CARSICK

By Resonate | December 5, 2024

Words by Lucia Brown

CARSICK, the quartet consisting of brothers Jack (guitar) and Joe (vocals) Richardson,  Jack Hardiman (bass) and Tom Armstrong (drums), are putting their hometown of Salisbury on the map of the alternative music world.  Blending punk sounds with clear nods to Britpop, the band have created a refreshing new sound which demonstrates their diverse musical backgrounds. Mosh pits of any size in any venue are highly encouraged, and you may even acquire a novelty DVD if you attend one of their gigs. CARSICK are set to burst out of Salisbury and are taking over the UK and Europe. 

I met with the two brothers of the band, Jack and Joe, over video call and after introductions we began digging into everything CARSICK.

How did the band form and how did CARSICK become CARSICK?

Joe: A bunch of us went to college together and obviously Jack is my brother, so unfortunately I’ve known him forever. We just started playing songs a lot and eventually started trying to take it  seriously. Then we just ended up being in a band. It was almost by accident and now we’re stuck forever. 

Do you have any horror stories from your early days? 

Jack: My worst one was probably the first year we did Truck Festival, in front of the biggest crowd we’d  played on Market Stage. I was jumping up and down and I didn’t see the cable and my foot landed on it, then I slid and hit my nose on the stage. There were thousands of people watching me; it was genuinely the worst moment but I guess it’s funny now. 

Joe: Lots of slips, trips and falls. I think they’ve all merged into one thing that I’ve put at the back of my brain, all the bad stuff, all the terrible memories. 

How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music? 

Joe: I would say a bit like indie rock because I find that indie rock is the safe term. I mean, we are an indie rock band. I feel that that’s the most approachable way to pin it down. Sort of like Jamie T and The Streets, although, I shouldn’t say that, because I’m kind of just mentioning all the bands we rip off. 

Jack: We’ve been putting in more electronic stuff recently. I think “familiar but new” is what we’re trying to do. 

Overall, what are your influences in fashion? 

Jack: I feel like we have all got our own style, I wouldn’t be caught dead dressing in my brother’s streetwear stuff. I still kind of wear stuff that looks like I’m wearing pyjama bottoms all the time. 

Joe: I’m just looking at your t-shirt right now! [Jack is wearing a t- shirt that says ‘I <3 your dad’] I feel like fashion influences change relatively quickly for me. I usually wear the same outfit. I have a roster of four outfits that I wear on stage, and then I recycle them and try to come up with different combinations. The other day, someone came up to us in a pub, saying he thinks one of the best things we’ve done is change our style. I asked him what he meant, and he told me the checked trousers we used to wear were awful, so now I’m too scared to wear them.

You use candid photos for the covers of your EP and singles. Where did the inspiration for those come from? 

Joe: I think we’ve always liked the idea of doing something that follows. So we used film shots by our friend Dev [Place] for the first three singles. I think they’ve all been shot by Dev actually. But we wanted to have one person doing an action on each cover leading up to our debut EP, Drunk Hymns. We’re quite a big fan of film shots, especially ones that look taken off the cuff and not staged or set up. 

Has being from a smaller city like Salisbury hindered you, or has it helped you build a unique brand?

Jack: Salisbury isn’t on the music circuit like Southampton, but we’re still near enough to have a foot in the door. In Salisbury, we do our hometown shows, and it’s sort of built a cult following, so we often shout out home during the set. I don’t think it’s hindered us at all. We love to play Salisbury.

Joe: I’d say the only way it’s hindered us is if we were from Bristol or London; there are many more venues to play. But in that sense, if you go somewhere like Bristol, there are loads of bands. In Salisbury,  you don’t get drowned out by the noise that easily, and if you play at a venue on the weekend, everybody just comes down, and you have all your mates there. 

As this is a Bristol-based publication and you recently played in Bristol, what are your favourite things about the city?

Joe: Bristol is incredible! I’m a massive fan of the fact that Aardman is based there. I like everything about Bristol. There’s so much to do, and everything’s so close together, it’s a fantastic city, and everybody seems nice there.

Jack: I think from a music perspective, what I noticed from the crowds in Bristol is they’re just well up for it. No matter if it’s been a sold-out show or there’s been hardly anyone there when we play Bristol, they just fucking send it every time and it’s sick to see.

Joe: The venues are great too! Thekla, The Louisiana, SWX.

You played the main stage of Truck Festival this year. How was it going from playing the smaller stages and working your way up to the main stage?

Joe: The first time we did Truck, we did the main stage, and nobody was there, so the next year we did the market stage.. But obviously, those performances were a year apart, so the feeling wears off and then when you come to do it again, the whole thing feels super quick, and then it’s over. It’s a very surreal feeling, but it’s great.

Jack: The whole time backstage, we thought it would look terrible if no one were here.  Then, it was obviously insane, and it was such a privilege to be on the main stage with so many people who inspired us. It was a cool experience.
Joe: I remember being behind the stage and freaking out whether anyone was going to be there or not, and that was the most memorable thing for me. I just always have a complete fucking freak out before shows, wondering if anybody’s going to be there and if I’m going to mess up. The thing is, when you mess up, no one really notices.

During that performance, you brought out a Twilight DVD; what was that about?

Joe: I passed a charity shop and went in with the thought of just grabbing two DVDs to give away to whoever gave the most energy in the mosh pit. It was two for one, so I got the first Twilight, and I would’ve got the second one if it was there because that’s the better one, but I got Bridget Jones’s Diary. I had to pick which one I wanted to give away, and ultimately, I chose Twilight, so somewhere, I have a Bridget Jones’s Diary DVD just lying around. We were camping for the weekend, and the guy we gave it to came to find us because I said it was a signed copy, and he complained that it wasn’t signed. 

So are you team Jacob or team Edward?

Joe: Controversial question. I think it’s straightforward to overthink it because both have pros and cons. I’m on the side of facts and feelings, but I am in team Edward. How could you not be? I think Jacob is a liar; I think he’s manipulative, and he’s also straight-up just a freak. 

Your debut EP is called Drunk Hymns. What are your drunk hymns or go-to night-out songs?

Joe; I think I want to speak on behalf of Jack, our bass player – he’s big into Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen. My go-to karaoke song is All The Things I Have Done by The Killers, just for the bridge, but the bridge just goes on and on and on. When we go out, we don’t always have control of the aux, but maybe for a good reason. 

You’re known for the Bradley Walsh cardboard cutout you bring on stage. Where did that come from?

Jack: It started when Joe came into my room saying the gig is in three days, and we didn’t have any money in the band account, and he was like, “Do you wanna go halves on this Ross Kemp cardboard cut-out?” and it was like fifty quid. At that gig, his head was ripped off.
Joe: We were watching a lot of The Chase then, and Bradley Walsh was just in my head constantly. I forgot I ordered him, so when he arrived, I was like, “what the fuck is this?” I think we got sent a photo the other day of some lad that just had his head. We need to get a new one. We’ve been discussing recently who it should be… Simon Cowell maybe?

CARSICK’s new single Gig Tax is out now. The band are heading back on the road in January 2025, supporting Essex Brit-punk duo, The Meffs, with a date at Bristol’s The Fleece on 30th January.

Follow CARSICK on Instagram @carsickofficial