at the Questors Theatre as one of his favourite venues! Fil and Nelson actually met for the first time on stage at one of those gigs.
FIL: My most memorable moment was playing on the same stage as some big inspirations of mine.
Your band draws inspiration from 50’s and 60’s R&B, blues, and rock. How do you incorporate these influences into your own original songs?
SAM: When you’ve been exposed to this music from a young age, it just comes natural!
BAILEY: We all have a range of influences that we combine together – Sam is into ‘50s Rock and Roll, I’m into ‘60s Rhythm & Blues, Nelson’s big into late ‘60s Beatles, and one of Fil’s main influences is Black Sabbath…and Jim Croce.
NELSON: When you surround yourself with music you enjoy you take inspiration from it whether you like it or not!
Can you tell us about the transition from performing covers to writing your own songs? What inspired you to start creating original music?
FIL: It’s great to do covers as it can teach you a lot – doing these covers has boosted our creativity in terms of songwriting.
BAILEY: I’ve been writing songs for The Hornets since we formed back in 2017, and throughout that time our sound has changed quite a bit. At the moment I’m very influenced by 1960s Rhythm & Blues, but we find that each band member brings their own influences into the performance – so genres become blurred until you have something original.
COVID-19 forced the band into lockdown. How did you cope with this situation, and what did you do to stay productive during that time?
NELSON: My music love started in lockdown – Being trapped in a house surrounded by guitars meant that I picked up and played them! For some musicians lockdown was very hard, but for me it was a gift.
BAILEY: Throughout lockdown The Hornets recorded some material remotely, allowing for me to work on Music Production – which is an avenue I’d like to further explore in the future.
FIL: I stayed productive during COVID by playing in my room a lot – you can expect a lot of ruckus!
What can we expect from your forthcoming album and shows?
SAM: We are back in the studio soon working on loads more originals, and as for shows you will have to come and see us!
BAILEY: In the meantime, make sure you stream the single, “Loss For Words” on all streaming platforms, and keep an eye on our social media for updates from the band!
I am very proud to see my name quoted by these really fine musicians in this great interview. I truly love their music, and their live performance as a band is what the world needs today to “get back” to the essence of what a band should be. Sharing the same stage with them for a few minutes made me feel decades younger. I wish them the very best, not only because they are a great band, but also because they are beautiful individuals as well.