Alfie Templeman highlights the importance of talking about music industry burnout, and more, at Truck Festival 2022

Lilyemma: We're here with Alfie Templeman. We just watched you perform on the Market Stage and it was amazing as usual, so well done!

Alfie: Ahh fun, thank you... THANK YOU!

Eliz: You've actually been everywhere at the moment and we have accidentally been following you

Alfie: Oh, accidentally? Not on purpose? I'm a bit offended now!

Eliz: No, we've been following you personally.

Lilyemma: We've actually been trailing you everywhere.

Alfie: It's like 'Top Gear', innit? You follow behind with a camera, yeah.

Eliz: So yeah, you've literally been at every festival. Have the nerves died down by now? Or is it fresh every time? How are you okay with all the travelling and everything? Just a general check-in.

Alfie: Do I have to be explicit here?

Eliz: You can say what you want.

Alfie: Well I had a massive poo before today because I was really nervous and it really helped. I just have a hard time before a show. Afterwards it's great, like I feel great now. But I still get really nervous, definitely before a show it's terrible. And then afterwards you're like "Woo! Made it through!"

Lilyemma: It's very euphoric afterwards?

Alfie: Yeah, it's a pretty good feeling once you finish a gig. I guess I'm quite lucky, it's such a niche thing that we're doing so you can't really compare it to anything else because there's only a few of us playing the festival. But I'm sure that most people that play today will feel the same thing, it's a really cool feeling.

Eliz: Yeah because we can't really compare it but whenever we do things, fight or flight kicks in and then after you're tired but happy.

Alfie: It's the fight or flight thing! You can be really energetic for a gig or you can just have no life in you, but either way you go into fight more. It's what me and my girlfriend say when we're going shopping or at an airport, one of us goes into survival mode and the other ones just bugging out. But, you know one of us will do it. It's the same with the band, all four of us go into survival mode.

Eliz: It's just got to be done.

Lilyemma: We've seen you a few times now, at festivals and also your Rough Trade show. And every time the energy is so good and you can see your set so many times.

Alfie: Was the energy good today?

Lilyemma: Yeah!

Alfie: I have in-ears on so I can never actually tell whether everything is going well.

Eliz: Yeah, we were watching it from the side and we were like "Oh, the crowd is loving it!" We were loving watching the crowd as well.

Alfie: Yeah, I thought the first few rows were really good.

Lilyemma: The crowd was huge, we ran and it was outside of the tent.

Alfie: Yeah, I know. I couldn't believe that actually - it was packed.

Lilyemma: Do you find that the crowd changes and do you find that you have to change your behaviour based on that? Do you find that if someone sees your festival set, it's still quite characteristic to an Alfie Templeman headline show?

Alfie: No, I think it does change quite a bit, dependent on where we're at because if you've got - I'm not saying a dead crowd but - a crowd that... For example, we're playing Japan soon and I've heard that in Japan they appreciate the songs just as much but they just stand there. And they only clap between songs because they want to really appreciate the music. You still just have to give it your all, that's the thing in my mind. Because it could be the same, it could be a million people that have the same mentality as the people going to a gig in Tokyo and they could all be as appreciative. So, you just have to still put on a performance that will make people have fun, even if it's not a really young, energetic, moshypitty crowd, you know? So, a gig's a gig, you know? You just play and have fun with it. We have songs like 'Circles' that we play sometimes and sometimes we get a moshpit going. My bassplayer, my mate Cam, he orders people to do it. And if he thinks it'll be the right gig for it, then he goes "Come on, open up" and if not, then we don't. So there's somethings that you change up but most of the time, you just play a good gig and you have fun with it and just let people enjoy it.

Eliz: Yeah, and I feel like we say this after all of your shows, even today - you have such chemistry with your band. Do you find that it's more enjoyable doing what you love with your friends? Because you can tell that you're all enjoying it together.

Alfie: Yeah, I'm not into the session musician thing, you know. Sure, they're probably really great players and stuff, and they're lovely people. I've met so many session musicians that I really like. But for me personally, I'd rather just have fun with a band where you can feel really relaxed before you go on. And just know that, you know, perhaps we're all just mates and we're just messing around and our parts are a bit messed up. But at the same time that brings character to the live performance. We're having fun with it and we can be honest with each other, as well. Like after a gig, if we play a certain thing a certain way and we're not a fan of it, we just tell each other. We don't put each other done, we're not like "Don't do that again!", we're just like "Why did you do that?" And then we look into it and we're like "Ah, that's why he do that" or "Ahh, don't do that again". So, it's good, it's good, it makes it a lot easier as a band.

