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Wall Street Riots Interview

London pop-rock upstarts Wall Street Riots are fast rising on the underground scene with their raucously infectious tunes and vibrant live sets. Having released their debut – an EP titled ‘Playground Politics‘ – back in May, the band is back with a bang and new single ‘One More Ride‘ which is out now.

Make sure you catch the band at their sporadic London and regional dates in between time spent writing and recording new material. Make sure you check out their MySpace [above] but in the meantime, read what vocalist Charlie Cosser had to say to Crossfire below!

What did you guys set out to create with Wall Street Riots?

We aim to write good songs, play sweaty live shows and have a laugh.

How did you all meet?

Karnig (guitaritst) and I met at school at the age of nine and started writing together in a series of awful bands. Mike (bassist) joined when we were 15 and Rich joined us three about a 2 years ago. Shortly after that we became Wall Street Riots.

What happened when you first put your musical skills together?

As I said before our early bands were terrible! We played a series of pop punk and nu-metal covers in our early teens which were admittedly a lot of fun. Eventually we got better and better at our instruments and started putting half decent tunes together.

Any advice to bands who are just getting together for the first time? How do you know when the chemistry is right?

Rehearse and never stop writing. When we first started out we were desperate to tour and play as many shows as possible without knowing what we were doing. You have to know you’re ready before showing the rest of the world. At the same time live experience did us a hell of a lot of good – but it’s important not to rush.

What is the best show you’ve played to date?

A lot of the underage shows are serious fun. The kids go crazy and give us an awesome reception. RAR at the Albany Theatre was great.

Where would you love to play at some point in your career as a band?

We want to travel the world and play in as many weird places as possible. I know for me Japan and Australia would be amazing. But also venues like Brixton Academy and the 02 would be sick.

What are your goals over the next year or so?

We are currently writing our debut album so the plan is to get that done and do some more touring.

Who are your heroes – musical and non-musical?

Musical: Beastie Boys, Johnny Cash, Silverchair, The Police
Non-musical: Mickey Rourke

Which other new bands out there are worth checking out in your opinion?

I’m loving Passion Pit!

What have been your favourite records of the year so far?

The latest Friendly Fires, new Black Eyed Peas and Biffy Clyro.

What’s the new single ‘One More Ride‘ about?

It’s about relapsing on addiction or even a silly vice. The moment where you give into temptation and do something you shouldn’t and the 30 seconds of euphoria you get before the guilt kicks in.

Have you got any particularly interesting or unusual topics that are on your list to write about when creating new material?

Well we’ve already conquered some, for example Dr.King is all about a guy we knew who lied about having a brain tumor to get the girl, which is a true story. But I’m desperate to write about the time Mike (bassist) was kidnapped and thrown into the back of a car at knife point. We might have to co-write those lyrics…

How would you like people to describe your sound?

It sounds like a really good pepperoni pizza… or chicken.

Do any of you skate? If so, what would you like to say to all the skaters reading this?

My mum used to say: “Wear you helmet otherwise you’ll have a head like a squashed tomato”. I sucked at skating.