As Everything Unfolds have just begun their new era with a bang, debuting brand new singles ‘Felt Like Home’ and ‘Blossom’ to rapturous reception. We sat vocalist Charlie Rolfe and guitarist Adam Kerr down to interview each other on their best shows, dream producers and their favourite Subway orders.
Adam: I’m gonna start with a nice one. Charlie Rolfe of As Everything Unfolds, how’re you? Thanks for coming on. With all the wicked touring you’re doing, what’s been your favourite show you’ve done this year or so far?
Charlie: Oh, oh, that’s quite a good question. I don’t actually know… all of them for different reasons, We did Facedown the other week, that was when I did my first proper crowdsurf. So I think that was quite a big moment for me. But also in terms of touring, I think it’s gonna be between one of the Rock City shows with Shikari. And maybe Rock For People. I think we had a really good set, the crowd was super responsive. And I think it was the first time we played the Czech Republic as well.
Adam: Something happened to you before we went on the stage, didn’t it?
Charlie: Oh my god, I completely forgot this happened. At Rock For People, the backstage was behind each stage. But the tent entrance was closed, you couldn’t see anybody coming in and out of the tent. So Adam was running around, and I was putting my IEMs on and warming up. And I was walking into the tent and Adam was on like a mission like – what were you actually doing?
Adam: I went for a shave.
Charlie: So I was casually minding my own business and Adam’s comes fucking flying out this tent, I’ve never seen someone running so quick. We collide, I just fucking go like completely horizontal and hit my head on the grass. Then I was really angry at you for like ages, I was like, you really annoyed me Adam, I can’t believe, you really don’t need to be running around like this. Like a fucking angry parent. And we went on stage and obviously I laughed about it afterwards. Literally, it just happened so quickly. I don’t think we’ve talked about that before. So well done for remembering that.
Adam, if we had a kitchen every night on tour, like a luxury kitchen, what would you cook for everybody? Four nights in a row, it’s gotta suit everybody in this band.
Adam: No, because you know I hate that.
Charlie: That’s why I did four and not seven!
Adam: Okay, I could do it, but here’s the thing. You’re sort of veggie/vegan, and then sometimes you’ll eat chicken. Jamie’s like veggie/vegan and sometimes he eats chicken. But I like meat, and John likes meat, and George likes meat. So I’m always like, let’s have a steak! And you guys are like, please don’t make us have a steak. Okay, so I am going to nick the one that we did the other day because it was really handy, and we can all mix and match. You’ve got to have some sort of like, fajita, burrito pick and mix type thing because then, somebody can have chicken if they want, other people can have veggies if they want, or guacamole and salsa. It’s nice, because everybody likes different things. Number two, I know this is gonna be really lame, because this is also a wrap based product. Falafel wraps, because they are amazing. Do you know what, I might just go to King of Falafel in Camden, just take the stuff from there and then just be like, yeah, I made it. I’d be like Seymour. You know what, meal number three is a homemade fresh pesto pasta with some garlic bread. It’s easy. Day four, bangers and mash. Can’t go wrong. Charlie and Jon can have the veggie ones, we’ll have meat.
Right. I’ve got a question for you and you’re not gonna like it but it’s gonna be really funny, right? It’s just for me, to be honest with you. If you could be any member of Kiss, which one would you be? You don’t know anyone other than Gene Simmons, do you?
Charlie: No because all he does is just slag off new bands. That’s the only thing I know about him! So I’m going to be the drummer because no one knows who the fuck he is, including me.
Hardbeat: The one with the cat makeup?
Charlie: Oh, that’s cool I’ll go with that. Okay, if we were to produce an album, with unlimited budget, who’s producing?
Adam: I’ve never sat down and thought about it. I want a CLA [Chris Lord-Alge] mix. He did American Idiot, Smoke Break by Carrie Underwood, which is an unbelievable banger.
Charlie: Wasn’t that Rob Cavallo? He did Brand New Eyes. Ben Dev did Riot, which is one of the best mixed albums, as is Brand New Eyes.
Adam: I’m about to discredit you, because you’re wrong. Sorry. The single greatest sounding album of all time is Don’t Wake Up The Neighbours by Bryan Adams.
Charlie: Adam loves Bryan Adams.
Adam: It was produced by Bryan Adams and CLA! Right, so Bryan Adams produces it and CLA mixes it. Then some pop guy who makes incredible masters can master it. Done deal. Actually you know what? Co-produced by Bryan Adams and – what’s the guy from Disturbed’s name?
Charlie: What about Trent Reznor?
Adam: You know what, I’m well up for that. So we got Bryan Adams and Trent Reznor co-producing. Let’s make it happen. Anybody at Warner or BMI hit us up!
I think the people of the internet would really, really like to know this. When you go to Subway, what’s your order? And there is a right and wrong answer.
