Whether it’s vocalist Ben Barlow’s bootleg Titanic t-shirt or guitarist Matt West’s chic, glare-free new glasses (which are apparently perfect for photoshoots), there’s no denying that Neck Deep are one of the best dressed bands around. We’re sat inside Duke’s Cupboard, a vintage store in the heart of Soho that has become a customary pit stop any time the band are passing through London. As they prepare for the release of their self-titled, fifth album, Ben and Matt are in high spirits as they meet NME, refreshed and ready to seize the coming year.
Their next visit to the capital will be the most significant one of their career. Alexandra Palace awaits, no less, for a 10,000-capacity headline show on 28 March. Having flirted with the idea for a few years, the pop-punk quintet – who originally hail from Wrexham – are finally taking the leap of faith and playing their first arena show, bringing special guests Knuckle Puck and Drain along for the monumental occasion.
“I think now’s the right time to do it!” Ben assuredly tells NME. With the vintage energy of songs like ‘Sort Yourself Out’ and ‘Take Me With You’, the new album will no doubt slot seamlessly into the live show. After hitting somewhat of a brick wall during the initial recording process in LA, it was a back-to-basics approach that reinvigorated the album. Recorded a stone’s throw from Wrexham, the band’s switch to home turf changed the game, as they built their own DIY studio space from the ground up in the process.
Completed by guitarist Sam Bowden, new drummer Matt Powles and bassist-slash-producer Seb Barlow (Ben’s brother), the band have powered through a number of line-up changes to bring Neck Deep entirely back onto their own terms. “This feels like the most comfortable and harmonious version of the band”, Ben tells NME, as Matt nods his head in agreement; a bold statement from the two current members who have been there since day one.
With hit single ‘December’ continuing to hit new heights following a viral cover from BLACKPINK’s Rosé and a reimagined version with Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus, Neck Deep’s rise is by no means finished. Ben and Matt joined NME for the latest in our In Conversation series to discuss the new album, plans for Ally Pally and their long and winding journey.
NME: Congratulations on the release of your fifth album. What was behind the decision to self-title this record?
Ben: “We had loads of album titles floating about, but there wasn’t one that was really sticking for everyone. We ended up having to pivot what we were doing…going out to LA to make the record didn’t really turn out how we wanted it to, so we ended up doing the record ourselves in our own studio. When the idea of a self-titled was thrown out, we thought, we’ve literally built this from the ground up.”
What wasn’t quite going right for you in LA?
Matt: “It was one of those situations where everyone was feeling the same thing but no one wanted to be the first person to say anything.”
Ben: “We’d had a few days in the studio that were quite slow. I mean, you can get ‘demo-titis’, where you just get hooked on the demo. But we knew that there was something missing from this. We definitely had a few pretty stressful conversations, [it was] essentially setting ourselves back a month or so. But it was for the best.”
Matt: “As much as we’ve travelled, everyone’s a homebody. I think having the ability to go to the studio, and then just go home at night, we’ve not really experienced that [before]. Unless you’re Seb, in which case, the studio used to be his home and his bedroom!”
Did setting up your own studio space in Wrexham unlock some memories from the early Neck Deep days?
Ben: “It did feel like going back to the old days, where we didn’t really have anyone telling us what we could or should do. We know ourselves better than anyone. It was sweet; let’s just sit in a room and work on this until it feels good – and not have to hold back or compromise. It’s every band’s weird boyhood dream, having a little ‘clubhouse’.”
Wrexham’s having quite a moment, with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny’s Disney+ documentary and the success of the football team. Do you feel the buzz?
Ben: “Well, we’ve always said we’d rather play the Racecourse Ground over Wembley…that would be the dream.”
Matt: “Tell Ryan and Rob!”
Ben: “For the first time ever, there’s some positivity about Wrexham. It’s really sick to see it have its day in the sun…outside of the rowdiness, it’s beautiful, the people are super down to earth – maybe it gets a bad rep[utation]. It’s similar to how Neck Deep have always had a lot of naysaying, people that didn’t want us to succeed. Wrexham has a lot of that too. I think being from Wrexham gave us that attitude in the first place, where if you ain’t with us, then kick rocks.”
It’s not quite the Racecourse Ground, but you’re headlining London’s Alexandra Palace in March – how does that feel?
Ben: “It’s been in the pipeline for a while. This new record, there’s so much energy to it…I think fans are just gonna love this record. I don’t think we ever lost form, but people are calling it a return to form – I’ve seen a few comments about it. If we can jump on that and do Ally Pally, 10,000 people front to back…”
How’s the setlist coming together for such a celebratory occasion?
Ben: “We’ve got a new album that we’re dead proud of, but we can’t neglect everything up to that point. It’s our biggest headliner to date, so I think it makes more sense for it to be that celebration. We’re throwing a few deep cuts off ‘Wishful Thinking’ and ‘Life’s Not Out To Get You’, stuff that we haven’t played in a long time. There’s something off every record, so hopefully people are going to walk away thinking, ‘I saw Neck Deep at their best’, and really get a sense of the journey we’ve been on. I’m not ripping The 1975 off there!”
You’ve just toured ‘Rain In July’ in full and are celebrating ‘Life’s Not Out To Get You’ at When We Were Young festival. Is it sentimental rehearsing these songs again?
Ben: “When we first started practising for the ‘Rain In July’ tour, it gave me a new perspective on our live performances; the core elements of it. To fully throw ourselves back into how we used to do things gave me a bit of confidence, to be more involved with the crowd.”
Matt: “It’s in the box now. I still really enjoyed doing it, but it’s time to put this to bed now. If I never play ‘Silver Lining’ again in my life, I’ll be fine!”
Ben: “Nostalgia, whether we like it or not, is a huge part of our genre specifically. ‘Life’s Not Out To Get You’ was arguably the record that got us out there, so to pay homage to that is cool. I think as long as it can be kept special, rather than just a little party trick or whatever.”
Was ‘December’ on heavy rotation at Christmas time?
Ben: “It’s our unofficial Christmas song, I would say. Sometimes they’re the best Christmas songs, the ones that just suit that time. We get a nice little nice little bump in the algorithm every year!
It’s been two years since BLACKPINK’s Rosé covered ‘December.’ How do you reflect on that moment?
Ben: “It’s wild. She didn’t have to do that, so it’s really sick because it massively shone a light on that song. Some of the success we’ve had in Asia, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was down to that.”
Matt: “We had no idea it was happening. We just woke up and saw it!”
Will you be bringing her out at Ally Pally?
Matt: “We’re spending enough on production as it is!”
Ben: “I’m sure she’s busy – and we’re broke.”
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