SNAYX

SNAYX were formed from a mosh pit. Sure, the Brighton & Sheffield based trio have been in other bands before, dabbling in everything from indie rock to ska, but those groups never incited the communal carnage that Charlie Herridge, Ollie Horner and Lainey Loops crave.

So they formed SNAYX, originally a two-piece, now a three. For a good chunk of time though, SNAYX was more of an idea than an actual band since the pair were too busy going to as many gigs as possible, rather than working on things like songs. They'd talk about SNAYX to anyone who would listen though, hungry to be part of the scene.

And then in the smoking area of a Brighton venue, Hastings punks Kid Kapichi invited them to open for them. Of course, SNAYX said yes, despite the fact they didn't have a finished song between them. That changed over a frantic few days, where all of those conversations about ethos, influence and intention quickly turned into a furious 30-minutes of music.

The gig went better than it had any right to, and SNAYX were born. A series of support slots followed, alongside a very DIY headline tour. "That's when everything clicked into place," says Charlie. "Onstage we really understood what it was, and what it could be."

The vocalist goes on to explain how they didn't want SNAYX to be "any one thing. We went into the studio and tried a lot of different styles but it's only when we started playing live that we knew how the songs needed to sound." Debut single 'False Friends' came in 2021, a slab of funky garage rock that set out SNAYX' stall as a ferocious rock band while follow-up 'Cigarette' is a swaggering, energetic beast. "When you go to as many shows as we have, you see so many things you love. This band is us taking small pieces from all our favourite bands," they say..

With an emphasis on big, alt-rock riffs and taking inspiration from the likes of Queens Of The Stone Age, The Prodigy and Death From Above 1979, SNAYX' music takes "punk, grime, hip-hop and dance and mashes it all together. People go mad for it live," he grins. "I just didn't want to make anymore indie rock music. I needed a creative outlet that was fresh, new and exciting. I wanted something a bit different."

With numerous tours and festival appearances, SNAYX have covered an awful lot of ground in a short space of time, and their music is just as ambitious. "If you limit yourself creatively, you put yourself in a box. We've never wanted to do that," they say. "We want to work outside of boxes, to make something we truly love."

The band are breaking through at a time where socially-conscious, aggressive guitar music is making waves across the UK and beyond. The likes of Nova Twins, Bob Vylan and Kid Kapichi (all bands SNAYX have supported) are showing what DIY bands can achieve.

"There's a real scene that's coming through at the minute and it just feels so exciting. We want to be a part of that," the band explain. "It's different to the old school punk scene but it's got the same energy and intensity behind it. It's really liberating."

He goes on to say the mainstream success of those independent bands who are just "speaking their minds is really inspiring. It does give you this confidence. It really does feel like there's every opportunity to go from these grassroots spaces to the biggest stages going, without changing what you stand for. You've got to put the effort in though to build a community. You've got to be part of the scene, or there is no scene."

With just two songs to their name, SNAYX have already developed a fearsome reputation and a loyal fanbase. They literally couldn't fit another person inside Brighton's Green Door Store for their debut headline show and a summer of festivals has only seen their legend grow. "I'm soaring with confidence," Ollie says. "You could ask us to play at Brixton Academy tomorrow and we'd be ready to go."

"We really weren't expecting this reaction but it does feel like people really care about what we do," he continues. They believe their music is connecting because "people are feeling a lot of angst after years of living under Tory control. For young people, there's so little for them. Everything feels bleak. Music is such a release though. There's no violence, no malice at our shows. There's just joy."

Despite the many early successes though, SNAYX aren't done yet. "We've got so much more to say," offers Charlie. "It really does feel like we're only just laying the groundwork for what SNAYX could be."

"The best thing about this band is having that connection with the audience," he continues. "I spend most of my time at shows diving into the crowd because that's where I want to be — singing with my mates, being in the thick of it and being part of something exciting."

Ali Shutler, Sept 2022