Charlie: Okay. Well, I have a very specific order that I get every time I go to Subway, I don’t change. And I don’t think most people do, I think most people get the same thing. So I get TLC which is like the fake chicken.
Adam: On what bread? Six inch? Footlong? Come on, we have to have the details!
Charlie: Oh I’m sorry! Hearty Italian and footlong, I want to get my money’s worth. Cheese and toasted, obviously. Now I’m gonna get judged so hard because even people at Subway are like this is gross. Okay, so I get gherkins with extra gherkins. I just love gherkin so much. Red onion, black olives and sweet onion and a little bit of chipotle mayo. That’s it. That’s what I get. I just get all my craving food all in one. What’s yours?
Adam: It’s got to be footlong, obviously, and hearty Italian. I’ll go Italian BMT because meat’s my thing. Cheese and toasted but I get spicy cheese. I went one time, they didn’t have normal cheese. He was like spicy cheese. I was like, okay, sure whatever. I am converted. So always get it because it is banging. Lettuce, cucumbers. Definitely a little bit of red onion. Sometimes peppers. Yeah, cuz they’re a bit sweet. Sometimes I’m not in the vibe. Fucking spinach if they have it. They don’t always have it. America always has it. But like, they don’t really have it as much here. And then I go garlic mayo. Because it’s gotta be.
Charlie: Okay so me and Adam both have Scottish heritage. Adam, would you wear a kilt on stage? Do you have a tartan for your clan?
Adam: Yes, but before I answer that, how traditional do I have to be?
Charlie: Very traditional, or it’s disgraceful to our culture, Adam.
Adam: What you’re saying is, no safety shorts.
Charlie: No. I’m saying you have to wear it onstage, would you do it?
Adam: Yeah, I probably would actually. But I can’t now because it’s not in the same colours as the new album.
Charlie: Of course yeah, it’s not the album colours.
Adam: I could’ve done it for WELTO [debut album Within Each Lies The Other]. My turn. What do you, as a vocalist, find to be the hardest thing to do? Is it more, the stamina of clean or more screams that are harder?
Charlie: I think it’s switching in between. Doing each thing independently is fine.But there will be some days, I might be better at one. We’ve had this a lot on tour when my cleans were on fire, but my screams were not quite as good or nights where my screams are on fire but my cleans weren’t as good. Sometimes it just totally depends, and your voice is just feeling one way. And sometimes it does go both ways. And I’m like, fucking hell, miracle, can’t believe it’s happened. But switching, like it because it’s such a different technique. It’s literally like doing a whole 180 like on your vocal cords. So you have to really concentrate and then obviously, if you concentrate too hard sometimes it kind of fucks off. And then I think about it too much. So it’s it’s the switching I find hardest. But it’s quite fun and I’m getting better. It’s one of the things that I’ve seen over time, how I’ve improved the most.
Adam: In a way just to bridge on from that question as well then. Do you think then if it’s easier to stick with one particular thing, Will we ever see a song, which is completely screams in the same way that we have seen songs which are completely cleans? You’re taking the switching aspect out of it?
Charlie: That’s the thing, screaming is not my main thing. Screaming is a sub thing that I like to do. And obviously, you know, songs like Wallow, and songs that are coming up on the album are a lot heavier. Just dropping that in there. Because you know today [releasing Felt Like Home] we’ve had a lot of people like where are the screams and I’m like, don’t you worry don’t you worry! It’s like when poor Spiritbox get the same thing like when they released Constance, which was such a deep and meaningful song, and I loved it, but people complained! Give them a fucking break, they’ve written this beautiful song about her grandmother and, it’s really deep and meaningful, fucking shut up for five minutes. It doesn’t bother me as such because this song isn’t maybe quite as deep as that but, you know, people are on the surface being like, “Oh, I like the screams”. I know you do but that’s the beauty of an album! We’ve done a good mix of things, but we have to drop singles. We can do more than one thing, and we’ve always been known to do more than one thing. The way we’ve built up this campaign is very deliberate, I would say, in the way that we’ve planned the songs. It’s deliberate to build some hype. So they won’t be disappointed if they want the scream. I’m sure Adam would agree, And also ironically, my favourite chorus is in our heaviest song. It’s really funny!
Ok last one, what’s the one venue in the world that’s a bucket list venue to play?
Adam: It’s not even that crazy, you know. Obviously I’d love to play Wembley Arena, but the one I remember always going past growing up, it’s fucking Koko in Camden. it’s not too crazy, it’s a physical possibility.
Charlie: I think mine is the Underworld, but I want to headline it. Growing up around London, we’ve seen bands grow here, so playing these venues would mean so much more to me.
Adam: It’s got a lot of prestige.
Charlie: Yeah, and I want to have As Everything Unfolds – Sold Out” on the front. That’s all I want.
Adam: Even if it doesn’t sell out, just put it up there for the photo.
Charlie: Oh yeah, absolutely!