Run Into The Night are a hard-gigging post punk rock ‘n’ roll two-piece who have been busy recently gigging with the likes of Goodbye Mr MacKenzie and playing Doune the Rabbit Hole. They have also been recording with the MacKenzies frontman, Martin Metcalfe with a video due to drop later in the month for their latest single Mon Cheri. I have seen the band live on several occasions and have witnessed them get better and better each time.
With the new single due out soon, I took the opportunity to find out a bit more about what makes the band, and its two members Christina and Ellie tick…
Who are Run Into the Night?
First up, you are a hard working duo. Tell me a bit about each of you, I know you are friends as well as band mates, did the friendship start before the music or as a result?
[Christina] Yes, Ellie and I were friends first. I am really passionate about music and listen to a lot of genres. I wanted to start a band with no boundaries and after many late nights listening to records at my old flat in Shawlands the idea of us working together seemed like a good idea. We are both creative and enthusiastic people who like to have fun so it just sort of clicked.
[Ellie] A couple of years before the band began, Christina and I met in a gay bar in Glasgow called Polo through our mutual friend Katie and we were instantly inseparable. After countless parties, horror films and midnight drives, Christina phoned me up one day out of the blue and asked me if I wanted to start a band together.
[Christina] The rest is history! We are best friends who are always together. It’s actually a joke amongst all our friends that Ellie lives with me and my partner as she spends so much time at our house. When we are not busy with Run Into The Night or at work, we can be found at rock bars around Glasgow, watching bands or exploring abandoned buildings which is actually where we filmed our new music video.
Influences
How did each of you get into music, what/who are your influences?
[Christina] I grew up with my mum listening to QUEEN. We used to have home movies of me jumping around with a nappy singing “I want to break free” and I was also obsessed with their music videos. I actually met Brian May at an airport when I was 6, well we waved and said hi. My dad didn’t want us to bother him because me and my sister would probably have ran and jumped on him, haha.
[Ellie] I had quite a varied taste in music but when I met Christina, she opened me up to so many more bands and genres that I fell in love with. It was only then that I became really absorbed into music. When it comes to drums, I am obsessed with Dave Grohl, Ben Thatcher, Jon Theodore and Torry Castellano. For Run Into The Night, we have such a large number of diverse influences that it changes per song.[Christina] It was when I was a teenager that my sister really shaped my music taste by introducing me to punk and alternative bands like The Clash, Green Day and The Distillers. At 13 The Distillers were the biggest influence on me and my first concert! Seeing them live front by Brody Dalle was so inspiring and I know that she inspired a lot of females to pick up instruments. I just remember a massive circle pit at their show at The Glasgow Barrowlands and feeling like I had found my sort of people. Then I started playing in punk rock bands around Glasgow’s music scene, rehearsing in a locked up charity shop (we stole our friend’s, mother’s work keys in order to sneak in at night) and everything was DIY!
How did you decide you would be a two-piece and not a bigger band?
[Ellie] Originally it was going to be a bigger band. Tina knew I could play some guitar and violin and asked me if would consider learning keyboard. So borrowed my sisters old casio, spent a couple of hours learning various scales and chords, then we started writing ideas in Tina’s flat. Once we had a couple of songs we had two friends join us in the studio to add in bass and drums. However, it changed the style of music we were going for and it was hard to get everyone in the studio at the same time. That’s when we decided to become a duo and I couldn’t have been happier as I got to learn to play drums. Drums are the funnest! I spent hours a day over six months learning covers from a wide range of genres in prep for our first gig.
[Christina] The goal was to strip the sound right back, fuse genres and experiment! I knew I wanted a certain guitar tone if this was going to work and I spent a lot of time going through pedals/amps trying to find the right sound. I also suggested to Ellie that she experiment with using a sample pad so we could layer songs up with keys, percussion and triggers. This process works well for us and as a duo we are always challenging ourselves with new techniques. I write the music and together with Ellie, we figure out the best way to recreate songs live.
With regards to having extra members, I would never say never. If we came across another musician that clicked with us musically then I would be open to the idea. I don’t know how Ellie would feel about that though…
[Ellie] Another member? If it works musically and they get our weird sense of humour, it is possible. They’d also have to fit in our Corsa tour car, haha.
[Christina] Yeah, if we did get another member it would be really important to us that we all had a good friendship. Don’t get me wrong, me and Ellie from time to time can argue like sisters but we understand each other. We only really annoy each other with silly things like Ellie being too cold and me too warm and should the windows in the car be up or down?
New single
Your next release will be a collaboration with Goodbye Mr Mackenzie legend and current Filthy Tongues frontman, Martin Metcalfe. Tell me how did that come about and what it was like working with him?
[Christina] It all started with Run Into The Night opening for The Filthy Tongues at Saint Lukes last summer. We love The Filthy Tongues and how experimental they are. This prompted me to approach Martin to see if he would be interested in listening to a new song we had been working on. The new single ‘Mon Cheri’ was written for my grandfather from Lebanon who had recently passed away and I was finding it difficult to process at the time.
Whilst looking through old family pictures, I found a beautiful black and white picture from the 1960s of my grandparents dancing at a masquerade party. This was the inspiration behind the track and having Martin on acoustic guitar and singing with me in low tone was a magical moment. I loved how our vocals sounded together and having male and female vocals on the track really captures the feel of the song.
Working with Martin was a great experience and I love to collaborate and jam with other musicians bouncing ideas off each other. Martin is a professional, cool and laid back with so many interesting stories to tell. Overall I think my grandfather Riad Haddad would be one proud man if he could hear the song and I love the way that it sounds on record.
