By Emerging sunshine pop band, Greatest Hits, return with their latest EP ‘Volume 2’, a collection of five tracks that further establishes their unique sonic output that’s full of danceable, yet vulnerable energy. Consisting of band members Ryan Cooper, Josh Macyntire, Henry Chatham, and Chelsea Foley, the group came together almost as a coincidence in Leeds, bringing the sounds of Australia to the northern hemisphere. Best known for their ability to blend multiple genres and influences into one standout sound, whether it be indie-pop, funk, or psych-rock, Greatest Hits always manage to deliver an essence of nostalgia with each release.
‘Volume 2’ sonically represents the bands journey over the last 18 months, with each song honing its own sonic identity. Lyrically, frontman Cooper has built a somewhat lyrically sarcastic style, built around an ability to laugh at the band’s insecurities. It’s an aspect that’s apparent throughout, whether it be their very own take on a love song, understanding the complex journeys shared by others, or delving into the world of infatuation, there’s always a complex thought process that completes each track. The EP undoubtedly shows the world just how much potential the band has, and they only get better with each release.
After the successful release of ‘Volume 2’, we caught up with Greatest Hits to learn all about the EP’s creative process, the inspiration behind their nostalgic sound, and what exciting things we can expect from them next year.
Hey guys! Congratulations on the release of your EP ‘Volume 2’. How did you guys come together to form Greatest Hits?
It’s nothing short of a miracle that we met, let alone started playing music together! None of us are from Leeds, but somehow found ourselves moving there from different parts of the world, and playing in different bands there. Ryan had just finished a tour with Halfnoise (Zac Farro of Paramore), which started an obsession with writing groove-based music, with bass at the centre of the songwriting process. Greatest Hits was never meant to be any more than a few demos to jam with friends, but one thing led to another, and now we’re having too much fun to stop!
You’ve honed a sunshine pop aesthetic reminiscent of the 70s. How did this originate?
We’ve all been really fortunate to grow up with musical parents who listened to great 60s and 70s bands, but personally discovering more groove based bands like The Meters, Shuggie Otis, and Talking Heads, is where we fell in love with this kind of music, and it became our own.
Your recent single ‘Nuclear Love’ is a lo-fi bop about infatuation, which glistens with a new wave groove. How does it compare to the rest of the material on your latest EP?
The mood is different to the rest of the EP, it’s more chilled and a new style for sure. The electronic drums and low vocals were always going to make it stand aside from the other songs but the themes are still very much Greatest Hits. It’s light hearted and it’s written to make you smile.
That EP mentioned titled ‘Volume 2’ is out now. What was the inspiration behind it?
It’s difficult to put it down to a particular thing. We were all moving around quite a lot during the writing process, which has naturally led to each track having its own unique story, flavour, and inspiration.
You’ve stated in the past that Greatest Hits is all about ‘laughing at our insecurities, and pointing out our struggles, while having a good time!’ It’s certainly something that comes across in your refreshingly honest songwriting style. Would you say this is your greatest strength as a collective?
Maybe it’s a strength, or maybe it’s a coping mechanism to deal with life.. Let’s just call it a strength!
What can we expect from you guys in the near future?
We’ve started our own vintage fashion store called “Greatest ‘Fits” (see what we did there?), so we’ll be putting on some hybrid fashion/music events. We’re also so stoked to be heading back to the UK in May, starting with a London show on the 17th!! We have also been writing like crazy, so we will have a lot of new music for the world in 2022! Catch ya soon!
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