Getting to Know… SUE | Interview 🎤

For the 33^rd interview in the ‘Getting to know…’ series, The Musical Hype gets the lowdown from Elliot Stone of the UK noise rock band, SUE.

“Our sound is calculated but chaotic, rough and raw, distorted and manic.” That’s how Elliot Stone, describes the music of SUE, the noise rock band he fronts. Later, he goes on to say, “…I wanted to create music that embraced all the stuff I loved about punk and noise rock.” The man seems to know what he wants! On “Gotta Gotta Gotta,” a song Stone cites as his favorite from their debut album (It Will Never End, 2019), the energy is electric both musically and vocally. A can’t miss-lyric chocked-full of angst: “I’ve had too much smoke clouding in my head, / Fuck forgiveness I’ll just hate instead.”  Worth noting, It Will Never End is a concept album, split into three acts (‘Senseless’, ‘Reckless’, and ‘Endless’).

While it is Stone that gives The Musical Hype the lowdown for our 33^rd interview in our Getting to Know… series (Check out Interview #32 with Avalanche if you haven’t already), it should be noted that SUE has three other members:  Euan Woodman (drums/vocals), Harry Woodman (bass), and Ashley Lavelle (guitar).  No need to belabor the introduction any longer! Without further ado, here is Interview #33 with UK rock band, SUE!

Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype: Let’s get this started off right. For those who may not be familiar with you, what would you say makes SUE distinct or unique? How do you rock the audience’s socks off?

Elliot Stone, SUE: We’re a very lively and energetic band. Our sound is calculated but chaotic, rough and raw, distorted and manic. Our live shows live up to all that too, the last show we did I knocked a mic stand and a speaker off the stage and then jumped into the audience.

Faulkner: Okay, let’s explore some juicy backstories. How did SUE form and what were some of the goals or the visions you had as a band early on? 

Stone: I started the band in September 2016, making shitty demos in my dad’s music room. After a couple months I wanted to get a band together, and after a year or so of lineup changes Ashley (guitar), Euan (drums) and Harry (bass) settled in nicely. Ashley has been with me since the beginning, I found Euan and Harry in 2018. I wanted SUE to be manic, I wanted to create music that embraced all the stuff I loved about punk and noise rock. So far, I think we’ve lived up to that.

Faulkner: Awesome! Moving on, let’s talk more about goals.  Have your goals or your perspectives changed since first starting out? What do your aspirations or goals look like now?

Stone: Not really. When I started, I wanted to make the best music I could and grow the band as much as I can. I’m still doing that two, nearly three years on, and although it is hard being a band and getting noticed I’m still very committed.

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

Stone: Johnny Cash got me into writing music and I still relate to a lot of his dark and gloomy themes. Metz, Leathermouth, Pissed Jeans, Nirvana, Iceage have all been big influences on the sound of SUE. They too deal with dark and often disturbing themes and consume that with harsh and brutal music.

Faulkner: 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.

Stone: At the end of a headline show Harry was rolling around on the floor and I accidentally stepped on his face. I was wearing boots, he said it was quite painful.

Faulkner: Wow – I’d imagine! Up until this point in your career, what would you describe as your favorite song you’ve recorded or performed live? What makes that song special?

Stone: “Gotta Gotta Gotta” is my favourite song of ours; it’s everything I like about SUE. Catchy chord sequences, fast tempo, a ton of distortion. Ashley does a great solo in it too. I lose my mind when we’re playing it live.

Faulkner: Is there anything else awesome, cool, or left of center the world should know about you? Secret talents or surprising tidbits? 

Stone: To be honest with you I wouldn’t describe any of us as ‘cool’ haha. We’re just a group of weirdos.

Faulkner: Fair enough! Closing this thing out, what is SUE currently working on, promoting that you can share with us or want us to know about? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure.

Stone: We’ve just put out our debut album which has been really exciting. I’ve been trying to promote that as much as I can. Imagine the musical equivalent of an elephant fighting to the death with a pack of hyenas. If you like the sound of that, check the album out: Spotify; Bandcamp; YouTube.

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

Photo Credits: SUE