Architects Visit BIMM Institute Brighton for Exclusive Masterclass
At BIMM Institute Brighton, we were thrilled to host an exclusive Masterclass with Architects, the British metalcore band from our very own Brighton. They discussed how they broke out of Brighton in the early days, their pinnacle so far, and working with Sea Shepherds to help protect our oceans.
Formed back in 2004, the band have had a long and illustrious career. Their ninth (and latest) album, For Those That Wish to Exist, is their first chart-topper on the UK Albums Chart.
In the early days, bands such as The Dillinger Escape Plan strongly influenced the band. Architects’ first three albums captured their coarse and chaotic nature perfectly. With their fourth studio album, they took a slightly different route and made a record that was more post-hardcore leaning with The Here and Now.
On their fifth album, the band returned to their original style with Daybreaker, establishing a balance of melody and technical harshness while introducing more politicised lyrics. With 2014’s Lost Forever // Lost Together, their sixth album , the band achieved lasting popularity and critical acclaim.
They then released their seventh album, All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us, in 2016, and their single ‘Doomsday’, a year later. This track featured on Holy Hell, their eighth studio album released in November 2018. Their ninth (and latest) album For Those That Wish to Exist has proved that Architects are only getting stronger and more reputable.
Our BIMM Masterclass with Sam Carter and Josh Middleton from Architects
Interviewer Jacko Hooper kicked things off by asking what makes Architects who they are. “The main thing is we all have to be really stoked on it, even if we’re changing sounds,” says Sam Carter. “We recently discussed where we want to take it and what we want to do. Sometimes Josh or Dan will bring a finished idea to the table, and we are all stoked, then we’ll go with it.
“Because we’ve been a band for so long, you can’t just keep doing the same thing – you’d stagnate, and it would be boring. Each record is its own thing. You gotta mix it up. We can’t ever settle on just ‘okay’.”
Sam, a Hove resident, was then asked what the early days were like in his hometown: “People are probably so bored of seeing us around at this point. People have walked past me before, and I’ve been picking up my dog shit, and they’re like, ‘yo, I love your band’ – bet that looks cool. Your hometown is so important though – it’s the place where you find your feet and play the majority of your shows there.
“Brighton has always felt really cool, and it’s a great place to tour. Brighton’s a great place for metal bands, too. In the very early days, we played the Freebutt, which was like 200 capacity, and the Engine Room, which was like 200 as well. We love the Concorde 2. They’re great people. We love them.”
Sam, who is an ambassador for the Sea Shepherd’s movement, explains: “I feel very honoured and privileged to be in a position to talk about what they do. They’re almost entirely responsible for saving whales, which were basically extinct.”
Josh interjects: “When you meet them as well, the ones that work on the ships, they give up everything to do it. They’re away for six months, sometimes more, on tiny ships. It’s brutal. Nobody gets paid, and it’s really hard to not be inspired by that.”
Answering Student Questions
Ben asked: why did you choose the name Architects?
Josh: “It’s a good name, init? It’s so neutral; it could be any type of music. It rolls off the tongue but can be a tricky one when you’re searching on the internet.”
Sam asked: how did you break out of Brighton in the early days?
Sam: “It took a lot of hard work, playing a lot of shows, going on tour and managing to survive whilst doing it. For long parts of it, we made no money at all – just got in the van and hoped. We were living from show to show – we’d get paid enough to cover the van and petrol, and that was it. No profit.”
Josh: “MySpace was helpful too. It helped the scene so much. It helped underground music scenes grow. There were Architects, Bring Me the Horizon, Centurion, and Devil Sold His Sold all coming up at the same time.”
Maxim asked: where’s your favourite place to write music?
Sam: “We’re still at the same practice studio, Brighton Electric. That’s where I first tried out for the band. They’ve been so great to us, and they’ve gotten bigger and better.
“We rehearse in room six. Royal Blood and The Cure rehearse there too. It’s great. I’ve recorded loads of vocals there as well for various projects. It’s an amazing place. They gave us keys during lockdown so that we could go in and do our thing.”
Josh: “Great flapjacks too.”
James asked: what’s been the pinnacle for Architects so far?
Sam: “I don’t know. I don’t ever really stop to consider that. In my head, it’s ‘keep going, keep going, keep going,’ and once it’s all over, you can stop to have a look. I feel that doing it still after all this time is the main thing. I don’t know many other bands that have slowly gotten bigger and gotten more opportunities.
“We didn’t have anything handed to us. It took a real amount of effort, and that’s what feels amazing, that it keeps expanding. I’m grateful and looking ahead.”
Josh: “As an outsider, the Roundhouse felt like a defining moment, and Ally Pally and Wembley. The Roundhouse was so special though; it felt like a really defining moment.”
Wow, thanks for joining us Sam and Josh! Check out more from our exclusive Masterclasses here.
