Bad Touch Interview ‘Never will we take playing shows for granted again.’

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Norwich five-piece, Bad Touch, have recently released their new album ‘Kiss The Sky’, which they will be touring next year. We caught up with frontman Steve Westwood.

Hope you, your band mates, and family have been okay over the course of the pandemic. What have you been doing with your off time during the pandemic?

“Just staving off insanity and trying to keep the wolves from the door! We send out big love to every and any member of the artistic community during such a bonkers time. We’ve just been writing and rehearsing, making sure once this weird time passes, we come back bigger, badder and better than ever!”

How did it feel to release an album knowing that it would be a long time before you would be able to play and share it live?

“The thing is at that time, we didn’t know how long this was going to go on for. At that point our tour had already been rescheduled once to Sept 2020, and as we stand now it’s rescheduled again for April 2021. (badtouchrocks.co.uk for full details) It really really does suck that we’ve not had a real chance to tour what we believe to be our best album to date. We (just the same as everyone at the minute) are simply looking to the future, honing our craft, to make sure when we can come back, we do come back… and we come back fighting.”

What made you decide not to delay the release like many other bands have?

“We talked about it at length, and we decided that we didn’t want to back down. We were super excited (we still are) about ‘Kiss The Sky’ and we wanted to get it out to the world. People like us need art and music, and we wanted to try and provide some sort of normality, through a very troubling time.”

What music inspired you to start making music?

“It’s always been a part of each member of Bad Touch, but for me personally, I grew up listening to lots of soul legends like; Bill Withers, Marvin Gaye & Stevie Wonder, and every now and again I’d here a rock cover of something like that, like the Crowes’ version of Otis Redding’s ‘Hard To Handle’… and I was like, “ I wanna make that sound, Dad!” So I found myself a band and here we are!”

Who would you feel honoured to open for dead or alive?

“We want to play for as many people as we can, so we would support anyone from Elton John to Lady Gaga! Haha! Huge bands/inspirations to us are the likes of, Rival Sons, Blackberry Smoke, Led Zeppelin, Black Stone Cherry, The Temperance Movement, Black Crowes & Bad Company to name just a few.”

Saw on twitter that you (Stevie) were doing Stoptober for Macmillan, how’s that going for you? Feeling better from it? Any advice for those thinking of doing a similar thing?

“Ha! Yeah it’s no secret to that I’m not afraid to meet you at the bar for a drink and a chin-wag after the show. So I thought I’d try and raise a bit of money for these beautiful nurses, whilst doing my mind and body a little favour as well. The support for both me and Macmillan has been overwhelming. My advice to anyone thinking of doing it would be just go for it. With the support of your peers it’s a lot harder to give up, and whatever you raise, you’re doing an amazing thing. As I type this I’ve exactly a week to go… not that I’m counting!”

You’re playing a whole range of venues around the country next year including your hometown. Which show are you looking forward to the most?

“After a year like 2020, quite honestly, we’ll be happy to play your back garden! Haha! But seriously, we live to be out on the road and this year has been super hard on us. It’s just not in our bones to be sitting at home. We promise that every single Bad Touch show in 2021 will be a serious party. Never will we take playing shows for granted again.”

What is your creative process like?

“Not much has changed since the early days, we still write and rehearse in the same space we have since day one. We just write about emotions and situations we all feel and have experienced, in a hope that someone else feels the same way and can connect to our music. Our attitude towards writing remains true as well, we’re a melting pot of influences and ideas from every member, not bound by role. Quite often George (drums) will have a vocal line or guitar riff, just as often as I’ll have an idea for a drum beat… it keeps things fresh.”

Thanks to Steve for catching up with us, you can catch Bad Touch on tour next year at the following dates.

APRIL
07 – The Waterfront Studio, Norwich
08 – The Cluny, Newcastle
09 – King Tuts, Glasgow
10 – Beat Generator Live, Dundee
12 – The Bread Shed, Manchester
13 – The Key Club, Leeds
14 – O2 Islington Academy 2, London
15 – KK Steel Mill, Wolverhampton
16 – The Bodega, Nottingham
18 – The Joiners, Southampton
19 – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
20 – The Patriot, Newport
21 – The Cavern, Exeter
23 – The Tivoli, Buckley

Can’t wait till then, check out ‘I’ve Got The Music In Me’: