PipemanRadio Interviews Headcage

0:04 Hey, you have done to censure? Wow, crazy young whycoume of America. It's time for the Adventures of Pipeman on W four c HY dot com. Wis pom Beats is number one internet radio station. Here's your host, the pipe Man. This is the pipe Man here on the Adventures of pipe Man W four c Y Radio. And I'm here with our next guests, who has some killer music and not only that, good therapy, which you guys always know. I always talk about music is the best therapy, and I think that's exactly what their music is to me. And so let's welcome to a show. Headcage. How are you hi? How are you doing?

1:15 Ah? Doing amazing? Go ahead, Liam, Yeah, Hi, I'm Liam, the vocalist Headcage. You know, it's funny and I'm referring to even before we got on this. You know, usually the vocalist is like the front person spokes person, and before the interview, Elliott went first, and you had these great manners to let Elliott go first, and you did that the same here in the interview. So that's kind of cool. Yeah, Elliott is I mean, I'm the front man in all sort of purposes apart from like, I'm very introverted, in very reclusive. So like Elliott is definitely the arrowhead. He sorts everything out. I may have seemed like a front mom, but like everything other than yeah, it's not who I am. A kiss Well, you know, I was just talking about this yesterday that a lot of musicians, frontmen included, front women included, are are introverts. Like people think they're extroverts, but you're lik in a zone when you're up on stage or you're creating your music. But other than that, you know, usually you're an introvert. And most people that are like in the public eye are introverts, which is very interesting. Yeah, I one hundred percent degree is like you get on stage and you do become a different person. But yeah, I'm normally a very quiet person. That's

2:45 why Elliott is very switched on. He does everything. He's the arrowhead. And I had to sit back and sing. Really, now, Elliott, are you switched on when the mic is on? Or are you also maybe not as outward extroverted when when you're not, you don't have to turn the switch on. I find it very very easy to turn the switch on. It's almost like a natural sort of thing for me, Like I love performing, so whenever I'm on stage, like that's that I can't wait to get on there and when I get off. To be honest, i'd say I would say I was mostly confident in myself now. But don't get me wrong, I do love time to myself as well, like I do like just to have a piece and quiet once in a while with nobody else around me.

3:35 But yeah, I think I think for the most part, i'd say I was pretty sort of confident in myself now to be pub public and especially in performance. You're very sociable and very sort of about going though. Yeah, yeah, I would say, so, yeah, Yeah, It's took me a while to get there. I didn't used to be. I used to be a lot more introverted, but I've slowly reverted. I've slowly switched somehow, and I don't know, I don't really know why, but it has happened, I think. And I'm also motivational speaker besides radio, podcasting, music and all that. But I think it's the confidence part, because that's really what it comes down to. You know, we're not we're not necessarily confident sometimes in our abilities to do certain things. In certain situations.

4:29 So that's what makes us more introverted or more nervous. You know, it becomes second nature to us. That's where the confidence comes in, and that's when it doesn't bother you as much anymore. A lot of the time, not all the time. Yeah, it definitely makes sense everything what you're saying. I honestly, this may sound strange and a little funny, but I genuinely put it down to when I nailed my haircut in the right way. Once I got that haircut, I looked in the mirror and I was like, you know, damn, I can strut around the town today like it is fresh. It is a fresh echo, you're looking fresh, you feel good. I think that was the turning point. And as funny as we're all think of this is is actually true because like when you look in the mirror, whether it be your haircut or the way you're dressed, that's why they have the term dress for success, because there's like this different attitude that you have. Absolutely, like whenever we play a show, some one of us in the band message will always go right right, guys, what we're wearing. I want to know where everybody's wearing it's normally you. It's not only me. I love it. I love it, and I can totally relate to you, Elliott in the way of like, I'm a total extrovert, but I also say I'm an extrovert and a looner at the same time.

