Quick-fire Questions: 10 minutes with SoftTop
There must be something in the (sea) water over in Brighton. Across the UK, local scenes deliver greatness at every turn, but it feels like no city can compare to the incredible quality and variety coming out of this seaside town lately. SoftTop are amongst them as a new band to note.
On stage, the group is a sprawling collection of some of the city’s best musicians. It appears that with all of Brighton’s bands, they all dip into the same pool of players, all supporting one another and weaving a messy web of crossovers and timeshares. But in SoftTop, the band provide a moment of balladic peace amid what must be a hectic calendar of rehearsals and gigs.
That same sense of peace is transferred to their crowds, too, as their leader, Miles Goodall, creates incredibly moving and cinematic tracks that deliver a moment for introspection. During their sets, songs roll into one another as a kind of atmospheric odyssey. On tape, they’re gloriously produced and grandiose, with their newest track, ‘Broken Glass’, being no different.
But what is going on behind the tender lyricism and emotive chords? Music always sounds best when you know a little about the person making it. You know, the important facts about them are their tastes in seaside snacks and what they’ll have for dinner.
We put those hard-hitting and essential questions to the band…
Quick-fire Questions with SoftTop:
Describe your music in three words…
“Soft, emotional, quirky.”
If it had to exist in the cinematic universe of one film, what movie would SoftTop live in?
“Airplane!”
Dare we ask what SoftTop means and why you picked it…
“You dare not… I like to leave that to other people to debate, it has multiple meanings depending where you look.”
If you could’ve written any song in the world, what track are you stealing credit for?
“Andy Shauf – ‘Quite Like You’. It changed the way I think about music, especially songwriting. It’s got a great storyline lyrically, and the instruments are arranged perfectly for me, just an all-around brilliant song, in my opinion.”
What was the last song you listened to so many times you got sick of it?
“Opus Kink – ‘I Wanna Live With You’”.
What’s the best thing about being in Brighton?
“The people. Everyone is so supportive of new music. It feels like a proper community that have your back. I haven’t experienced that anywhere else I’ve been.”
And what’s the worst thing?
“The bins, somehow they’re always overflowing (I’m aware this is a very middle-aged thing to say, but they smell bad).”
What’s your favourite seaside snack?
“Bog standard fish and chips.”
As the lineup of most Brighton bands seems to be a mishmash of members of other Brighton bands, how on earth are you coordinating calendars for rehearsals?
“With great difficulty… We are all very communicative, and we also work with other musicians on a dep basis when we need to.”
What’s the best venue in the world?
“I’ve got to say locally, either Green Door store or Folklore rooms (They’re like a second home to us). The dream venue is probably Madison Square Gardens.”
Curate your dream festival lineup – Who are the headliners? (three artists, dead or alive)
“Steely Dan, Andy Shauf, The Beatles.”
What is an album you think is criminally underrated?
“Man Alive – Everything Everything; It’s their debut album, and I was hooked from there on in, but it’s rare that I find other people who listen to it, which shocks me because it’s great!”
And what’s an album you’d claim is overhyped?
“Anything from Oasis’ discography (I just don’t get it)”.
What’re you gonna have for dinner tonight?
“Sausage and mash, probably; I haven’t thought that far ahead, if I’m honest!”
Are the Beatles overrated?
“No. I get that they aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but you have to respect what they achieved.”
