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Damian Robinson chats with the Sunderland four-piece about their modern take on ska, punk and pop
Image by Isaac Lowe
Looking to bridge the gap between ska, punk and melodic pop, Sunderland four-piece Polyfillas are starting to develop a name for themselves as a band looking to bring authentic voices and youthful energy into the region’s musical consciousness.
Formed around the songwriting partnership of Ava and Jamie Dangerous, Polyfillas have grown from individual artists into a solid collective; piecing together their solo skills and talents into a ‘more than the sum of their individual parts’ group. “When we started we were into the folk thing,” confirms Jamie, “so still socially aware and trying to be honest with our art, but when we started to combine we really supported each other to go past the places where we were and to push ourselves even further.”
there’s plenty of conversations in the band about where we are as a culture and a country and there’s important things that need to be said
Evident in their first single, Own Youth Movement, a combination of the Ruddy-era of the Clash and the more swinger elements of two-tone, Polyfillas are an outfit who like to match the power of their music with the laser-eye focus of their lyrics; don’t let the sickly sweet rhythm section blind you from the intensity of their message – Polyfillas have something important to say. “I think we try to be honest to ourselves and to what we see,” confirms Ava, “there’s plenty of conversations in the band, and with friends, about where we are as a culture and a country and there’s important things that need to be said.”
Taken as the first track from an upcoming Rude Boys of England EP, Own Youth Movement puts a stake in the ground for the band’s sound and politics – with the promise of more coming. “Rude Boys of England is a combination of some of the songs we’ve recorded. There’s no particular theme to the EP, or a reason that we chose those songs from our collection of songs, but the very fact that we recorded those songs first is probably us thinking subconsciously that these are our best songs – or the songs which represent us best,” confirms Jamie. And there’s more coming too, according to Ava: “We have more songs written, and lots of ideas coming, but there’s different elements to these songs which represent us all. And that was important to us.”
Arriving in October, Rude Boys of England will be supported by some live dates throughout the Autumn and plans for an album in 2025. “We have plenty to say, and lots of momentum,” Jamie confirms, “but through a combination of costs and also wanting to do things in the right way, and keep things enjoyable, we’ll record and do gigs in a way which keeps us focused. We may record one of the gigs so there may be a live version of the EP out shortly – but we’ll see where we are.”
