Getting to Know… Two Pound Tea | Interview

In the 433^rd Q&A in our Getting to Know… series, we get the inside scoop from UK punk band, Two Pound Tea. 

“We’re real. Nothing fake goes into our music, our image, or our live show.” WORD, Two Pound Tea! In response to our first burning question, the band expounds, “It’s fast-paced punk rock, with elements of grunge and classic rock delivered with truth and a mix of self-deprecating but aggressive lyrics that commentate on the reality of life in 2024.”  Again, we say, WORD. We get the inside scoop on the UK punk band’s genesis, goals, musical influences, and current, and future musical endeavors. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into Getting to Know…Two Pound Tea: Interview No. 433!

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

Because we’re real. Nothing fake goes into our music, our image, or our live show. It’s fast-paced punk rock, with elements of grunge and classic rock delivered with truth and a mix of self-deprecating but aggressive lyrics that commentate on the reality of life in 2024. So many bands try so hard, when in reality what attracts people is the real people behind the story. If we are telling real stories in our songs and being real people on stage, then people will relate. People willing to sell their integrity for likes and follows on soul-destroying social media platforms deserve to fail. Be yourself.

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

We wanted to dominate the world! Ha, nah we know being a punk band singing controversial lyrics about the government, society and the rapacious rich isn’t exactly mainstream. We could just put on a drum loop for a shitty house song with corny lyrics but there’s enough losers doing that already. We formed in our previous drummer’s living room, just jamming Sex Pistols songs, and decided that we could be a similar voice in a similar style in today’s world.

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

When we first started it was all about playing live, how many shows could we do, how drunk could we get, who was hosting the after-party, and how many fans would mosh. We saw our gigs as nights out, we play a gig, the crowd goes wild and then we join the party with them afterward. Now it’s all about our releases. We want the music to be heard, whatever platform you’re using, so it’s about studio work and then promoting what we have, which is a complete flip from the first couple of years.

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

The Clash, the Pistols, and Nirvana probably have the most direct influence on our sound and style. But Will (lead vocals) loves Bowie, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Wu-Tang, Jimi (bass, guitars), Guns N Roses, Aerosmith, Public Enemy, The Smashing Pumpkins, Troy (Lead Guitar) is into Metallica, Muse, and Jack White and Dec Mudvayne, Alice Cooper and Rage Against The Machine. All of these bands have an impact.

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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.

The craziest thing that happened on stage to us once was playing an entire show note-perfect without making a mistake! There was a show with a fight breaking out in the crowd during a song, we carried on playing as we watched it unfold before jumping down to intervene when it appeared security was taking their time to get involved. Remembering our shows can be tough, especially if we headline as we might not be on stage until 10 pm, and that leaves lots of time to drink and partake in other recreational activities that do not always lead to a tight performance, but certainly an energetic one! We’re all going to die one day, so we might as well have fun.

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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?

[My] Favorite to record is “Alone.” This song is so not punk it’s actually really punk. It’s a 7-minute-plus track complete with a full orchestra, multiple guitar solos, and choir harmonies. It’s due out in January 2025 as a single and will be on our next album in February 2025. When we play live the crowd really gets down to “California Uber Alles”, “Punchy”, and “Grown Men”. 

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

Well, our bass player and lead songwriter Jimi is an international cricketer! He plays for Cyprus! Troy is in another band called Dead Flesh that recently played at Bloodstock Festival, Will has been in a couple of TV adverts and our drummer Dec is a complete mystery. He could be Banksy.

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

Our new album, Generation Medicate is out in Feb 2025, the lead single, also imaginatively called “Generation Medicate”,  is out now on all good streaming platforms, and some shit ones. We’ll be drip-feeding some singles in the build-up to the release, so give us a follow on Spotify and Instagram! Especially if you hate the King.

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

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Follow…Two Pound Tea: Instagram • Facebook • Spotify • YouTube

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Getting to Know…Two Pound Tea: Interview No. 433 [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Two Pound Tea; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Królestwo Nauki, OpenClipart-Vectors, Pete Linforth, Tumisu from Pixabay]

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