Getting to Know… Naked Sunday | Interview

In the 501^st Q&A in our Getting to Know… series, we get the inside scoop from Staffordshire hard rock band Naked Sunday. 

Awesome, Naked Sunday! Martin Stanyer (vocals/guitar), who answers our burning question about the band, adds, philosophically, “rock n roll should be flamboyant and eccentric.” True dat! Beyond Martin, Naked Sunday comprises his wife, Laura Stanyer (bass/vocals), Alex Williams (guitar), and Liam Collins (drums). We get the inside scoop on Naked Sunday’s genesis, goals, musical influences, and current and future musical endeavors. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into Getting to Know… Naked Sunday: Interview No. 501!

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For those who may not be familiar with you, what would you say makes you distinct or unique? How do you rock the audience’s socks off?

Well, from a songwriting perspective, we write in multiple styles whilst maintaining hard rock and harmonies. Live shows, there’s a lot of movement on stage, I never wanted to be a shoegaze band, rock n roll should be flamboyant and eccentric.

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Okay, let’s explore some juicy backstories. How did Naked Sunday form, and what were some of your goals or visions early?

It started just myself alone in my bedroom writing songs under the guise Naked Sunday, I had just moved back to my parents and had no idea what to do, within a year the single, “Always Fading” got took on by a record label, I then met my wife [Laura Stanyer], and it snowballed from there, eventually we hooked up with Liam [Collins] and Alex [Williams], and it’s been eight years now.

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Let’s talk more about goals.  Have your goals or perspectives changed since you first started? What do your aspirations or goals look like now?

My goals back then were to try to be as successful as I could be. Derek Holt, a famous Stafford musician, was a hero. The Climax Blues were a legendary band to me. I got to do everything I wanted. My goals these days are just to enjoy making and creating music. Putting it bluntly, I got a single in the UK charts, opened the main stage of V Festival 2014, and have my music used in films with the likes of Ricky Tomlinson.

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Everybody is influenced by somebody else. Who would you consider some of your biggest musical influences, and how are they influential?

GNR, Queen, Motley Crue,  UFO, Foo Fighters, and local bands like The Centaurs. Gary Cooke is a great musician friend. Weak13 would be another, and Bad Monkey and The Electric Warriors. I guess all play a part in how I write, lyrically and musically; there’s the fun locally that I find very energizing.

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Ah, the fun stuff.  What’s your craziest tour story or the wackiest thing that’s happened during a performance?  Feel free to be creative.

Well, I think to be fair, we played Teddy Rocks 2019, featuring The Darkness, toploader, etc. Laura got absolutely battered after our set. We were watching toploader and were seeing double. She was in bed by 7pm.

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To this point in your career, what would you describe as your favorite song you’ve recorded or performed live? What makes that song special?

“Unbreakable.” It’s become somewhat of our anthem; the crowd sings it back to us louder than us. It’s a really special song that people constantly mail us about, saying it means something to them. Very unique and written between the UK and Berlin.

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Is there anything else awesome, cool, or left-of-center we should know about Naked Sunday? Secret talents or surprising tidbits?

Laura does aerial hoop, I hang upside down on gym rings, the band really does get on, but we can lead separate lives very happily. I’m interested in all the odd stuff, and I spend a lot of time documenting my life, currently just finishing off a new book.

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What is Naked Sunday currently working on or promoting that you can share? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure. 

The next album, album number five, has quite a few songs. My favorite is a new one, “Besotted and Bitter”. Laura takes lead vocal on “Let Them,” and “One More Trip Around the Sun” is quite possibly a very heavy number, praised by Graham Oliver of Saxon fame when we played with them in October.

Thank you so much for sharing and taking the time to answer these questions, and best of luck moving forward. 

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Getting to Know…Naked Sunday: Interview No. 501 [📷: Naked Sunday; Rob Billingham Photography]

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