5:58 And not many people get that concept because they're they're thinking it means I'm an extrovert and in it introvert, and it's not really the case. Like I could be at a music festival with one hundred thousand people and like feeling great that I'm around this whole crowd of people, but also feel like I'm by myself at the same time, Like in any situation, I'm very social and easy to put the switch on, but I'm also at the same time sometimes in my own world at the same time as I'm being social. Yeah, I completely feel the same way. Right, I've never heard it put that way before, but I totally feel you See, I knew you would get that because you were saying this stuff. I'm like, yeah, that that's me right there. And I said it to my kids one time, and one of my dars she's like, you know, and I think about that is so on point because there's times like we're all together and you're like totally interactive with us and stuff, but then you're also like kind of somewhere else in your own world at the same time too. Yeah, I'm always thinking about what to do next, right exactly. Yeah, I've always got like the next plan in my head. Right. And for me, it's also if I'm in my own domain. And that doesn't mean like people don't understand that either. It doesn't mean being in your own house, although that is one part of it, but like being on stage for somebody like yourself,

7:30 that's your domain, okay, in your band, in you're in your world. I kind of relate it to like if I had people over my house for like a party, I would totally be a total extrovert, loving it. You're in my domain type of thing. But I never, even in high school, I never liked going to other people's houses for parties. I always needed it to be at mind. Yeah, And I think it's almost that you feel safe, that you feel safe to be yourself and your own domain, don't you so, yeah exactly, And that holds true for everything work or whatever, like being on the radio, so as the MIC's on I'm in my domain and somebody's on my radio show. It's my radio show, so they're in my world. Now here's a trip. So I was just doing the festival because I go and I go on tour and I do coverage at all these festivals, and I actually had to interview other people in my industry like that, not like I was there. It was one thing interviewing musicians, and I could interview like the biggest musicians out there and it doesn't bother me at all. They're in my world. But yeah, I had to do this interview of somebody else that's in the same world.

8:46 I was like nervous because it's like it was like, oh, this is weird because like and it's almost like you don't know whose domain you're in, Like am I am in theirs? And they're kind of like looking at me from their professional stamp point, you know, and you know it's a trip, right, No, I get that because it's like us, It's like we could play to a crowd full of people, and but if there's a band in that crowd watching us, it's a bit. It's like it's like us playing the bands rather than playing If you get me, totally totally, Like if there was a band I really looked up to who were watching us, man, I'd be feeling the nerves right, nerves at the time, right, And that was the same thing that was going out with me, because it's like, oh, man, I hope I don't suck because they're gonna know, they're gonna know Ice suck. Totally. Yeah. Oh then you know who else was like you'll you'll like this on the amount of if you know, but in the very beginning, you know who was like totally shy even on stage. Where's paper head James Hetfield. Yeah, yeah, Like in the beginning of Metallica, Dave Mustaine was more of the front person as far as being out there with with the crowd, so to speak, and James would like kind of kind of like what Maynard does, hide in

10:16 the back and like didn't really do much and didn't engage with the audience. So I think the same as you guys, Like after a period of time, he got his confidence because he got his comfort level and that's when he came out. I mean when I do yeah, no, I didn't know that that's really cool. But I think when I get on stage, I am a different I feel like I'm very good with the crowd. I'm normally on top of the crowd, but I do there's a switch that flips, there's like gig mode and it comes on and it is. It is very draining, though, because being an introvert in front of a lot of people, in a lot of them, like speaking to a lot of people afterwards, and so it's more mentally draining than anything. But I love it so much, and well there you go. Yeah, no, I do love performing, like although I am introverted and most of the time I spend my time sitting at this chair playing on computer games, but or making music.

11:16 As soon as it's gig day, it's yeah, I'm ready for it, like all the time. Oh, I get it a million percent because like the man the mic turns on for me, or the man I get up on stage. It's like I go on this zone and I become pipe man. You know. And where did that nickname come from? You know? What's funny about that? And what's great about I've found it recently? You know. I get that question as much as bands get how to get your band name? And I but I but I love it though, because bands always think it means something different, you know, and just like just like with a band name, sometimes it's just a stupid name or whatever, and people think there's like something hidden meaning to it. My last name's piper, so somebody just called me pipe man way back when, and it's stuck, you know what. That's my favorite kind of story, when it's really simple, right, when the answer is really a lot more simple than you think exactly. You know, people are like, like the large majority of band people always think I has something to do with smoking a pipe or laying pipe.

