Sports Team

Musicians — Harlesden

01Profile

A Sports Team Photo

03Interview

Name, where are you from?
Al. Oli. Henry. Ben. Rob and Alex. We’re from all over but are based way out west in Harlesden.

Describe your style in three words?
Head to toe.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Art is Hard did a Pavement tribute night with Happyness, The Black Tambourines and Bob Nastanovich playing through Crooked Rain. That was up there.

If you could be on the line up with any two bands in history?
Pavement and Th' Dudes. An underrated New Zealand band, Bliss is one of the few good songs about lager.

Which subcultures have influenced you?
West London’s Portuguese expat community has embraced us. Sporting Clube de Londres, Lisboa and the rest.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
Keith Floyd, one of the great raconteurs and an underrated writer. I’d like to have dropped in for lunch just after he went bankrupt and opened up a restaurant in the Vaucluse.

Of all the venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
The Sports and Social club in Cambridge was the first venue we played. We paid £50 for the privilege.

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Jolan Lewis of Pink Teens / Temple Songs / The Foetals. He seems to abandon projects just as they’re taking off, so this could be a self-imposed obscurity. But he’s unrivalled really. Passed Caring is the place to start.


 

Sports team are a London based 6-piece band that met whilst studying in Cambridge, their debut album 'Deep Down Happy' will be released on 3rd April 2020 via Island Records. Pre-order it at sportsteam.lnk.to/DeepDownHappyPR.

04Playlist Notes

The first track you played on repeat?
'Mr Blue Sky' by ELO. It came on a CD from a Sunday supplement and really got its hooks in.

A song that defines the teenage you?
'Lust For Life' by Girls. It’s a universal one with the band.

One record you would keep forever?
'Tell ‘Em We’re Surfing' by The Family Cat. One of the first records I bought. Purchased purely on the strength of the cover, which for once didn't wind up being a horrible decision. ‘Final Mistake’, ‘From the City to the Sea’, ‘Albert Hoffman’s Bike’. It's all good though.

A song lyric that has inspired you?
"The drums march along at the clip of an IV drip,
Like sparks from a muffler dragged down the strip uh huh huh."

Silver Jews have a lot of good lines. David Berman hasn't cut a cheque with Spotify though, so I’ll sub in The Chats 'Smoko'...

“So Let me set the scene,
It's 2 in the afternoon and 34 degrees…”

A song you wished you had written?
'Sister Josephine' by Jake Thackeray. From a different era. But he’s got away with it.

Best song to turn up loud?
'How Can I Compete' by The Magic Gang.

A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
'Love Plus One' by Haircut 100. We talk about how much we like this a lot so maybe it’s becoming unsurprising. Marimbas. Sax. One of the all-time great green-screen videos.

Best song to end an all-nighter on?
'Babies Are A Lie' by Pip Blom.

Any new bands you are listening to right now?
Pip Blom. Uranium Club. Holiday Ghosts. The Chats. Blue Bendy haven't released anything but seem on the right track. Magic Potion.

03Interview

Name, where are you from?
Al. Oli. Henry. Ben. Rob and Alex. We’re from all over but are based way out west in Harlesden.

Describe your style in three words?
Head to toe.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Art is Hard did a Pavement tribute night with Happyness, The Black Tambourines and Bob Nastanovich playing through Crooked Rain. That was up there.

If you could be on the line up with any two bands in history?
Pavement and Th' Dudes. An underrated New Zealand band, Bliss is one of the few good songs about lager.

Which subcultures have influenced you?
West London’s Portuguese expat community has embraced us. Sporting Clube de Londres, Lisboa and the rest.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
Keith Floyd, one of the great raconteurs and an underrated writer. I’d like to have dropped in for lunch just after he went bankrupt and opened up a restaurant in the Vaucluse.

Of all the venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
The Sports and Social club in Cambridge was the first venue we played. We paid £50 for the privilege.

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Jolan Lewis of Pink Teens / Temple Songs / The Foetals. He seems to abandon projects just as they’re taking off, so this could be a self-imposed obscurity. But he’s unrivalled really. Passed Caring is the place to start.


 

Sports team are a London based 6-piece band that met whilst studying in Cambridge, their debut album 'Deep Down Happy' will be released on 3rd April 2020 via Island Records. Pre-order it at sportsteam.lnk.to/DeepDownHappyPR.

04Playlist Notes

The first track you played on repeat?
'Mr Blue Sky' by ELO. It came on a CD from a Sunday supplement and really got its hooks in.

A song that defines the teenage you?
'Lust For Life' by Girls. It’s a universal one with the band.

One record you would keep forever?
'Tell ‘Em We’re Surfing' by The Family Cat. One of the first records I bought. Purchased purely on the strength of the cover, which for once didn't wind up being a horrible decision. ‘Final Mistake’, ‘From the City to the Sea’, ‘Albert Hoffman’s Bike’. It's all good though.

A song lyric that has inspired you?
"The drums march along at the clip of an IV drip,
Like sparks from a muffler dragged down the strip uh huh huh."

Silver Jews have a lot of good lines. David Berman hasn't cut a cheque with Spotify though, so I’ll sub in The Chats 'Smoko'...

“So Let me set the scene,
It's 2 in the afternoon and 34 degrees…”

A song you wished you had written?
'Sister Josephine' by Jake Thackeray. From a different era. But he’s got away with it.

Best song to turn up loud?
'How Can I Compete' by The Magic Gang.

A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
'Love Plus One' by Haircut 100. We talk about how much we like this a lot so maybe it’s becoming unsurprising. Marimbas. Sax. One of the all-time great green-screen videos.

Best song to end an all-nighter on?
'Babies Are A Lie' by Pip Blom.

Any new bands you are listening to right now?
Pip Blom. Uranium Club. Holiday Ghosts. The Chats. Blue Bendy haven't released anything but seem on the right track. Magic Potion.

 

05Videos

Sports Team | Fishing (2019)

Sports Team | M5 (2019)

Sports Team | Kutcher (2017)

Sports Team | Beverly Rose (2017)

Sports Team | Here's The Thing (2020)

Sports Team | The Races (2019)