Tuesday, July 15, 2014 8:12am ET by  
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Pressparty chats to Sheppard about going global, collaborations and 5 Seconds of Summer

With 5 Seconds of Summer currently flying the flag for Australia across the world, fellow countryfolk Sheppard look set to follow in their footsteps and make a global impact this year.

The six-piece have gone 3x platinum in Australia with the single 'Geronimo' and they released the track in the UK on Monday (July 14) ahead of a slot at the V Festival - so what better time to catch up with band member George Sheppard to find out more.

For those who haven't heard of Sheppard, how would you describe your music?

It's fun, fresh, catchy pop music, but not the abrasive kind. Meaningful lyrics, big singalong choruses, intricate and layered production. We take our inspirations from classic pop hits and we structure our songs in such a way that makes them feel familiar on a first listen.

What sort of acts have influenced your sound? 

As I mentioned, we are all fans of old school, classic pop music, so anything by the Beatles, anything by Cat Stevens, Fleetwood Mac, Billy Joel - the list goes on. In terms of production and the 'sound' of the record, we take a lot of inspiration from the big arena bands such as Coldplay, U2 and Kings of Leon.

It seems you have made a massive splash at home in Australia - did you ever expect to make such a big impact?

I don't think anyone can ever expect anything to happen in this industry. It's just such an unpredictable job to have, so we're incredibly excited by all of the activity that's been going on back home. The fact that we've written a song that has resonated with so many people is a dream come true for us.

You're releasing your first European single 'Geronimo' soon. What lyrical themes run throughout the song?

It's essentially about taking a leap of faith. Doing something that has a high chance of failing, but having the courage to follow through with it. In this particular instance, it's about trying to reignite a lost relationship, but I think this theme can apply to all sorts of circumstances. 

What do you hope to achieve in the UK with the track?

We just want to be able to share our music with as many people as we can! The more people who can enjoy our tunes, the better. At the moment, I think we really want to be able to internationally establish ourselves as a great band with great songs.

 

 

 

You've also been added the V Festival bill - what can the crowd expect from your set?

Our live shows are quite different to our recordings. Sure, the songs are the same, but there's only three of us that do all of the recording. Six of us get on stage and play, so some of the sounds and the parts vary to what happens on the record. But whatever else, they can expect to do a bit of singing!

5 Seconds of Summer are the latest Australian band to crack the worldwide market. Do you take inspiration from their rise to fame?

I think ANY band making it big on the world stage is an inspiration to us. That level of success is such a hard thing to achieve that no matter who the band are, or where they're from, you can't help but take some inspiration. In a world where pop music is seemingly dominated by solo singers with slamming electronic dance music behind them, it's just great to know that a band who plays their own instruments and writes their own songs still has a shot. It's great that 5SOS are from Australia, because it's only going to increase the attention the world gives to Australian music.

You've teamed up with Scooter Braun in the US - how did that come about and how has it been so far?

Well, Scooter's got scouts. People who are constantly on the hunt for upcoming talent. When our single 'Geronimo' hit No.1 on Australia's national chart for the third week running, someone from Scooter's team took notice of this unknown independent band from Australia who had managed to achieve the seemingly impossible! He got in contact with us, and before long we had a management deal with Scooter and his team in the US. We go over to visit him in September, so we're pretty excited about what he might have in store.

Are there any other musicians or groups out there that you would love to collaborate with in the future?

Personally I would jump at the chance to write songs with Chris Martin/Coldplay. Watching him hold a stadium of 60,000 people with just a piano and his voice was an incredible inspiration for me, and I went home the next day and started teaching myself how to play the piano. Other artists would include John Mayer, Death Cab For Cutie, fun., Foster the People. There's an up and coming South African singer/songwriter called Matthew Mole who we met at MUSEXPO last year. Incredibly talented dude who we'd love to work with one day. There's also an awesome Australian band called Big Scary who do some really interesting stuff. There are just too many people to try and include on this list! 

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Watch the video for Sheppard's 'Geronimo' below: