We caught up with up and coming Gloucestershire based Progressive rock band Irritant via e-mail to talk about the bands past and future.

Hello and thank you for taking time out to do this interview
First of all can you give us a brief history of the band for the people who have never heard of you.
We started about 4 years ago with a completely different lineup featuring a few guys who have gon eon to form various other bands in our area. We simply enjoyed playing music and a musical style which seemed to have been left behind in the nu metal era. So we took influence from alot of classic rock and metal acts and thats what started it all. We've since progressed and in the 4 years since it all began we have had videos on Scuzz TV, won the title of "Best Band in the South West" in www.gbob.com and have worked with legendary producer Vic Coppersmith heaven (who has worked with bands like The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, The Jam, Judas Priest, the list is endless).

How did you come up with the band name Irritant?
It was a way of displaying how we felt about the music being produced at the time we started out. I guess it was part of our mission statement!

What are your influences and who would you say contributed to your current
musical style?
There are so many! Not one member of the band has the same kind of musical influence. We all share a liking of bands like Iron Maiden and Rush for example but each member is completely different. I think thats helped in delivering a style of music which is unique in todays musical trends and fashions but people will be able to hear something they are hopefully familiar with.

You haven't long released your new ep 'Good Evening from The Machine'. What was it like writing and recording it?
Writing it was a great but tiring experience. Last year was really hectic for us with lots of shows and a focus on promotion etc, so we came to the end of October and said its time to work on something new. We wrote the 4 tracks over a period of 2 months spending a lot more time than we ever really have done on ironing out things before, I guess you could call it pre production. Recording the EP, although we were not strangers to the studio, was another learning curve. We did things we had never done before, using electronic and synthesized sound and working on harmony and structure carefully whilst in a completely musical surrounding.

The artwork for the ep is pretty good how did you come up with the idea for it?
The artwork was conceived by a good friend of ours Matt Frederick. We gave him some early demos of the tracks from our rehearsals and he was left to his own devices. He took a few photos and came back with the concept. He also is the mind behind our latest video for "Voice Of The Siren".
How do you think your EP 'Good Evening from The Machine' has progressed from your previous EP 'Old Bones'?
Personally it is so much more mature. We were still at college and studying whilst we wrote the Old Bones EP and having the chance to devote 100% of our time to Good Evening meant we could get the ideas we have always wanted to do, out onto the record.

You have just released your debut single 'Voice of the Siren'. What made you release this over the other three songs on your ep?
Siren, although not the shortest song on the EP, is the track we really thought stood out as a "single". It shows off our influences and our style but at the same time we felt it was a more radio friendly song with hooks and a real focus on melody.

You did a video for 'Voice of the Siren' which was unusually premiered at your recent show at Gloucester Guildhall, how did this idea come about and did it go down well with your fans?
We grew up at going to gigs there and its a great venue to play. The atmosphere is always something special. We thought we would take it up a notch, its always a great to be able to do something that you wouldn't expect as a fan or gig goer. We thought about it and we came up with some really ambitious ideas for the home town show but pyrotechnics and stage sets were probably a little too far (the band laugh!) . So the Video was a great way to start off our set.

Where can your fans view your video for 'Voice of the Siren' if they are yet to see it?
The video can be found on our myspace. www.myspace.com/irritantband and like all great videos today on youtube.

Since 2005 you have released a new EP every year so will 2008 see you break the cycle and release your debut album or will you carry on the trend and release a fourth EP?
I thinks it is probably time for an album and we have a few great ideas in the pipeline but over the summer our focus is on playing a bunch of live shows and playing in places we have yet to venture to. Im in no doubt that an album will be something to look forward to in 2008.

What was it like playing with Ill Nino at the Nightowl in Cheltenham a few weeks back?
It was a great show. Supporting a band we have been familiar with for a few years was a great experience and was a great warm up to a weekend of great music at Download!

You're doing an interview for Total Rock Radio towards the end of the month, are you looking forward to it?
Thats going to be extremely exciting for us. The guys at Total Rock are great, they have taken interest in us since Old Bones. Somewhat nerve wracking seeing as its the second biggest rock station in the UK!

You have been announced as one of the rotating main support bands for the ED Stone Rockwear tour, what can we expect from this?
Some new material, some great shows and plenty of partying!

How many shows will you be playing on the tour?
We are playing the last 5 days on the tour, heading through Liverpool, Burnley, Cleethorpes, Cheltenham and Bedford.

There are quite a lot of good bands coming out of Gloucestershire at the moment, which ones would you recommend people to check out?
If you like your punk Zerohour are a great band to check out as well as the guys from Twisted Wings and Obsidian if you like things a little heavier.
Where do you see your band in five years time?
Touring the world. Its the place I think we all want to be right?

Ok, one final random question that we ask every band, if you had a choice, what animal would you be out of a Zebra and a Giraffe?
Giraffe - Were not big horse fans.

Thanks for your time and do you have any passing comment for your fans
reading this?
The new single "Voice Of The Siren" is out on June 25th and we want to see everyone at Fopp Records in Gloucester on June 29th for a one off acoustic performance. www.irritantsingle.com

Interview By Trigger