Stud Farm Mafia Talk Debut EP, Their Voices And More
Words by Glenn Sargeant
Feature Image Photo Credit: Beth Phasey – @phaseyphotography
UK heavy rock four-piece Stud Farm Mafia have released their debut EP “Did You Have a Good Weekend?”. We chatted to the band to find out more:
Who is in Stud Farm Mafia, how did you meet and what do you play?
We are:
Cole Bryant – Vocals, Nath Digman – Guitars, Rik Ridemark – Bass, Luke Evans – Drums
Cole: Me and Nath went to school together, we weren’t initially friends, but we got put into a band together for a school project at about 15 and we’ve been playing together ever since.
Nath: I met Luke through an audition for a then covers band I was in, which didn’t materialise into anything, but we had a sudden vacancy for a drummer in our old band which Luke was keen to fill.
Cole: Rik we specially ordered through the dark net / we found him on joinmyband
What is your earliest musical memory?
Cole: Probably watching Marty McFly smash out Johnny B Goode in Back to the Future
Nath: I think my earliest musical memory is being in love with Buddy Holly. I nicked my mum’s CD and used to force visiting school friends to listen to it. For context I was about 5.
When did you begin songwriting?
Cole: We started songwriting as soon as we started the band really at about 15.
Nath: They were very bad. Everyone starts somewhere! We couldn’t really record anything so it was all done from memory.
You have your new EP ‘Did You Have A Good Weekend?’ out now. How did you want to approach the making of the EP?
Cole: We crammed ourselves into a microscopic, unheated room in my old flat. Ate a lot of Chinese, and wrote songs to keep warm.
Nath: We used to leave the amp on overnight so the valves would heat the room up a bit. Terrible jumpers and old man slippers.
Cole: Our respective partners were watching terrible reality TV in the next room, so we basically refused to leave until we had a record.
Where did you record the EP and who produced it?
Cole: We recorded it in Red City Recording in Manchester with Dave Radahd Jones.
Nath: We discovered ‘Lager-itas’ up there which are magical
Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the recording sessions?
Cole: So I accidentally nicked a bunch of coffee for a whole week
Nath: Cole thought it came free with the room from the restaurant
Cole: Only found out on the last day.
Nath: One day we came back to the hotel to find the bathroom completely flooded
Cole: There was a leak in the ceiling and we had to be moved rooms. That whole thing made it into the lyrics of our track ‘Moneymouth’ that was written between recording sessions.
Nath: One day we came home drunk and I passed out in a chair. Cole and Rik had spent the night balancing clothes on me and I woke up covered in laundry.
Did you use any particular instruments, microphones, recording equipment to help you get a particular sound/tone for the record?
Nath: There was loads of cool stuff we used through Dave’s genius
Cole: We used a salt shaker mic to get some fun distorted sounds in the vocals. We also managed to get a divebomb sound through Dave manually detuning Nath’s guitar during a take.
Which of your new EP tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?
Cole: Gun Show for happiest, or maybe SO Pretty
Nath: Moneymouth is pretty angry
Cole: Most reflective? Probably S.O.S.. That song goes pretty deep.
Was it a difficult EP to write?
Nath: In some regards at the start. Once we’d recorded the first couple of tracks we really felt we got our ‘sound’ nailed
Cole: The next few songs came together very quick.
Who designed the EP artwork?
Cole: We have an amazing Photographer call Beth Phasey. When we were getting the cover together we loved her shots so much we thought it’d be a waste not to use one for the cover, so I knocked it up in an evening.
One of the tracks is the single ‘Gun Show’ which is out now. What was the story/inspiration behind the track?
Cole: I’ve just got really into the gym in the last few years, and I’ve always had a penchant for sleeveless T-shirts. I started getting all these funny lines pop into my head. One day Nath came round to write…
Nath: I’d just bought a Marshall JCM800, and amp we’d been using a lot in the studio. Plugged it straight in and that was ‘the sound’ that brought that main riff right out.
Cole: I started throwing these lyrics out, just trying to make Nath laugh. Basically it was a joke that got out of hand, problem was we really liked it!
Nath: Thank god Dave liked it too!
The single is accompanied by an official music video. What was the thought process behind the video and who directed it?
Nath: We wanted a ‘live’ style shoot to get a good visual of the band out there.
Cole: We were really inspired by Frank Carter so there’s a really cool set of shots with loads of haze and a spotlight. We’d been waiting to work with Jay Hillyer for ages and it really all came together.
Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?
Cole: We’re based in Oxford but me and Nath grew up in a town called Thame.
Nath: Angry, drunk, coked up farmers.
How do you look after your voices?
Cole: Practice, practice, practice! Plus I don’t smoke or anything.
Nath: I gargle herbal essences shampoo. I’ve heard herbal stuff is really good for your throat
Do you have any live dates planned in the UK/Europe in 2026?
Cole: Our next show is in Reading on the 10th of April at The Facebar, see ya there!
What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?
Cole: Usually I know it’s been a good night if I’ve lost half by bodyweight in sweat
Nath: My favourite thing when we play is seeing big grinning faces in the front row. It’s always great.
Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?
Cole: Nath uses an awesome baritone guitar by a company called Rivolta
Nath: I have two, they’re sick. Apart from that it’s all Marshall amps
You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?
Cole: There’s a great set of books about Genghis Khan we both love by Conn Iggulden.
Nath: They’re great. Informative and violent.
Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?
Nath: It literally stretches from Buddy Holly to Pantera for me
Cole: Mate all of it, but we like it big and riffy. Very partial to James Brown.
Nath: Recommendations? Cleopatrick, personally I enjoy a band called Low Lives at the moment.
Cole: Love a bit of Don Broco
What makes Stud Farm Mafia happy and what makes you unhappy?
Nath: Recording in Manchester, enjoying ourselves in a creative environment, making music with your best mates
Cole: Unhappy? Nappy rash, traffic, raw chicken
Feature Image Photo Credit: Beth Phasey – @phaseyphotography
Stud Farm Mafia’s debut EP “Did You Have A Good Weekend?” is out now and self-released.
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