As a band making contemporary pop-punk, a genre with a reputation for being as much about friends and fun as it is about introspection, the only way Homeboundâs conception could have been more appropriate would be if it had involved pizza.
âSome of used to rock out in a metalcore band with terrible breakdowns and numerous synths,â says vocalist Charlie Boughton. âAfter a few years – and a look at ourselves – we joked around with the idea of forming another band one night…after a few drinks.â
Unlike the countless bands âformedâ over one too many fermented beverages – and letâs face it, weâve all been there – the idea outlasted the night that birthed it and Homebound emerged, blinking, into the Surrey sunshine. Completed by guitarists Tom Mellon and Chris Wheatley, bassist Joe Aspell and drummer Sam Taylor the band have spent the last few months gearing up for the release of second EP âPermanenceâ, released on 17 July through Failure By Design Records.
Having recently completed a UK tour with Six Time Champion, the band are full of praise for their touring partners – and just about everyone. When theyâre not actively trying to freak them out, that is.
âOurselves and Six Time Champion recently made a spontaneous trip to Manchester on a day off on tour to see Trash Boat, Waster and Best Years to see how weirded out theyâd be to see us there. No surprise that they were just a bit confused! We ended up all staying out way past bedtime at Deadboltâ.
If the peers cited in that anecdote are giving you an idea of Homeboundâs sound, youâre at least half right. Unmistakably taking their influences from the current crop of world-beating Tr00 pop punk contenders, Homebound nevertheless manage to put a uniquely British spin on the fast-paced palm muting peddled by their contemporaries.
âPermanenceâ showcases a polished and assured take on the form – but for Homebound, it wasnât a case of immediately finding their feet. âIt took us a very long time to find our sound,” Boughton admits. “When we first started practicing we sounded like a completely different band; we didnât really know what sound or style we wanted to go for.â
The process of collating their respective influences into a congruent sound has, Boughton says, been a ânatural progressionâ leading to the release of âPermanenceâ. Rather than aiming for a specific sound, the band âwrote what we all thought sounded good and didnât really stick to any guidelines, which brought out the best in us creatively.â
Itâs an approach which stands in stark contrast to their method for 2014 debut âComing of Ageâ (which you can download on a pay-what-you-like basis at Homeboundâs bandcamp page). Just donât ask them how they use toilet roll.
âThe worst question we ever got asked in an interview? We once got asked whether we Scrunch or Fold. I mean, for starters – who asks that? And secondly, who scrunches?!â
âWith our first release there was definitely a game plan, which looking back was very forced and unnatural,â reflects Boughton. âWith âPermanenceâ it was more about honing in on what we thought was our sound.â
With the EP available to stream now, you can judge for yourself whether Homeboundâs sound is your sound too.