Sure it feels as though the year’s only just begun, but Leeds emo fivesome Beauty School already have their 2022 mapped out. Top of the agenda? Their debut album, due in September via Slam Dunk Records. Vocalist Joe Cabrera introduces his band.
Hello Joe! What are you up to today?
I’ve just left the recording studio. Been messing around recording some blues guitars.
What first sparked your interest in music, and how did you get started making it yourself?
I grew up in a household where my mum just played Wham! on repeat. In primary school Year 5, I had a teacher who was a drummer, and he introduced me to The Beatles and Oasis. That was my first taste of guitar music. I was 9 years old; that was the start of it all for me, really. I became obsessed with the idea of being in a band and writing music.
What has your previous experience in bands been like?
All of us in Beauty School have been playing in bands together for years now. Me, Charlie and Jordan were in a band called Calls Landing for six years before Beauty School, and we would regularly play shows and tour with Dan and Liam’s bands. Honestly, I cherish every single moment I’ve spent with every band I’ve ever been in. Playing shows in function rooms and student unions, sleeping on random floors and practice spaces, driving around the country with a full band and all our gear jammed into a 1L Daewoo Matiz. They are memories I’ll have forever. There’s nothing quite like being in a band.
Whose idea was it to form a band?
When we decided to call it a day with our last band, I think we were confident that was it really. It felt refreshing to be done with it. But in truth, what we really needed was a break, from the music, from each other. Because when you’ve wanted something for pretty much all your life, you can’t just turn that off. Not for long, anyway. So in 2019, me and Dan started working on some songs together, just writing in an attempt to fill that void. Then we were like, let’s just make a band just as a creative outlet. Play a few shows, not take it too seriously, just a passion project. That’s what Beauty School was. I think we played four shows before we were thrown into lockdown. Right now, we have only played five. It’s a funny world we live in right now.
Did you know what sort of music you wanted to make together right from the beginning?
Yeah. I think it was never really up for debate. Me and Dan have written together for a long time, and when we picked the guitars back up and started writing again, the songs were just a continuation of the songs that came before them. Incidentally, we have a song on the album that we wrote specifically about all the songs we left behind from bands that came before Beauty School.
What topics do you most like writing songs about? Are there any themes you find yourselves regularly drawn to?
I don’t think there is any one topic we find ourselves drawn to in terms of lyrical content. Me and Dan share the lyric writing responsibilities. We have grown up together, in the same city, around the same people, from similar backgrounds. That’s what we draw upon when we write, so in that sense, the lyrics are incredibly personal to us but hopefully relatable and nostalgic to people who listen.
What can you tell us about your debut album, is it all done and dusted now?
Yeah, it’s all finished. We recorded it in the summer with James Kenosha. The album is called ‘Happiness’. We spent ages trying to think of a name for the album, but when it came down to it, ‘Happiness’ summed it up. It’s the theme of the record, not so much happiness itself but more the pursuit of it. ‘Happiness’ will be releasing on Slam Dunk Records, and we will be releasing more info on how to pre-order it soon!
How have you found the process of putting it together?
It was weird, really, because we never really set out to write an album. It was just a product of being in lockdown and not being able to play shows. So we just wrote songs instead. We were originally going to do a four-track EP, then I pitched the idea of doing a seven-track, so we carried on writing, then at some point (I can’t really remember how or when), we just decided it was going to be an album. We hadn’t even thought about how we were going to record it or anything at that point, but our manager JD had convinced his boss (the owner of Slam Dunk) to release our first single through Slam Dunk Records. So we were just astonished that we were even going to have that luxury. I was sitting outside my work when I got a phone call from our manager, and he goes, “I’ve got some news. Ben loves the record; he wants to sign you on a full album deal.” Can’t really describe that moment. Felt like I shed my skin. It was the phone call I wanted my whole life, and I was sitting in my car eating a Greggs when it happened. From then everything has just been a complete breeze because the label manages everything, and if you know us as people, then you will know the organisation is not our strong suit. We recorded it in the summer. We released ‘Take it Slow’ in September. We released ‘Pawn Shop Jewels’ a few weeks ago. It’s all been a bit surreal, really.
What would you most like to achieve with the band?
I’ve kind of given up on the whole bucket list thing. No matter what you do, there’s always something bigger and better for you to chase. I don’t think I’m the kind of person to just ever be satisfied with something. Once I do something, I’m always looking at the next thing. It’s just who I am. At the same time, though, we are already in a position we thought we would never be in, so anything we do from here is a win. We are just going to ride the tide out to sea and see how far it takes us.
Is there anything else we should know?
Our first two singles, ‘Take It Slow’ and ‘Pawn Shop Jewels’, are available everywhere to stream, and you should go check them out because, let’s be honest, if you have read this far down an interview of a band you don’t know you kind of owe it to yourself to check us out! We have been blown away by the response we have had so far with our first two singles, and more music is on its way! We are really excited to get out on some stages and play what we have created, so be sure to keep an eye on our website for updates on shows and tours but for now, make sure you get down to Slam Dunk Festival early to catch us doing our thing there! P
Taken from the March issue of Upset. Beauty School’s debut album ‘Happiness’ is out 9th September.