12:31 I was thinking it was to do with vocals, like you've got bad pipes? Yeah, see that. And actually my vocals for talking are great, but for singing they suck. But here here you should give a different story every single time. That's what you should do. It's funny. It's funny you should say that because a lot of times, you know, especially the in person ones at the festivals, I'll say, like I said to you guys in the again, how I do my interview? But I'll say, and I don't ask stupid questions like how do you get your band name? So I did that once with August Burns Red and it was so funny because they're like, well, then you're lucky. And they're like, because we have a different story every time somebody asks that, and we just fuck with people, you know. And yeah, I've heard lots of different I've heard lots of different reasons of why they're called August. Fern's read and see that's because of them, and they've said it's become a thing now, you know. But and he goes, you see her next to you here, Well, we just got done with that interview, and she asked us, and so what we did and she goes and we do it a total straight face. Yeah. Well me and my sister. My sister got this dog when we were teenagers and she named it August. And one day we were outside and we were just, you know, partying, having a good time,

14:03 and we just decided it would be funny, like, hey, let's light August on fire and watch August run down the street and and ergo, August burns Red. And they're like, you should have seen the look of horror on her face, because we were dead serious when we said it. Yeah, that's the one I heard was very similar. He had a girlfriend called August and a dog called Red. And they broke up, so she burnt his dog, so August burns red se They just do varieties of the same story too. See that's cool. They just switch it a little bit so nobody catches on. Maybe, you know, as the media people are talking to each other, Oh yeah, I got that same story, you know, And my answer to them was yes. Serves them right for asking that stupid question. But I actually like it when bads asked me because like it's even better because bads are always the ones that don't like that question.

15:07 So when they're asking me, I'm just kind of like laughing inside. I think it's great. Oh man, So let's talk about your new music, and like the new song Gaslight. I'm assuming and I'm doing this for the audience, but that means exactly what I think it means, meaning like having to do with telling people about, you know, certain things or problems you're having or trying and confide in your parents and what have you, and they just gaslight you. You've hit the nail on the head. That's exactly what it's about. It's about even now, but more more so younger me, not not being right, sort of depression, anxiety, and recently found out ADHD. So there's a lot of I've had a lot of issues growing up and people just going, oh, no, you're okay. Doctor's going, you're okay. You're just having a tough time, parents going, it's a phase. So it's just been like, okay, I'm okay, gas lilting a feeling okay when you when you're not, And then you get used to thinking that feeling that you're feeling is how you should like, that's that's okay, like when you need help, that's the yeah, the whole point of it. Yeah, and the unfortunate thing about parents are that parents never want to think that something is wrong with their children because they think it's their fault

16:41 or whatever, so they will gas like you to protect themselves. Yeah. I also feel that a lot of parents, like my mother growing up, she's she's quite old school. So like, you didn't have depression, you know, like back in back in mom's time, I guess there wasn't such a thing as anxiety because it was just you know, a man up, like, come on, you're a dude, you don't cry sort of thing. And that's what kind of era that you've been brought around, Sir, I feel you because I'm a gen X and that's exactly what I went through. I was a little kid, you know. I remember. Okay, So I was a little kid and my mother was having me take the garbage out, and I took it on my skateboard and at some point I hit a rock as I was going down the hill and I ate it. And I came home and my hand was hurting really bad, and I was like crying to my mother and she's like, stop crying. You're boy. Boys don't cry, and you're fine. Do take out the rest of the garbage, exactly. And then so I went up to my older brother and I went up to him and he checked out my hand and he's like, I think it's broken. He took me to the hospital and it turned out it was broken, you know. But I mean, I listen my dad too, Like if I called him with stuff, even when I was in my twenties, his answer would be you'll figure it out. Yeah. I imagine

18:12 that's the what he got growing up as well, you know. Yeah, yeah, exactly. And I don't know, like I can say. When I was younger, I thought it was the right way to handle things. But what I've found out getting older. Is that you know what, maybe if those things were dealt with, I would avoided a lot of other dumb decisions in my life. Yeah. You know, we have another song that's you wrote specifically about just talking things out which helps thing. Yeah. I got a song called talk More, which is all about needing to talk about problems, whether it's problems you'm with yourself or I had like an argument with a parent or a partner. It's all about that sort of stuff. And I'm a big believer in that. So that's cool because I think, like, how many times too do you have people that are in your life and they don't want to hear it? Like, yeah, And the fact is sometimes talking is just gaining it out and and sometimes that just helps to just if somebody would just listen, you know, because otherwise, if you have nobody to talk to, it just builds up in festers inside and just gets worse. Yeah. Well, yeah, that's a hundred I agree, one hundred percent. And I feel music and singing is that for me because people