Eliz: Yeah, it's a good way to be. And the chemistry thing as well, it extends to you and your fans. You can see it online and in person, you have a really good relationship with your fans. How is that important for you?

Alfie: Yeah, I believe it is important for me in a way that I never really realised. You know, I started off just doing everything in my room, so I haven't had the best social background, I've been quite shit at talking to people in the past. So, to have it, it's quite overwhelming but it's also really sweet. You know, I get a lot of DMs every now and then that just say "I can tell that you feel a certain way, I can tell that you're a bit anxious on stage, I can tell that you suffer with it a bit. And I'm the same way, so just keep going and you're doing good." So, it's really nice to have that and it's quite reassuring as an artist.

Eliz: That's nice.

Lilyemma: While we're talking about your on-stage presence and the way you work as a band. This is so completely random but from where we've seen you so many times recently, we've caught on to certain things that you change in live versions. There's a certain line that you always scream and we love it. There's certain bits of your set that we always have to film and that's one of it and we love it so much.

Alfie: Yeah, 'cowabunga', when I say 'cowabunga'.

Eliz: Why do you do it?!

Alfie: BECAUSE I CAN! But, I mean it's just fun, you know? It's just a fun thing to say, people have caught on from it because I've been doing it for a few years. And I really like those bits. Even though I'm changing up my music, it's a bit less pop now than what I'm doing now. It's still fun to play those songs because a. I made them and I love them and I'm really happy and really proud of them and the way that people react them, but b. there's also people that love those moments were you go 'COWABUNGA' and stuff like that. It's really fun.

Lilyemma: And it almost keeps the music almost - it sounds cheesy but - alive because it's moving with you. And you're managing to make music that you perform everyday exciting.

Alfie: You know, the music's important but the energy is as well. You've got to balance it right. Because not everyone that comes to a festival like this is going to want to listen closely to music and my thing is personally, I'm a lot less about the energy - well I love the energy, but I also like listening closely to the music. So festivals like this, I love, but I'm more into stuff like Bluedot where you actually listen closely. But at the same time, I love it when you're playing a gig and people are having a really good time because you can still see all the people. Look at Black Midi for example, they have the perfect balance between musicality and people moshing and having fun. That's we're all about and what we're for, as well.

Lilyemma: I think that's something that you do well, because whenever I'm trying to describe your sets, it's so good musically - you can tell you're all so talented - but it's also so fun to watch. You really do keep that balance.

Eliz: That's why we're everywhere you are!

Alfie: It's a weird thing. We don't want the audience to go too crazy because then it's just like "You're just here for a piss-up". Whereas when it's half and half, it's great. Today was the perfect audience because half the room went crazy and were singing all the lyrics ang going nuts, and the other half were just observing and listening closely. So, it's a really nice balance, yeah.

Eliz: Recently especially, you've been quite vocal online about mental health and burnout within the industry. So, we're just wondering, to you why is it so important to normalise the discussion about exhaustion within the industry as a whole.

Alfie: Because I have the personal struggle about it, you know. There wasn't really anyone that I could relate to. Like I was saying earlier, it's a niche industry that you're in. And it's really nice that everytime I've come out to a gig or gone to a festival and bump into artists that we know and we have a discussion about that topic and just how as an artist you always want to keep the originality of yourself and I think most artists really struggle with imposter syndrome. So, it can be a hard thing to go on stage and sing songs that perhaps you were once proud of but aren't anymore, yet there's a lot of people who really want to hear those songs. And it can be quite awkward and not depressing, but quite intense and quite a struggle sometimes. I'm just trying to be vocal about it and try to say to people who are younger or even older, to keep to yourself, make songs the way that you want to make them and do it for you rather than for other people. I know that sounds selfish but it's not, you have to make songs because you want to make them yourself, make it for the reasons that you want to make them. What music gives you goosebumps? What music makes you feels passionate? And, what gives you energy to sing about?

Eliz: Yeah because it must be hard balancing pleasing the crowd and making people want to come to the shows because they love the music, but also staying authentic. You don't want to lose yourself making music for people, just for them and no longer for you.

Alfie: It's a really tricky balance. It's a balance that you have to get right, you know? And I just don't know what is going to happen next because I feel like a lot of people won't want to come and see us if we're just singing slower songs. But then again it'll probably just be for a whole another audience. It'll be a weird mix, I guess.

