(Interview) SILO: "We’re just 5 fellas from a small island in the middle of the Irish Sea."
- Kirsty Bright
- May 13
- 7 min read
“I always wondered when I would be there next, and if you said 'onstage playing my own music', I wouldn't even know how to answer. I still don't (laughs), but the whole thing has been such a ride, and I’m so proud of how we’ve got here.” And what a ride it has been for the members of SILO. In just a few short months it’s fair to say it has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. With their latest album, Haze, out now, the journey to release saw them relaxed about the recording process. In fact, these guys are the humblest musicians I think I’ve spoken to.
From the Isle of Man, perhaps that attitude has been attributed to their work ethos and approach to recording. In their 30s, the album has been a way to document life, almost like a vault to look back on memories and a moment in their lives that without a doubt is going down as an unbelievable time. The 13-track album navigates a whirlwind of themes from grief, imposter syndrome, and acceptance. A band we think everyone should keep their eyes on, especially as they take to the stages of Download and 2000 Trees this summer. We talked about the album, the wonderful work of the Isle of Man art grants, and the journey of the group this far.
As this is your debut album, what is the main message you wanted to get across as who you are as artists?
SILO: I think the main message we want to get across is to pick up an instrument and make music with your friends. Have that creative outlet that lets you channel everything you carry with you throughout the day. Silo is our creative release and something we do because we have to. And I mean that in the best sense. Silo is a part of us and something we feel a deep, deep need to do.
When writing, how do you go about the process? Do you brainstorm, or is it from spurts of creativity?
SILO: It always starts in the jam space. Basically, everyone in the band can play guitar and are songwriters, so it always starts with a riff or the nucleus of an idea. From there we just start playing with the idea to see if we can work it into the vibe that puts a grin on our face or makes us excited. We have had so many ideas come and pass, but because we know each other so well, we usually have a good idea if a riff we’re going to bring will get the fellas hyped. It’s definitely a creative organic approach, we don’t try to write anything in particular, just something that the 5 of us will hear and go, "Fuck yes, that’s sick."
Have you always enjoyed songwriting? Where did that love for writing begin?
SILO: Songwriting and playing in bands have always been a part of our DNA. For as long as we can remember. Most of the boys have been playing in bands since they were 12 years old, so over 25 years, which is mental to say. Even if we weren’t doing Silo, we would all be writing music in our own capacity because it's just a part of us.
By the end of the album, it’s a nice full circle of acceptance. Over time, how have you landed in that mindset?
SILO: We are already so far and beyond what we ever thought would happen with the music that we can only be in a grateful and thankful mindset. We wrote these tracks not expecting anyone to ever hear them, so to be in a position where we are a day out from the release of the record is just a trip. The songs on Haze were written for us and by us all along because we needed to write them.
Speaking of mindset, “Imposter” confronts moments of self-doubt. What do you do as artists to combat those feelings that many of us feel?
SILO: I think that’s something we struggle with, but try to decompartmentalise it. The opportunities that have been presented to us are lottery wins. We’re just 5 fellas from a small island in the middle of the Irish Sea, so to be doing what we have lined up this summer is mental. All we can do is control what we can control and make sure we have fun doing it.
What makes for a good song for you all? Do you want the lyrics to be stronger over the sound? Or is it about striking the right balance?
SILO: I think all parts contribute to the whole. There needs to be a meaning behind the lyrics, and not so much that there’s an answer in them, but they need to be authentic and personal. Kriss’s ability to confront personal experience head-on with conviction and focus is so cool to see. It’s always about the balance, nothing is ever written with the intent of it being this or that, it’s just what comes out of us when we get together.
With 13 tracks on the album, how did you decide the tracklist placement? And do you want it to tell a story or let it play out naturally?
SILO: We looked at records that we view as 10/10s and looked at how they were paced. In the single’s generation there’s always emphasis on the instant gratification of getting it straight away, and with Haze, we wanted it to be more of a journey than an instant hit. There are quite a few different sounds on the record, and we wanted to make sure they were in the right moments on the record.
Do you always have more material that you have to narrow down to the final selection, and if so, how do you choose what makes the final cut?
SILO: We jam together every week so there are always ideas floating around. With the tracks we selected for Haze, we never expected anyone to hear them, so we picked the tracks we liked personally and the ones we wanted to record for ourselves so they didn’t get lost to time.
You’ve said that as you’re in your mid-thirties, you wanted to document your music and not let it get lost in time. With that in mind, do you find this specific stage in life more reflective?
SILO: Definitely, Silo was started as a creative outlet and a bit of an excuse for us to get together every week. We’ve all been friends for over 20 years, and as we’re getting older, we wanted to do something that gave us an excuse to hang out every week. Being in our mid-thirties, it's not lost on us how surreal this is, like speaking to you, Kirsty, about the record that we recorded for ourselves is very surreal.
You’re set to perform at Download this summer. That must feel like an accomplishment in itself. What excites you most about playing a festival on that scale?
SILO: For sure, Download is iconic and a festival we’ve been to in the past just as fans, so to go back there as Silo and to introduce people to our blend of heavy is a trip. We know how fortunate we are to be asked to play there, and we’re not going to get caught up in the rush that could come with that. We’ll get out there, introduce ourselves to some new people, and then sink a few (many) beers to celebrate. The lineup is unreal, so we’ll be in many pits over the weekend! I think we’re in the mindset of 'How did this happen?' (laughing); it’s been such a short amount of time for us as a band. A few of us have played in other bands, so this level of stage is something many can dream of, and some disband before that even becomes a realisation. We’ve done things in a different order from other musicians' career timelines. We’re just excited for what's to come and just enjoy everything as it comes. Being on stage with my brothers and just having the time of our lives. So we are excited and don’t think it’s fully sunk in.
Coming from the Isle of Man, how did that area shape your love for music, and how did it influence how you wanted the band to be?
SILO: The island is home to so many unbelievable musicians who probably haven’t got their flowers over the years. Being able to go to gigs from 12/13 years old introduced us to so many amazing bands that weren’t trying to be anything other than themselves, they weren’t pandering to any trends, and the music they made was for them. That’s the beauty of the island. We are not attached to any of the movements that happen in larger cities in the UK, and because of this isolation, everything that we or any band writes is because that’s what lives inside us.
Editor's note: As we spoke, the members brought up that the work of the Isle of Man has had a helping hand in their start. With the Isle of Man's arts grants helping local artists, the group succeeded in maintaining a grant which has allowed them to create merchandise, including some gorgeous pressed vinyls that are available online here.
In an area like that, is the local scene big? How did you start out when it came to performing locally?
SILO: There is a strong scene over here with some passionate individuals who do it just for the love of it. There aren’t too many venues left, but the ones that are left are fixtures of the community. We started out by cutting out teeth at these spots, with friends and family in the crowd. You can’t get any better than that!
A lot has happened in a short amount of time for you. Has it all felt a bit surreal? And what is the next big goal?
SILO: “In a Bottle” was a massive moment for us, and anything that has come after that has just been a true blessing. We don’t really like to set goals as such, but I know the boys would love to play the Outbreak Festival, we’ve been there a few times, and it's such a sick fest. There are some bands we’d love to share the stage with, like Comeback Kid, Drug Church, AFI, and Alexisonfire, but that's just pipe dream stuff.
For now we’re just enjoying this experience and not letting it get lost on us.
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