Getting to know...Tempe
We caught up with Tempe's Ben Speirs ahead of the band's gig alongside The Social in McGeoch's, Greenock on Friday 28th February
Tell us a bit about how the band got together?
"We were formed in 2017, when it was initially just me and Andrew [Cummings, Tempe's guitarist] before finding our drummer, Adam Kershaw, some months later - he was in the same school as us and we were already friendly with him but once he had heard the songs I had he was up for joining. It was only around September '19 that our bassist, John Tamburini, joined: we were offered a support slot with Kyle Falconer from The View but we didn’t have a bassist, Andrew knew him (John) from university and he said he would stand in for us so we could play the gig, but he decided to stay with us and he never left.."
Describe your sound in five words...
"Unique, colourful, bittersweet, nostalgic, relatable"
Biggest musical influences?
"Noel Gallagher’s songwriting with Slowdive’s sound"
Top 3 bands?
"Slowdive, Tame Impala, Flying Colours"
If you could have seen one band live…?
"The Smiths
First album you bought?
"The Verve's Urban Hymns"
Last album you bought?
"Sam Fender's Hypersonic Missiles"
Best gig you've been to?
"Tame Impala at the Empress Ballroom, Blackpool in 2019"
Top 3 albums?
Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas; My Bloody Valentine - Loveless; Slowdive - Souvlaki"
TEMPE: [L-R] Andrew Cummings (guitar),Adam Kershaw (drums), Jon Tamburini (bass); [FRONT} Ben Speirs (guitar/vocals)
Tempe's Top Ten: Ben's choice of tunes
Favourite lyric?
"At the moment it’s “you're nothing but a self-proclaimed apathetic waster” from my own song, “Apathetic Waster”"
Dream collaboration...?
"Kevin Parker of Tame Impala"
Pete or Carl?
"Pete"
Noel or Liam?
"Liam"
First gig you went to?
"Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds at Summer Sessions, Bellahouston Park"
Last gig you went to?
"Liam Gallagher at the Hydro"
And the next one...?
"Sam Fender at Barrowlands"
Top 5 new bands...?
"Sam Fender, Beabadoobee, Spyres, Billie Eilish and Fontaines D.C."
Favourite venue?
"Glasgow's ABC (R.I.P.)"
And finally, if you could have written any one song, what would it be?
"The Verve – The Drugs Don't Work"