19:45 don't I mean, people do have a choice, but like if it's out there immortalized in the world, like if you're gonna listen to it that you can listen to you don't like, it doesn't matter. Somebody's gonna hear it and somebody's gonna listen to us sort of thing. Yeah, but it's more from myself. I just need to get it out. It's an outlet, like a conduit to release. So yeah, just when you're want about it's like therapy. This is my therapy. Like, yeah, there's no better therapy than writing your thoughts down and getting them out into the world. I think, so, well, what's cool about music is exactly that, going back to I said in the beginning about music being the best therapy, because the way I look at is therapy for the artists and therapy for the listeners.

20:33 So the artist, like you're saying, gets it out, Like there's something so therapeutic about writing a song, you know, it's the same as like writing a journal, Like you're getting this stuff out of you. But then the listener can listen to it, relate to it, and realize there's somebody else that feels the same way I do, and that helps them therapy. Yeah, I mean, I hope, I hope some people have listened to my stuff and to my lyrics and thought that. I mean, that is one of the reasons I do. I hope it can help people. And I know being a teenager and listening to balance like August Burns, Red and stuff back in the day, that sort of stuff helped me. Like there was people who are also sad like so it was normal. It is.

21:26 It's very therapeutic music totally. So as everybody reach out to you guys on socials and the web, check out your new music and then you know you have the EP under my skin, so we want them to check that out by your merch you have any tour dates all that good stuff. Yeah, man, we've got obviously at the time of this interview, it comes out at midnight tonight, so it'll be out tomorrow on all platforms, So just search Headcage on Spotify will be there if you want to find us on Instagram is at Headcage dot UK. That's where we put up a lot of our stuff and like more regular story updates on there. We've got a merch store at Headcage dot co dot UK and next week we go on tour to support this EP. We're playing it's just around the UK. We're playing Glasgow, Manchester, a hometown show in Newcastle and then we play London the final date and I can't wait. I can't wait to get out and play my first of a tour nice and I have to make you guys laugh before we go, because you know, your Newcastle show is sold out. I was married to a British girl. Every time I talk to people from the UK, which is often because I go out there and I do download bloodstock, but and I have a bunch of friends there. But I always talk about

23:00 this because I never knew when I married her. But like, she came over to America like a lot a lot of people do, and she acted like like she was like a royal, and you know, acted like she was like all Heidi Toydian stuff. And then I found out where she was from. That meant nothing to me until I started talking to people and said it and got their reaction. She was from Newcastle. Oh yeah, there's no there's no postular, well there is postule, but yeah, she's from Newcastle. She's rough mate, like right right, oh man? And that's why I get every time, Like when I was married to her, I had no idea what Newcastle was, you know, And I didn't even really know she was from there because she kind of kept it hidden. And now I know why. I don't even think I could hide my jority accent.

23:52 I don't think that could go. I mean, I'm a proud Jeordie, proudly from Newcastle, but yeah, we're not posh. We're not all Heidi tidy and royal like. Yeah, and she didn't sound like you like I think she like retrained her voice or something, because she did have like the proper queen's English type of accent. Elliott's Nelly there, he's got quite a posh voice, but he's from your voice. Yeah, mid middle of the middle of the road, just mutual British accent as mine. Nice. Yeah. And she always said like, I picked the wrong sister, Like I never met her sister, but apparently her her sister is a lead singer of a hardcore punk band over there. So she she always said, you married the wrong sister because she didn't like my music. Dumb, So she went like headcage, probably, but I do, and I know our listeners will, so they better tune in. They better check you guys out, support you by buying merch because it's the only way band survive nowadays and you guys rock. So thanks for being on the Adventures of pipe Man. Thank you for having us on her. Appreciate you, Yeah, really, thank you very much. Thank you for listening to the Adventures of Tapement on w fur CUI Radio