ONE ON ONE: AN INTERVIEW WITH DREAM STATE!

WE ARE DIRECT AND LIVE FROM 2000 TREES FESTIVAL 2024 AND I’M HERE TODAY WITH DREAM STATE. FIRST AND FOREMOST GUYS, WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE FOOTBALL, WHO’S IDEA WAS IT TO SET UP THE GOAL AT LAST NIGHT’S SHOW?

Aled Evans: Me! When we found out we were clashing with the football I was like “Right, what can we do”, and me and my mates would start scheming some stuff. “We can get a TV, get a netherlands kit, get some footballs, let’s get a goal.. Cause some chaos”.

THE WHOLE NETHERLANDS KIT VS ENGLAND KIT ON STAGE, DID THAT CAUSE ANY BAND RIVALRY?

Tom Connolly: Yes! Well we are a Welsh band with an English singer, so there was a little bit of rivalry.

Aled Evans: I mean we had a louder Wales chant than any English chant during the set so.. Yeah.

THERE WAS A MASSIVE SENSE OF COMMUNITY LAST NIGHT IN THE FOREST AND THAT ALWAYS HAPPENS AT 2000 TREES. BUT NOT JUST TREES BECAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE HAD AN INCREDIBLY BUSY YEAR OF TOURING AND FESTIVALS, INCLUDING AN ALBUM RELEASE AND EVERYONE HAS TO KNOW, WHAT KEEPS THE DREAMSTATE FIRE BURNING?

Aled Evans: We just like playing shows and enjoy it, that’s my motivation to keep going.

YOU’RE FULLY INDEPENDENT AS WELL, WHICH MEANS THERE’S NO SUPPORT FROM A LABEL, IT’S ALL YOU GUYS. IS IT TAXING AT ALL?

Aled Evans: Not for me, I don’t know about you Tom?

Tom Connolly: I would say being busy is great and we’re really privileged to be in the position that we are. But if we stop, we lose momentum. That’s just the music industry. We love what we do but it does come with sacrifice, so you’ve got to kind of constantly love it as much as you can. It takes a lot of work, but that’s music for you. I think a lot of that doesn’t get seen, which is fine, but it takes a lot of work.

I SAW ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT JESSE STARTED HER OWN BUSINESS IN SINGING EDUCATION, BESIDES THAT, WHAT ELSE MAKES YOU GUYS TICK OUTSIDE OF MUSIC, OR WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU NEED A BREAK?

Tom Connolly: For me it’s fitness and stuff like that to be honest, that’s my main thing. That’s how I switch off. Just try and look after myself as best as I can really, because it’s quite hard to do when you’re touring.

Aled Evans: I’ve been absolutely slammed, I’ve just bought a house. So the last six months I’ve been renovating the house, and when I’m not renovating I’m doing gigs and when I’m not doing gigs I’m renovating.

DOES THE RENOVATION PROCESS AFFECT THE MUSIC PROCESS?

Aled Evans: I haven’t been able to write as much as I would normally, but I’ve got a lot in the bank so it’s okay for now.

YOU’VE JUST CELEBRATED ONE YEAR OF YOUR SONG ‘CHIN UP PRINCESS’, HOW ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT THE TRACK, AND CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT HOW IT CAME TOGETHER?

Tom Connolly: Answering the second part first, I think for us it was a step in the right direction that we’re going musically. That whole EP or mini album was a glimpse of where we are going. There’s only so much we can show with an EP, but I think we’re experimenting a lot more about our own independent influences. A lot of electronic/industrial kind of sounds, particularly me and Aled thrive on that quite a lot because we like drum and bass, and stuff like that. So you can hear that in the songs, and there’s probably going to be more of that I would say.

Aled Evans: Yeah that’s kind of where I would like to go directional wise, just kind of bouncy. Whenever I’m writing I’m thinking about how it translates live. When we play ‘Chin Up Princess’ now it always goes off and there’s always moshpits. That’s what I want for every song.

YOU CAN SEE IT ON STAGE YOU’RE PLAYING WITH THE AUDIENCE, NOT TO THE AUDIENCE. LAST NIGHT WAS FUN, AS WAS THE FIRST TIME YOU PLAYED THE TRACK. WE’RE PLAYING A GAME WITH THE ARTISTS, AND THAT’S HOW MANY TYPES OF TREES YOU CAN NAME IN 15 SECONDS.

[DREAM STATE TREE COUNT: 6]

Tom Connolly: I was just thinking about all the kinds of drumsticks you can use. Walnut—

Aled Evans: This guy knows his wood.

Tom Connolly: You know what I’ve been put under pressure now, I’m out, I’m happy for someone else to win [laughs].

FINALLY, 2000 TREES IS A BEAUTIFUL FESTIVAL AND THERE’S A LOT OF BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE, BUT I THINK IT’S MISSING A MASCOT. I’VE DESIGNED A MASCOT, AND I WANT THE ARTISTS TO NAME IT, AND WHAT CATCHPHRASE IT WOULD HAVE.

Aled Evans: It looks like a Pokemon!

Tom Connolly: I was going to say it looks like the team rocket uniform.

Aled Evans: It’s got to be tree related obviously.

Tom Connolly: Nah I would just call it Dai, give it a Welsh name. And then it would just be like “Sappenin’ bud”.

Aled Evans: Terry.

TERRY, AND THE CATCHPHRASE IS “SAPPENIN’ LAD”. ARE WE GOING TO GET SEAN AND MORGAN [SAPENIN’ PODCAST] COMING OVER AND SAYING YOU CAN’T DO THAT.

Aled Evans: Copyright it!

THANK YOU FOR CHATTING WITH ME TODAY, IF THERE’S ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO PLUG PLEASE DO NOW

Tom Connolly: I would just like to say thank you for everything, because this is a special opportunity that we have so thank you to anyone that lets us do this.

Aled Evans: Yeah, what he said, and then tour! We’re on tour in October and November so come to a show!

THIS IS DREAM STATE, AND YOU’VE BEEN PART OF A HIVE MAGAZINE INTERVIEW.