Spotlight: Part Time Models

Part Time Models are a five piece part-indie, part-rock, part-folk band made up of Clare, Ben, George, Rob and Isaac.

The band released their debut EP, A Lot To Say About Nothing, in October 2022 which was recorded in Skibereen Ireland.

They had a successful launch party taking place at The Louisiana later that same month and have kicked things off in 2023 with a gig with the intimate Sofar Sounds.

2023 looks to be the year of expansion for the band as they announce more gigs across Bristol as well as a headline gig in London alongside the promise of new music.

Where in Bristol are you based?

We are just on the outskirts of Bristol centre, in Easton. Well, we aren’t all in Easton but practices usually take place at Pirate Studios in St George. It’s a fun spot to be walking distance from the centre.

How would you describe your music?

We are a folk rock band combining harmonies with driving guitar riffs and intricate melodies. Think the folky side of Fleetwood Mac. Times that by five, divide by seven and add some soft rock.

What influences your music?

We draw on influences such as Angus & Julia Stone, Johnny Flynn and Lucas Nelson. There are three of us who write the lyrics and base tune to a song, we then bring it to the rest of the band in practice or by voicenote and the rest fill in the necessary blanks.

Isaac brings the right groove on the drums to any song, Ben brings his rocky influence for the lead guitar and riffs, Clare loves her country music, Rob gravitates us towards folk and George brings influence from soft rock legends.

As we swap instruments throughout songs, a different sound therefore comes to each instrument, primarily dictated by whether Rob, George or Clare have written the song.

What’s your favourite memory of your career so far?

A tough question, but it would have to be our first gig after moving to Bristol. A hungover sunbathing session in Castle Park in 2019 started a conversation with good friend Samuel Wulf who was running a ‘Frighdays’ gig at Glitch Studio on Old Market.

We had played the open mic scene up until this point (which is amazing in Bristol by the way!) and were super excited to be asked to play a real gig in our new city. It was a packed night of great music in a quirky venue and was where we met our first Bristol drummer which allowed us to start playing the larger venues.

It is also how we met artists Sophie Marisol and Lara Contrini, with Sophie still to creating the amazing artwork for our posters and merch.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CkyAj87NyoM/?hl=en

What’s the response been to the music/art you’ve put out there so far?

In October 2022 we released our first studio recorded EP which has seemed to be received really well. Our EP launch show had a great crowd and it’s so lovely to see the Spotify stats showing more than just our parents house!

There was a lovely moment after a recent Sofar show in Bristol when a couple drove off blasting Kia Ora from the car stereo after hearing us for the first time that night.

How have you found breaking into the music industry for grassroots artists?

It’s hard to say when/if we have broken into the music industry. It’s still not something we can be dependent on financially but we have grown year on year and I think as a grassroots band we hold ourselves to making sure our journey is as organic as possible – not trying to show a level of success on social media that we haven’t received yet.

With another recording planned for the end of 2023 we hope we can continue to use Bristol’s supportive music scene to get us closer to ‘making it’ (whatever that may be).

Where’s your favourite place to perform and attend a gig in Bristol?

A favourite venue to perform at would be The Louisiana near Whapping Warf. The sound always seems to be spot on for us on stage and for the audience. For such a prestigious venue it has a lovely intimate feel to stay engaged with the audience.

As for a favourite venue to attend a gig, the Gallimaufry open mic provides a great space to discover Bristol staples playing stripped back sets to brilliant new musicians expressing their passions to an attentive audience.

Who’s your dream artist to work with?

I don’t know if there can be one answer to this as everyone in the band has their own heroes, but Johnny Flynn, Lucas Nelson, or Don Henley spring to mind.

Who have you got your eye on at the moment? Are there any artists you think deserve more appreciation/acknowledgement?

Our friend FELIX is due to release music for the first time any moment now (we are told); if you can catch him and his band before this release then you will definitely be following the next big thing.

There are so many interesting and unapologetic artists coming out of Bristol right now that we love – Long Tonic, Ben Cipolla, Danny Chaska, Fritillaries, BLK FXS, Oscar Grouch, Samuel Wulf, HUNNY BUZZ, Fall Arc, Luna Kali…

What’s next for you?

We are getting stuck into the summer bookings now with a couple of Safar Sounds shows in March (one in London) and a headline London gig in London on Saturday 6th May with Sherman Tender and Lou Tooth.

Then we’ll be on to Dart Music Festival and Treehouse Arts Festival – a favourite of ours to return to each year. At the end of the year we plan to visit the recording studio in Skibbereen, Ireland to record again.

With three songwriters and five years behind us there is so much material to choose from and we are really excited for everyone to hear what we have been so passionate about.

Main photo: George Crowther

Read next:

• Spotlight: boci
• From eight people in a living room to Westminster Abbey, Sofar Sounds is exploring new heights
• Best of Bristol Releases 2022

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