Cinnabar, not to be confused with Cinnabon - INTERVIEW

Interview & Words: Amber Williams

Photo Credit: (all photos in article minus the group photo with Amber) spacejunkroads

Cinnabar consists of 4 members : Ben, Toby, Ethan B and Ethan M.  

How did you guys form/meet?

Toby - Me and Ben met during freshers week, we wanted to form a band but we obviously only had two of us, but one day we went into class and we met Ethan B. We did previously have another lead guitarist but due to issues it just didn’t work with them.  

Ethan M - That’s when they found me.

They have now nearly been together for a year, their first rehearsal being on the 22nd of October 2024.  

Where are you guys all from, considering you met at uni?

Ben - I am unfortunately from Portsmouth.  

Toby - I am from the Guildford area, I’m not going to say Woking that just sounds depressing.  

Ethan B - Hertfordshire, I guess.  

Ethan M - I’m going to say Oxford, but I actually am not anywhere near Oxford. I live in Oxfordshire though, I have an oxford postcode…?

How long have you guys been playing your instruments?

Ben - I have been playing drums for 9 years, I started just before Year 7.

Toby - I have been playing for i’m gonna say 12 years, i got a guitar when i was younger and have just been playing ever since then.

Ethan B -  6-7 years, my sister played guitar and I thought, I want to play something so I got a bass and started learning.  

Ethan M - 4 years

Asking them this question opened up a discussion between the boys about whether they all took lessons or if they were self taught, I sat back and observed as I was listening to them all discuss this and learn new things about each other. Toby and Ben started with lessons, Ethan M started learning on his dads argos guitar and taught himself, and Ethan B taught himself for a year and then got lessons after that. Ben is the band's drummer, Toby is their singer and rhythm guitarist, Ethan M is the lead guitarist and Ethan B is their bassist.  

Who are your musical inspirations?

Ben - Biffy Clyro, The Muse and The Maccabees.  

Toby - Bon Jovi, Wombats and Good Kid.

Ethan B - Flea, Joe Dart and Thundercat.  

Ethan M - Linkin Park, Randy Roads (Ozzy Osbourne) and Sleep Token.  

How do you guys get over getting stuck creatively?

Ethan M - Toby stands up.

Ethan B - Haha yeah that actually does happen.

Toby - We have kind of learned that we cannot get stuck on something for too long, because if we do that then we waste time that we could be using to work on something else, and it tends to not work when you focus so much on one thing, like one riff, a set of lyrics etc. Most of the time we have to just waffle, it sounds ridiculous but it does work. I will waffle lyrics, something sticks and then we go from there.  

Ben - Sometimes it is also good if we take time away from something we have started and then revisit it later, and if it is still not working then we just have to move on from it.

Ethan B - I also think that we have to like the base of the song before we develop it, we make the most simple base for the song to build on, but if we make something and aren’t 100% then we have to move on.  

Ethan M - One thing that I can find hard sometimes is the fact that usually the genres of music that I listen to are very different to what we play as a band and sometimes when I have to think of lead guitar parts, I have to listen to indie music to get some inspiration. It can be hard at times but I also think because of this I bring a different mindset to the band and the music we create.  

Ethan B - He brings a different idea and mindset to us, I think it really makes our music a little bit different to just an indie band, you know?

Ben and Toby - Yes 100%.  

If you guys had the opportunity for any band/artist who would you choose?

The guys discussed it and gave me a few ‘realistic’ and ‘unrealistic ideas’.  

Realistic - Coast, Aristons, Welly, James Marriott and Slag.

Unrealistic - Wombats, Catfish and The Bottlemen and James Marriott.

What upcoming events do you guys have?

Toby - We are writing and producing an EP. We had the opportunity to go into Salvation Studios and work with Lewis Ford who helped us perfect our songs for the EP. It was a really great opportunity to work with him and he really did help us with the progression of the songs we had written.  

Ben - Our plan for our EP is for there to be 4 songs, and we definitely are going to get a song out by the end of the year.

Ethan M - Yeah, we are really excited.  

Ben - I recently applied to be an endorser for a brand called Collision Drumsticks, I had an interview and I got in. I haven’t got an announcement date yet for when they are going to announce that I’m an endorser, but it will definitely be sooner than later.

Cinnabar also has an upcoming gig on the 24th of September at Green Door Store for Freshers week at BIMM.  

You can find Cinnabar on Instagram and TikTok at @cinnabar.band and also their youtube channel, which is Cinnabar, where they have also just uploaded their new vlog of their biggest gig to date at Daltons, in Brighton.