[Ellie] We have really taken our time with this track “Mon Cheri” and have had some amazing people involved. It was recorded with Simon Doherty who also plays some piano on the track at his new studio Infinity Bus Studio, it was mixed by Robbie Gunn, features Martin on acoustic guitar/vocals and finally was mastered by Pete Maher who has worked on projects with The Pixies, Jack White and Lana Del Ray to name a few.
[Christina] It Is definitely a new favourite of mine.
I see from your facebook pages there is a video in production for the single, when is the release date so we can see and hear the fruits of your activity?
[Ellie] We are releasing the single Mon Cheri on the 23rd of August. We have some teasers to share with everyone in the lead up on social media and the music video will be released on a later date. The music video was filmed in an insanely large abandoned mansion in Ayrshire by our talented good friend Alistair Campbell. It was fun/risky video to film. At one point we had Christina with her acoustic Gretsch dangerously standing in a crumbling window ledge three floors above the ground for five minutes. My stomach was in my chest watching her, I don’t know how she did it!
[Christina] We also shot some scenes in a dark room with a smoke machine at Carlton Studios in Glasgow. These are the scenes with myself and Martin Metcalfe sitting in chairs back to back, an idea that Martin had.
[Ellie] We can’t wait to share it.
You have already released a couple of fantastic singles. One time when I spoke to you, I asked about an album, you mentioned it would probably be singles you release rather than an album. Is this still the case, what drives this decision?
[Christina] At the moment we are DIY and fund all releases ourselves. We like to release music with a limited amount available on 7” vinyl, however it would be a dream to have a full length 12” record one day. Saying that, at the moment we are not really in a position to record, press and release a full length album but you never know! If we worked with a label or had some funding then this could be an option later down the line.
When I write songs I picture artwork imagery and themes in my head. There is a theme idea that I have been talking about for at last 2 years now inspired by the old Britannia theatre in Glasgow. I don’t want to say too much about it at this point but for this I would love to release it on a 10” vinyl or on two 7” records (part I + part II) and bring the idea to life.
Live shows
I’ve seen you live a couple of times, not as many as I’d have liked, and you get better every time I see you, always looking as if you are having a great time, when you cover The Cramps I always smile. What do you enjoy most about playing live?
[Ellie] I love the energy we get from playing live. Feeling the music through the ground, feeding off the audience, each other and letting go.
[Christina] As much as I love the recording process and how creative it can be, playing live is what it is all about for us. On stage I like to think that we have alter egos that take over so who we are on stage is not who we are off stage. Performing live is like one big adrenalin rush and it’s important for us to see how a crowd interacts. A good example of this was when we opened for Goodbye Mr Mckenzie at their sold out show at the Liquid Rooms in Edinburgh. The audience were amazing with us bouncing of their energy and them off ours. Ellie actually got off her drum stool and took a picture of me with the crowd whilst on stage because we wanted to capture the moment. It is one of my favourite live shows to date!
You’ve just played Doune The Rabbit Hole, I trust it went well? What other live dates do you have coming up?
[Ellie] Doune the Rabbit Hole was fantastic, it’s a great festival with an awesome line up and lively crowd. In typical Ellie-fashion, I received a mild concussion 20 minutes before our set because I did not look where I was going. We still gave it 110% on stage… as far as I remember.
Our next show is in sunny Blackpool at the Rebellion Festival Aftershow where we will be sharing the stage with friends Duncan Reid and the Big Heads (another Ginger Quiff favourite), and The Buzzcuts. We also have an upcoming tour in the second half of October where we will be playing Glasgow, Edinburgh, Whitchurch, Bristol, London, York and Brighton.
[Christina] There is also talk of a UK and European tour in 2020. We will have more information on this very soon…
Watch out Blackpool, if Ellie, Christina, Sophie and Karen are hitting the town…and watch where you are going Ellie!
On the subject of festivals, if you could curate your own, what would the line up be?
[Christina] My festival would be called ‘The Desert Babies’ with Queens of the Stone Age, The Last Shadow Puppets, The Pixies, Elle King, The Filthy Tongues, The Big Moon, Benjamin Booker and Run Into The Night opening, haha.
[Ellie] The desert may be a bit too hot for me… Mine would be Forest Festival with Arctic Monkeys, QOTSA, Deap Vally, Black Honey, The Misfits, FIDLAR, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Growlers, KALEO and Savages.
Run Into the Night recommend…
Last one, recommend a band or singer that are a “must hear” and I should feature on the ‘Ginger Quiff’?
[Christina] I’m one of these annoying people that are like “Oh my god, you need to hear this song! If I had to choose one right now, it would definitely be Elle King. Her last album ‘Shake The Spirit’ absolutely blew me away and we listened to it on repeat on tour. There is not one track I would skip on that album and it channels so many influences. It’s happy, sad, funny, sexy and full of heartache. Elle King has an amazing raspy voice with some crazy guitar/bingo skills. The track ‘Runaway’ is my favourite with the opening line being “I was just a poor young little ugly thing”.
(Photos all courtesy of Run Into the Night)
[Ellie] A band I can’t stop listening to lately are Dream Wife. I am sure you have heard of them Neil, but they are definitely worth a feature and are must hear for those who haven’t. They are a punk rock trio with biting vocals, fiery riffs and fierce energy!
Thanks for the recommendation Christina, I’ll check her out, and yes Ellie, Dream Wife are tremendous, but I’ve not featured them to date on the blog…
Thanks a million to Christina and Ellie to take the time out to answer some questions. I’m sure I’m not the only one who is excited about the release of Mon Cheri.
In the meantime, check out more about Run Into the Night at the links below.
The band have released two fantastic 7″ singles The Devils Rhythm and Turn to Static, head over top one of their own pages and order yours now!
Run Into The Night are online at the following links: