Manchester indie/alternative 4 piece ‘Kyris’ are a band we have had the pleasure of having on a couple of gigs now. They always put 100% into their live performances and leave you wanting more. With 2 singles already out and influences such as; ‘Catfish And The Bottlemen’, ‘Arctic Monkeys’ and ‘Foo Fighters’, they are a band you must check out!

We spoke to frontman Callum for a quick chat…

Name? Callum Bews 

Where are you from? Born and raised in Salford

What do you do? I am the singer/songwriter and guitarist in Kyris

Describe yourself in three words? Outgoing, loud and unpredictable

You can make a record with one artist from history, who’s your pick?Alex Turner. His voice and lyrics and overall musical ability genuinely amazes me. Plus, his songwriting is so strong and I feel it’d be fascinating to work with him.

What do you miss about home when you’re on tour? Definitely miss knowing that there’s some Yorkshire Tea at home. Hotel rooms don’t tend to have decent tea bags.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to? Probably Arctic Monkeys in September of 2018. Put on an amazing show and the set was honestly incredible. By far one of the best gigs I’ve been too, the next closest would be foo fighters and they always put on a good show 

What British music icons inspire your sound today? The closest thing I can think of would probably be Alex Turner. He’s been such an influence to me in music, lyrically and musically. I love the simplicity of the early Arctic Monkey’s albums, there’s something so pure about it that I seemed to just connect with. It’d be wrong for me not to say him. 

You have one hour to spend with a person from history, who and why?Freddie Mercury. I’ve been brought up listening to Queen and I absolutely love them. Freddie Mercury was like one of my absolute heroes as a kid and one of the reasons I got into music. I find him so fascinating, I’ve watched interviews with him and I’ve always ended up laughing and being so intrigued by his character. So because of that, easy answer, Freddie Mercury.

If you could play with any band, alive or dead, who would you pick? I would love to play with Foo Fighters. They put on such a good gig, and it always looks like they have such fun. They all seem like really nice people and all great musicians so, definitely them.  

The first track you played constantly? I can’t remember anything specifically. I’ve been so into music for so long, I’ve almost definitely been playing music repeatedly from an early age. I remember having the Queen live at Wembley video on VHS and I used to watch that all the time, so maybe I’ll just say that entire set…

A song that defines the teenage you? Probably Cocoon by Catfish and the Bottlemen. Not only did I play that album on repeat when it came out, but I was very much in the mindset of ‘I don’t care what anyone thinks of me’. I specifically remember it coming on in the club we go to and singing the chorus with that feeling in mind.

One song you would keep forever? Maybe ‘You Only Live Once’ by The Strokes. I love that song so much, the riff is great, the lyrics are great, vocal melodies great and it’s such a good tempo to just chill and have a sing to. I don’t think I’d ever get bored of that song. 

A song lyric that has inspired you? Again, there’s nothing specific that sticks in my head, but the first Catfish and the Bottlemen album really changed the way I write music. Maybe the lyrics ‘if you wanna act more drunk than usual to help you get away with more than, rest on me honey that’s alright’ from Cocoon. Especially that last part ‘rest on me, honey that’s alright’. I remember hearing that and feeling that it was taking a different approach to writing love songs. So maybe I’d say that.

A song you wished you had written? Probably I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor. I often find myself thinking about other peoples songs and going ‘it’s so simple, how have I not thought of this before’ and that’s really the case with that tune. I could write a 50 page list full of songs I wish I had written, but considering the influence that song’s had on the indie scene and myself in particular, it would make sense for me to choose that song. 

A guilty pleasure? At the minute, I’m absolutely loving Billie Eilish. I think she’s got such an intriguing and almost mesmerising voice, especially in songs like ‘When The Party’s Over’ and ‘Ocean Eyes’. I honestly really rate her voice so much, and to be doing it at such a young age too, I find very impressive. 

Best song to turn up loud? Highway Tune by Greta Van Fleet. Every time it comes on in the car I have to blast it. The initial riff excites me every time and then when the band comes in and the vocals are screaming, it’s just the perfect opportunity to turn the volume up and scream at the top of your voice. Try it next time you’re in the car and you’ll see exactly what I mean. 

A karaoke song? Suspicious Minds – Elvis Presley. It’s just good fun to sing and then the backing vocals in the chorus are incredible. Easy for everyone to sing and always seems to get people going. 

Last song in your ideal night club? Something upbeat, that gets everyone going. Something like When The Sun Goes Down by Arctic Monkeys always goes down a treat in clubs. Especially when that riff comes in, absolutely goes off in the clubs in my experience, and then ending with everyone singing the outro, it just seems like a pretty perfect ending song.

A new band you’re into at the moment? A band called called Saytr Play. They’re absolutely smashing it at the minute, and I’m loving a song called VCR off their new EP. Loving it, plus their older stuff too has aged really well. ‘Second Hand Emotion’ and ‘Bang Average’ are also great tunes of theirs, I’d definitely urge people to give them a listen if they haven’t already.