Guro Gikling, Luis Santos and Richard O’Flynn are the Liverpool-based trio making chilled funk packed with enough swirling guitar riffs and soaring vocals to blow your starry mind. Having met on their first day at Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (co-founded by Paul McCartney, who Guro once told that he wasn’t her favourite Beatle) they bonded immediately and are now best friends forever. While they love their adopted city for its rich musical history, it is surely something in All We Are’s own cultural mash-up that makes them so wonderful. So much so that the review copy of their self-titled debut album (out 2nd February via Domino) has been on repeat on the office stereo for days now and showing no signs of stopping. As Guro, Luis and Richard gear up to embark on a European tour, we should note that their live performance is particularly impressive; there are no backing tracks involved here, just the three of them and a big, beautiful sound that’ll effortlessly carry you through the set on an emotional high. Get to know the band, develop instant urges to befriend them, and enjoy the spacey audio-visuals of new single Stone. 2,4,6,8… who do we appreciate? All We Are!
2 rules All We Are live by in order to do the Utmost Good…
1. It’s nice to be nice.
2. Always ask questions, you’ll never know otherwise.
4 things that never fail to make All We Are Feel Safe…
1. Their tour van
“It’s a love/hate relationship. Our very own Stockholm syndrome.”
2. The abandoned school
“We love the abandoned school where Rich lives and we have our studio. We spend most of our days, nights and life there.”
3. The band
“The three of us just hanging out doin’ our thing.”
4. Aliens
“The thought that aliens may exist makes us feel completely scared but also very safe. Life goes on.”
6 major inspirations for All We Are…
1. Coffee
“We need it. We don’t function without it. Rich and Guro tried to cut it out for a week and they both had serious withdrawal symptoms. At one stage they thought that they were diabetic. Then they started drinking coffee again, and it was all fine.”
2. Carl Sagan
“The fact that he never got to be president of a global, peace loving government is humanity’s biggest loss. Still, he managed to get people to understand the bigger picture and for that we’re eternally grateful.”
3. 2001 a Space Odessy
“Big movie, big questions, big headfuck.”
4. Gigs
“Who doesn’t love a good, old-fashioned sweaty gig?!”
5. Sharks
“Ancient killing machines. What’s not to love?
6. Booze
“We’d be lying if we didn’t list this one. What can we say? We love a drink.”
8 fun facts about the band…
1. Their accents are fucked up
“We’ve spent so much time together that our accents have morphed into one. A scouse-Irish-Norwegian-Brazilian hybrid.”
2. They developed their own language
“We spent a whole month saying some particular words backwards to each other. It got a bit annoying after a while.”
3. They sure know how to prioritise
“We’re all a little bit obsessed with the Yasss Gaga phenomenon. The amount of times we have watched the best of compilation on YouTube probably adds up to three finished written tunes.”
4. They’re joyriding rebels
“When we played Kendal Calling we missed the van so much we actually just hung out in it after our gig and pulled donuts in a field.”
5. They’re full of useful information
“Did you know that you can substitute the words for any Christmas song with the words: ‘A grand old job was he’? Trust us, we know.”
6. They do in-band body shots
“Richard has an indentation in his chest that we drink shots out of. He once had one himself through a straw.”
7. Their Norwegian bassist gets lost often
“Guro doesn’t know the difference between left or right. If you say left it’s a 50:50 chance she gets it right.”
8. And their bearded Brazilian is pretty badass
“Luis is a Kung Fu master. He can kick real high! Just look at those legs and his cold, calculating stare.”