Like two pieces of a puzzle, UK-based singer and drummer Alex Hiles and Ruben Harvey knew they fit together perfectly. And in the world of music, there’s no better feeling; in fact, it’s like striking gold. They took the opportunity and ran with it, forming the band remote and focusing on making music that everyone could connect to.
Since we’re the best honeybees around, we snatched Alex and Ruben up for a chat about what remote means, their new songs, and, of course, what’s next for the band. Keep reading to meet your new favorite boys, Alex and Ruben!
MEET REMOTE
Welcome to The Honey POP, Alex and Ruben! We are so excited to have you here. To start us off, tell us a little bit about how the two of you met. What were your first impressions of each other?
Hey! Thank you so much for having us :). Our first proper introduction was when Ruben stumbled across Alex singing in our shared college canteen as part of the music society there. [Ruben] My first impression of Alex was purely how good of a singer he was. [Alex] My first impression of Ruben was that I was just blown away by how incredible his drumming was and how brave his bleached pink hair was too. STICKS ON FIREEEE.
We love the way the two of you make songs so effortlessly together. Was there an “ah-ha” moment between the two of you when you decided that you should work together on music?
You’re too kind! We had both begun to develop and create music on our own before we met. Each of us had areas where we naturally excelled and discovered that our strengths often complemented the other person’s weaknesses. We can’t put it down to a single moment but found that at the start, we would come to each other with specific obstacles, and somehow the other person knew how to overcome one of them instantly. Like two pieces of a puzzle.
Is there a special story behind choosing the name “remote” for your band?
We started making music just a couple of weeks before lockdown and so straight away found ourselves in the position of sending each other logic files over WeTransfer. We ended up making music remotely before the term took off in a work/school capacity, and the name just went from there. So if COVID never happened, who knows where we would be now!
Ruben— You play the drums! What was your journey like to figuring out that you had a connection to that instrument?
I always thought the drums were cool, so when I was 10, I auditioned for my primary school’s Rock Band. And even though I had never touched the drums before, they somehow let me in. This has seen me right through my academia and even my Music Psychology degree.
Alex— What was your journey like to figuring out that you had a connection to singing?
It started out at school. I was always very involved with performing arts, and I took part in lots of choirs and productions and was told I had the knack for it. I then started to write songs with my guitar in primary school, but I always wanted to be in a band. When I met Ruben, I knew we had something cool.
MUSIC & MORE
Your newest single, ‘What Am I To Do?’ just dropped, and we’ve been loving every moment of it. What did a typical day in the studio look like during the making of this song?
THANK YOUUUU!!! Oftentimes, we would have to write/record our song in pencil format and then go through and record. Whereas this time, we wrote straight into Logic. Our days consisted of figuring each part out as we went through and randomly shouting at the other person to hit record so we wouldn’t forget an idea we’d just come up with—ironic as forgetfulness is the crux of the track LOL.
Your EP, ‘I Need More Time,’ has been on repeat for us. Are there any songs in particular that each of you is drawn to the most? Any songs you hope fans secretly love?
We love the title track. It was such good fun to make, and it continues to be incredible fun to perform live. As we are rehearsing/sound checking for our gigs, it’s the track that we often gravitate to first. ‘I’ll Be Fine’ was also really interesting to record as we had help arranging the string section from our friend Ellén Macdonald and the cello parts played in by another friend, Nicola Kemp. We are incredibly lucky to have such talented people around us.
Throughout the spring, you are playing a handful of live shows—congratulations! What’s the best part about performing live, and what is your favorite song to perform live?
Thank you! It is by far the people that make it the best. We have played in front of and alongside some of the nicest people, which makes all the hard work worth it. Everyone is so, so supportive, and we didn’t know how addictive it would be to play tracks and people actually jump around the room and sing the words back to you; it’s insane. AND even though we’ve only played it once, ‘What Am I To Do’ is the best to play live. We feel like we get to live the same “ah-ha” moments again as if we are playing it through for the first time.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE BAND
Where do you see remote 3 years from now? Do the two of you have any long-term goals for the band?
Playing abroad on tour (fingers crossed) with an album behind us. And having collaborated with artists that we love to listen to.
To close us off, are there any final words you’d like to share with our readers?
Think less, do more!
Thanks again to Alex and Ruben for swinging by the hive to chat! We are looking forward to hearing more from them in the near future. Which of their songs have we convinced you to listen to? Let us know in the comments below or over on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook 🐝
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TO LEARN MORE ABOUT REMOTE:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE
