Shanghai Treason are a new Yorkshire based celtic punk inspired five-piece who traverse the darker, heavier, side of the genre. Expect a breakneck performance complete with banjo, accordion and a hard hitting rock rhythm section!
In this interview spotlight, I chat with the band about their music, challenges, technology and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
We’re a Celtic/folk-punk band based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
I think we all grew up loving punk music and all the subgenres of it. Personally I loved pop-punk growing up (and still do to this day). I remember coming across a live video of a band on YouTube that I’d heard of but never paid much attention to. Luckily for me that band was Dropkick Murphys and from that day a completely new avenue of punk music opened up to me. I’ve loved them and bands like them ever since.
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
All our releases have been unique from the last lyrically, and this one is no different. The song’s a cry of despair at the incompetency of the ones at the top, which is more relevant now than ever. It’s also one of the first songs we wrote as a band so it’s really exciting to finally have it out there from that side of things too.
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this over saturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
We’re somewhat blessed that there aren’t a million bands out there doing what we do. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not exactly reinventing the wheel here, but it’s a fairly niche genre with a pretty cult following. Social media platforms have been a great way for us to get our music out to people who follow bands that are similar to us genre-wise, and we’ve been lucky to have gained as many followers that believe in our music as we have – and really it’s all been down to the power of social media.
What was the last song you listened to?
I think it might have been Billie Joe Armstrong’s cover of Not That Way Anymore that he put on YouTube as part of his No Fun Monday series…that’s keeping me going from week to week and I’d highly recommend it.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
CDs all day long for me. I grew up when CDs were still a thing so the physical copy is something that I really appreciate; it helps you connect more with the songs if you have them in your hand. Plus they take up less space than vinyl and people who say they don’t sound as good are just lying to themselves. Just wait for CDs to become the new hipster fad in a few decades…you heard it here first.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
I’m fairly new to all the streaming stuff but I got Spotify recently and now I can see what all the fuss is about. I’ve discovered loads of bands just by hitting play, which gives me the opportunity to delve deep into their back catalogue. The Menzingers are a prime example, and I’m ashamed to say I’d never listened to much Goldfinger until I got Spotify…if only I’d known what I was missing out on!
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
Like I said we’re always on the usual social media sites (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and we’re also on Spotify and YouTube. So make sure to follow us on there! Find us at facebook.com/shanghaitreason, @shanghaitreason on Twitter or @streason2020 on Instagram.
Anything else before we sign off?
Be sure to give our new tune Can’t Even Hang A Man Right a spin! We had a load of fun recording it and making the video. Hope to see you at a show when we’re all allowed back out! Cheers!
