DETROIT RUN Talk New EP, Musical Memories And More

Anthemic Brit alt rockers, DETROIT RUN, continue their ascent with the release of their much anticipated new EP, ‘Defiance – Part 1’, which arrives on Friday 30th May 2025. They kindly chatted to us about the EP, musical memories and more: 

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

So we are Detroit Run from Liverpool, England. Tom Haywood (vox), Gary White (guitar), Nathan Dillon (bass), Wes Cunningham (drums). The band was started in early 2022 by Nathan, Wes and Tom with Gary joining later on to complete the lineup and it has all gone from there.

What is your earliest musical memory?

Tom – Listening to Nirvana aged 11, first band to really stand out to me because they were different.
Gary – The first thing I remember musically in my life was Queen as it was always on somewhere as my family where huge Queen fans.
Nathan – I remember listening to Green Day in high school and then seeing videos on YouTube of them live and knowing that’s what I wanted to do Wes – Listening to Queen also, I loved watching the live aid videos as a kid!

When did you begin songwriting?

As a band we started songwriting in 2022, but as individuals: Tom – Around 2014 in my first band, I played bass guitar and was the singer.
Gary – 2010 with my first band. I was also the bass player.
Nathan – I started songwriting when I was around 14 and back then my songs were nowhere near the level we write as a band but I still enjoyed it.
Wes – I started songwriting at about 10 years old, granted the songs were not the best, but I continued to write all the way to now!

 

Your new EP ‘Defiance – Part 1’ is released on Friday 30th May 2025. How did you want to approach the making of the album?

Well we always want to try and create the best thing we can, this time was no different. We landed on the concept of a “part one & part two” quite early on. We wrote some completely new stuff and was also able to pull stuff from older stuff that we have and worked it into the EP.

Where did you record the EP and who produced it?

The EP was recorded across two locations. The first being our own studio as we do everything ourselves in house. The second being a caravan in South Wales when we were part of Planet Rocks Winter’s End Festival.

Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the album recording sessions?

Absolutely. We finished the EP in a caravan in South Wales. We were on the final stretch of the EP when we played the Winter’s End Festival. So we packed up our studio, set it up in the caravan we were in and finished recording. We can’t imagine what passers by and other residents must have thought at the time.

Do you use any particular instruments, microphones, recording equipment to help you get a particular sound/tone for the EP?

Wes: our main focus when recording is to keep an authentic Detroit run sound. We use kempers for chunky guitar and bass tones! We use a wide range of well known plugins for effects. But I think the biggest thing that gets our Detroit run sound is the huge synth sounds, these are sometimes created from scratch, or emulated using certain samples to help shape the music!

Which of your new EP tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?

Tom: Sleepwalker, Prototype, Tightrope.
Gary: Sleepwalker, Chained Heart, Prototype.
Nathan: Sleepwalker, Prototype, Invincible/
Wes – Tightrope, prototype, chained heart.

One of your new tracks is the single ‘Invincible’. What was the inspiration/story behind the track?

Wes: As I wrote the song I was trying to create a real Detroit run experience, the powerful synths, and catchy melodies resulted in what I think to be a great song!

Tom: No real inspiration on my part, just more experimentation with different elements really, we’re trying to make ourselves as unique as possible.

The single is accompanied by an official music video. What was the thought process behind the video and who directed it?

We wanted to strip things back to just a performance piece, but one that would tie in with the EP as a whole as it is the first release from it. We decide to go for colour shifts throughout the video that reflect the aesthetic of the EP. The video was shot and directed by Vessel Studios in Liverpool.

Who created/designed the EP artwork?

The artwork concept was initially designed by guitarist Gary. Then the 4 of us went over different adaptations of it until we landed on the final design. We very much wanted to work with the black and pink aesthetic.

 

Was it a difficult EP to write?

Sometimes. The EP was a long process and some of the songs that you will hear on it were not part of the original lineup. Over the course of its creation there had been some road blocks with tracks that just wouldn’t work no matter how hard we tried. So there were a few times where it was “back to the drawing board”. We got there in the end and are all very happy with the final result.

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

That people have a good time with us and that they want to come watch us again.

 

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

Tom: Wireless Microphone (So much freedom).

Gary: Honestly, our Kemper Profilers. Those things are pure magic.

Nathan: It has to be our Kemper Profilers, there’s so many settings to play with!

Wes – Anything you can put in a recording studio! I love microphones, and experimenting with different sound positions!

 

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

Liverpool is our hometown and 5 words we would use to describe It would be: “Musical, Famous, Home”.

How do you look after your voices?

Tom – On gig days especially I limit how loud I speak, I try to keep a very relaxed and soft voice throughout the day, only warming up just before set time. I’ll often use Vocalzone if it’s needed for emergencies, and try to do steam therapies in an emergency situation.

 

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?

Wes – I love writing score music! Mine would be The Martian by Andy Weir, as I love anything space related!

 

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

Nathan – In the music industry it’s so hard to pin it down to a select few but I think recently Bring Me The Horizon and Architects have really inspired the sound I bring into Detroit Run, they have really hard hitting bass lines that drive their songs which is what I try to incorporate into our songs. Outside of the music industry I find it’s the people closest to me such as my wife, my family and my friends, as they’ve always believed in my love of music and supported me throughout.

Gary – For me it has been quite a mixed bag. Three genres that I have listened to/grew up with are metal, pop punk and synthwave. I have a heavier side of influence from artists such as Metallica, Trivium and Bullet. Influences from the pop punk world that include Green Day and Neck Deep. Then to just throw a spanner into the mix there are a lot of synth/electronic artists that are always in my head when it comes to music. Artists such as Scandroid, Carpenter Brut and Dance With The Dead Wes – it’s quite a tough one, I was brought up on film score music, and classical music. My influences for creating music are very varied, and really depend on how I am feeling at the moment.

Tom – Nirvana is my favourite band of all time, due to the rebellious and genuine nature of Kurt Cobain who is one of my musical idols! Throughout growing up I was naturally drawn to heavier, grunge, melodic and metal sounds! Bring Me The Horizon, Architects, I Prevail, Limp Bizkit etc.

 

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

Yes. We are booked to play the inaugural UNCHARTED FESTIVAL alongside some of the UKs finest emerging talent. We are planning on getting ourselves out there but we can’t confirm anything just yet.

 

What makes DETROIT RUN happy and what makes you unhappy?

It is going to sound so cliché, but playing music is one thing that makes us all the most happy. As for what makes us unhappy, let’s go with not playing music.