Lilyemma: I think a lot of your fans will, not necessarily just stick by you because it's you, but I feel like you've created an audience that appreciates all the different genres and influences in your music. Because before 'Mellow Moon' came out, we were watching your livestream where you broke down every genre and influence. And I think the audience you have are the kind of people who want to hear the different kinds of songs.

Alfie: I'm glad to hear it, I'm glad we've got that in there. And it's a good thing that we got it in earlier rather than later because we have this group of people that just get it. And that's really cool, that's really cool, and I think I'm quite likely to have that kind of fanbase where people know that even if you do a massive left-turn it'll be fun.

Lilyemma: And with making sure and keeping true to yourself and what you make. Do you find that it means you can listen back to your own music more, or do you still find that you're really way too self-critical and you couldn't find yourself listening to the album?

Alfie: I can't listen to the album and I can't listen to my own music. I can only listen to my side project because I'm ultra proud of it. Even though it gets no streams whatsoever. But my own stuff, I don't listen to that much, no.

Lilyemma: That's such a shame because it's so good!

Eliz: It's understandable, though.

Lilyemma: We can't listen to ourselves so I'm not sure why we're saying that.

Eliz: We'll be hypocritical to say that you have to listen to it back.

Alfie: Yeah, it's hard, isn't it? It's just hard to watch yourself on stage. I'm sure you get that with interviews and everything.

Eliz: So, this is actually quite far in the future to talk about. But the Halloween show. We're living in the future now. Is it too early to be talking about costumes?

Alfie: Well this is the problem. I can't really say because I've got a Halloween show the day before Halloween with The Wombats. Then the day after, I've got my own Halloween show. There was talk about me dressing up as a cowboy, which I think will be quite good, right? But, I don't know! Some fans have decided that they're going to dress up as me.

Eliz: Oh my god, I would love to see a sea of people dressed up like you.

Alfie: If people get their hair cut just for that... That's mad.

Lilyemma: We'll dye our blonde hair brunette for that.

Eliz: Brunette Vibrations!

Alfie: Brunette is the way, come on guys. Brunette Vibrations.

Eliz: Do you have a dream costume? Not for a show, but if you were going to a party or whatever. Dream costume?

Alfie: I think I'd dress up as someone from Weezer.

Eliz: Really?

Alfie: You sound underwhelmed.

Eliz: I'm not even judging, it was just a bit rogue.

Alfie: Ahhh, okay.

Eliz: You're allowed to stick to that choice.

Alfie: Do better. Do better, Alfie, do better. I guess, Voldermort maybe? That'd be quite good.

Lilyemma: Those have been two polar opposites.

Eliz: Well you're doing two Halloween shows so you could do both.

Alfie: I could do both but I think I'm going to stick with the cowboy thing, I think that's a good place to be.

Lilyemma: You've spoiled it now, everyone's going to steal your costume and come as cowboys now.

Alfie: Well, we need at least eighteen of them, I won't go into reasons.

Lilyemma: So, I know you're not sure how much longer you're going to stick around today. Have you caught anyone's sets today, is there anyone you're hoping to see?

Alfie: I saw a couple of people. I saw Pixey, who's amazing as always - we went on tour together. And then I saw Second Thoughts who I absolutely love. Great people from Hitchin, big up Hitchin. Pixey from Liverpool, big up Liverpool. And, yeah, they were both awesome. So, I'm now going to see what's happening, probably get a bit out of my skull and just go with the flow.

Eliz: Maybe we can recruit you to come to some sets with us.

Alfie: Yeah, what are you up to, where are you going?

Eliz: Inhaler, easy life, Kasabian is the rest of the day.

Alfie: Yeah, I saw all of this yesterday because I did Tramlines. easy life weren't at Tramlines so I could see them. I saw Inhaler, I saw Kasabian. They were both very good.

Eliz: We've not seen Kasabian before so it'll be good.

Alfie: Yeah, no they're awesome.

Eliz: We're putting everyone on the spot today, I'm so sorry to have to do this to you. Everything here is on the spot, but this is extra. If you had the aux - the aux chord, because we've had some trouble with the phrasing - for one song, what would you say for everyone in the car?

Alfie: 'On & On', Erykah Badu because it's a great song. That's all that you need to know. It's a great song, you should listen to it if you haven't heard it. It just makes me very happy. Erykah Badu's great, man.

Lilyemma: Amazing, well thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us.

Alfie: Yeah, no absolutely - it's great! Finally, it's long overdue, eh? Blonde Vibrations, come on!!!!