ACROBVT Talks New Single, Musical Influences And More

British Alt-rock-pop group ACROBVT have released their latest single ‘Last Goodbye’. Lead vocalist Ben Edwards spoke to us about the track, their musical influences and more: 

Who is in ACROBVT, what do they play and how did you meet?

There a four of us.

Sam Edwards is the drummer, Ash Milburn on bass, Charlie Richards on guitar and myself Ben Edwards as singer.

When did you begin songwriting?

I started writing when I was teenager. I remember having an idea for a song can working with my friend and guitar teacher to help me put it together some more, it was called Gone.

What is your earliest musical memory?

I have a few that are interlinked for me. Firstly in the house growing my parents always had so much vinyl, shelves full of it. There was always interesting music being played from ABBA to Bob Marley, through to Zepplin and Frank Zappa. Then, when I was very young, I used to want to help a local band set up and would go early to their shows to help and once I actually sang with them on stage. That’s where I got the bug!

Your new single ‘Last Goodbye’ is out now. What was the story/inspiration behind that song?

Last Goodbye stems from heartbreak but I wanted to talk about holding strong to yourself and seeing your own worth where others haven’t maybe. In my case this really helped me through a difficult time and I think the song reflects that struggle but empowers you at the same time.

Where did you record the single and who produced it?

We recorded this track at VADA studios, an incredible studio that is actually in an old chapel. We worked with producer James Loughrey (Bjork, Sophie Ellis Bextor).

Who wrote the new single?

We wrote this song at Brighton Electric with Mikey Demus (Skindred). My brother Sam (drummer) worked with me to put the lyrics together too.

What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?

My favourite is when our fans connect with each other and become friends. It’s so nice to see people come together via us that’s special. I guess that I would say to feel that I have given the audience my all and to feel that connection with our fans through a mutual understanding of each others stories that led us to that day.

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?

I love using my In Ear Monitors (IEMS) from Cosmic Ears. They have been a ready game changer for me. They provide me with the right amount of isolation and superb sound quality, which as a singer has really helped me to sing night after night. Charlie has started using a Quad Cortex pedal which has been a game changer for him. It really has allowed him to be so versatile with his sounds live giving much more flexibility, plus he doesn’t have to try and turn on a million things at once!

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

A difficult question to be honest as I don’t really feel like I have a hometown. I moved around a lot as kid and that continued as an adult. The most I feel at home is on the coast, my last home was on the Welsh Coast. I would describe that as atmospheric, windy, friendly, wet and peaceful.

How do you look after your voices?

I have a routine. Firstly when we are touring I try not to talk too much through the day and give my voice a rest. To get gig ready I will start by using my atomiser to hydrate my vocal chords along with drinking plenty of water. Then I move into gentle warms ups that expand my vocals slowly as I move through them. An important element is also too cool my vocals down after a show where I’ll hum from high to low. Then a good nights sleep settles them down ready to go again the next day.

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?

Weirdly enough we just wrote another song that we all felt could be the next Bond theme which would be amazing! I loved James Bond as a kid and always wanted to be spy. Taking on the bad guys and being cool while you do it!

Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?

For the bands sound I always describe it by saying if you got Imagine Dragons, Maroon 5, Nothing But Thieves and Coldplay then you blended it all together. The smoothie that you would make is ACROBVT.

As a lyricist one of my heroes is Adam Duritz of Counting Crows. I have always appreciated his way with words and introspectiveness.

Do you have any live dates planned in the UK/Europe in 2024/2025?

We have just got back from our first show in Berlin actually for Flux FM which was great and we working on more live shows for the year.

Do you have any further music releases planned for 2024/2025?

Yes we have more singles to release, to be decided but there is certainly more to come!

What makes ACROBVT happy and what makes you unhappy?

We love to be writing and performing so if we aren’t getting to do that we can get a little grumpy! We also enjoy a good old chin wag with some fresh crisp pints in hand. Warm beer is never ok and makes Ash particularly sad.