A Chat with The Straights (15.05.25)
Independent four-piece rock band The Straights is one of the most exciting emerging bands at the moment. With comparisons to legendary acts like The Stooges, The Who, and The Libertines, their latest single ‘Remedy’ captures the grit and urgency of a generation seeking catharsis through noise, rhythm, and rebellion. We spoke with the band about all things music below.
OSR: ‘Remedy’ has a sense of urgency and rebellion. What do you hope listeners take away from the track?
George Years: I wanted to blend elements of light and dark in terms of sound and lyrical narrative, and the song itself is riddled with hidden avenues to explore in terms of interpretation. With that said, I’m intrigued to hear what people make of it, and even more intrigued to see how many listeners will be strung along by the chorus, especially considering its true meanings. I can see where themes of ‘urgency’ and ‘rebellion’ come into the picture, and in many ways, I tried to capture that essence due to the individuals involved in the song’s narrative.
OSR: The track blends alternative rock, garage, and indie elements. How would you describe your sound in your own words?
George Years: A mishmash of loads of things. We range from indie to garage rock, to punk to old school Britpop. I think this ‘Remedy’ is probably one of our darker sounding tracks, mainly due to the vibe that flows through the verses. We like to dabble with different ideas.
Michael Arthur: Alternative rock, I guess. I think the band’s sound developed in our formative years from our influences, which are essentially our respective record collections and playlists. We existed in a rehearsal room for years and naturally blossomed into our sound. We have different music tastes that do overlap, but at times don’t. Jack (drums) is really into Marcus King and might reference a track of his for an idea. George might do the same with a Pixies track, so it’s a melting pot.
OSR: Your previous work has earned you recognition both in the UK and internationally. How do you feel your sound has evolved since your debut?
George Years: Our sound has definitely got heavier over the years. We’ve broadened our horizons quite a bit from our starting point, which is always a good thing when you’re still starting out. I’d love to try some faster-paced stuff. Something really chaotic that gets the blood going.
Michael Arthur: We have a wider palette and don’t feel like we need to stay in one lane. We have a new heartfelt acoustic track, and also working on a new fast punk song in the style of the Bad Brains. So it’s varied, but it’s still The Straights.
OSR: You’ve been known for your high-energy live shows. How do you take that energy from stage to studio, especially on a track like ‘Remedy’?
George Years: We’re quite meticulous in the studio. I always find that we have more space to explore tones and layers that we hadn’t considered before while on stage. We often find that a song isn’t always truly complete until it’s recorded. Once it’s on record, the live feel often changes to replicate what we’ve put to track, and we find a way to match it with a guitar, a bass, and a drum kit in a live setting, without all the layers of the recording. We also aim to get a live sound in the studio, which certainly helps in terms of finding that sweet spot that we can replicate live.
OSR: There’s a sense of DIY ethos in everything you do. Why is it important for you to maintain that independent spirit?
George Years: Because we’re broke. That’s pretty much it. We’re musicians.
Michael Arthur: It’s out of necessity to be honest, I have to acknowledge that our DIY influence is taken from bands like Rancid and many independent labels like SST, for example. It was formed by Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn to release the band’s records. We will maintain being DIY until we don’t. We want to get picked up by a label.
OSR: How do you approach the songwriting process? Does the music come first, or do the lyrics usually dictate the sound?
George Years: Originally, Michael (bass guitar) and Billy (guitar) would write everything. Eventually, I came in and started writing too. Jack (drums) wrote some cool stuff later on as well. I think that once each of us was pitching ideas, our sound really developed. We all learned a little with each track, with different strategies of forming songs and taking inspiration from each other and our influences as individuals. It’s a good morale to have in the band. More recently, I’d say the past year and a half, we’ve really put effort into collaborative writing, which has produced some of our best stuff. We screw around with a few chords or licks, and next thing you know we’re knee deep in a melting pot of ideas and experiments. It’s really cool.
OSR: What’s the most exciting thing about being in a band that thrives on raw, unfiltered energy?
George Years: I think being too clean becomes a bit boring after a while. Music that is too polished has never really interested me personally. Everything became a bit wet for a while – let’s face it. Other bands obviously noticed this too, as we seem to have had a surge of heavier, punk-driven acts popping up everywhere and charting. It’s a good thing to see, and a good thing to be a part of.
OSR: You’ve had the chance to share stages with iconic acts like Buzzcocks and Inspiral Carpets. How have these experiences influenced your music and performances?
George Years: Well, I’d say if anything, it made us realise who our crowd was. Buzzcocks and Inspiral Carpets tend to appeal to proper music heads, and they seemed to dig us at those shows. Obviously, it was a different level of professionalism we had to engage with, as well as the appreciation of being given these opportunities in the first place. We learn a lot from those sorts of gigs. Being up there supporting people who really went the whole way. You can see how audiences react with larger crowds and bigger names, and read the room just that little bit better. People engage on a different level, especially with iconic bands such as those. It makes you ask, ‘What can I take from this?’ Seeing the pros in action.
OSR: How do you deal with the pressures of being in a rock band, especially as you gain more attention and recognition?
George Years: Dealing with each other is probably the most important factor in this department. We need to remain strong and steady, and keep our heads on, which up to now we’ve managed with. Egos get left at the door in rehearsal now, which is something I personally struggled with when working on these sorts of creative endeavours. We have a hive mentality in regards to the creative process. It’s like the four of us are an extension of each other’s creative brain, thus, taking the competitive side of ‘whose song shall we learn’ or ‘whose idea is best’ out of the equation. We have developed well together as musicians and professionals, but I don’t think we would have been ready for the occasion if we had blown up shortly after we had formed. We have the maturity now. Now is the time.
OSR: Finally, what do you want your legacy to be as a band? How do you want The Straights to be remembered in the future?
George Years: Piers Morgan’s Life Stories. That’s the level we want to get to. Iconic songs and influential in our creativity. We want to be up there.
Michael Arthur: It’s something that I think about and take seriously. We our deeply passionate about music and creativity, so to make albums that will be remembered and listened to in the future by music fans would be incredible. In the same way, we admire an album like Raw Power (1973) by The Stooges, for example.
Many thanks to The Straights for speaking with us. Find out more about The Straights on their Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Spotify.
