The Bitter Pills Talk Forthcoming Album, Their Hometown And More

UK alt-rock crew The Bitter Pills reveal their long-awaited debut album later this year, and it’s a full-volume statement built on distortion, urgency, and zero interest in restraint.

Who is in The Bitter Pills, how did you meet and what do you play?

Nico – guitar and vocals

Chris – drums

In bar blue in Eastbourne, through friends and recorded some music the next day together

What is your earliest musical memory?

Chris – 6 years old when I was watching top of the pops but was mesmerised by the drum riser that came out of the floor and been obsessed ever since

Nico – my family was very much into music from a young age and then saw a 3 piece live act and was hooked from then on

When did you begin songwriting?

Cooper – 2025 for our album as wanted to push myself as a musician

Nico – outside a bar with a friend at 3am when I was about 18 and haven’t stopped since

You have your debut album scheduled for release. How did you want to approach the making of the album?

No pressure and no stress, just focus on making the music we wanna make and not be stuck in a certain genre box

 

Where did you record the album and who produced it?

Tim Kramer at Signal House Studios

 

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

Chris used a tea cup for a percussion instrument for this album.

Chris not hearing any of the final song on the album before doing the drums for it

Nico ordering a full 12 people feast as a light lunch right before vocals..

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

Corr that’s more of a question for me (Nico)

We used A LOT of different fuzz pedals, baritone guitars, amps, amps pushing into other amps.

I believe on one track we used a small practice amp feeding off the guitar and feedback of the big stack of amps to create more feedback.

Lots of loud noises basically!

 

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

Happiest would be shattered dreams as it comes across a fun sorta song

Angriest would be “something to say” as it’s very much pushing back on the establishment but also pointing at how social media has become in recent years.

Most reflective would be the final song on the album as that is mainly about suicide and men’s mental health.

Was it a difficult album to write?

I would say most of it was fine other than the last few songs of the album as we really wanted to push ourselves to have some different styles we are used to and felt we got there.

Who designed the album artwork?

That was Selina Jane, she has done most of the artwork for us recently.

One of the tracks is the single ‘Set Me Free’.  What was the story/inspiration behind the track?

We wanted a song that sorta sets us up when we play shows live. Very much a “welcome to the show” sorta song. And we think we achieved that.

 

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

That would be our “other member of the band” as we call him – Lee London.

Childhood friend of Nico’s and has been with us for quite some time helping with all media and socials.

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

My hometown is Eastbourne: sunny, coastal, scenic, friendly, relaxing.

 

How do you look after your voices?

Chris – I don’t have that problem so I’m not worried haha

Nico – I try to talk less if that’s possible?

Do you have any live dates planned in the UK/Europe in 2026?

We do have some stuff planned which we are set to announce very soon

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

Leave them wanting more and their ears ringing

 

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

Black beauty – Zildjian

My revered guitar – Matt West Signature.

Orange amplifiers.

Both have been crucial to the sound I like to create on the guitar.

 

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?

I wouldn’t say it’s a novel but I read a lot of graphic novels like invincible, absolute Batman, Ronin and also anime like Dragonball Z or even the Doom game animations.

We’d love to do some music for that!

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

Influences are:

The Living End

Blink 182

Beartooth

Dinosaur Pile Up

Royal Blood

Nirvana

 

Recommendations – 

Zipheads

The Reverse Cowboys

Bangkitan

Unpeople

What makes The Bitter Pills happy and what makes you unhappy?

Caffeine

Cans of meat (Pepsi Max)

 

Unhappy

People who chew loud

Getting lost(mainly on tour)

People who don’t say please and thank you

People who walk slow

People who talk in the cinema

People who cheer or clap at the end of a movie in the cinema.

People who say “someone has a case of the Mondays”

Over happy people in the mornings

People who clap on airplane landings

1 upers – (if you have been to Tenerife they have been to elevenarife)

People who use words like “chillax”

Feature Image Photo Credit: Lee London

The latest single ‘Set Me Free’ is out now.

The Bitter Pills debut album is scheduled for release later this year. 

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