It used to be that playing fast and loud carried with it certain expectations. Punk was tied up with social commentary and political awareness, a musical field for those seeking to put their own stamp on their surroundings. Drones still think that way.
The youthful four-piece, who hail from Surrey and play a brand of melodic hardcore not a million miles removed from Strike Anywhere, will release their new EP, 'Free Marked Kid', on September 9, and it's a forthright, hook-filled statement.
“We already had our album behind us and we knew we wanted to do something different,” Daly George, the band's frontman, said. “The first record was us getting out there and saying 'this is who we are', whereas this one we had a bit more time to thing about what we're saying now.
“It's a little more thought out. It's a cliché but we have matured a bit. It's stronger and a lot more personal. The first record was a more statement-based but on this one I just had to write some songs about me.”
Drones, like so many of their contemporaries, were surprised to find like-minded souls in their community. While George was exposed to punk early in his life thanks to his father's record collection, their introduction to its modern incarnation brought with it a change in outlook.
“My earliest memory is my dad playing vinyls of the Clash,” he said. “We never knew there were other people into punk rock in our community. We eventually found Rancid, Anti-Flag, Rise Against, and the politics comes along with that. We're believers in standing up for who you are.
“While everyone likes to have a good time, a lot of songs are about going out and stuff like that, what's happening in clubs. As a band we wanted to say no, we want to reflect what's happening in the world. To say what we do and don't agree with. In the underground scene there is a political side to it, but as you get to the more mainstream stuff it's lost.”
'Free Marked Kid' follows an appearance on the 'Skatepunk For Southbank' compilation' – in aid of the threatened skate spot on London's Southbank – and shows supporting Gallows, while Drones will play their own headline show at London's Garage on September 6.
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