A Quick (Zoom) Q&A With Alfie Templeman

Making a big splash on the scene just over a year ago, Alfie Templeman has recently released his debut EP, ‘Happiness In Liquid Form’, via Chess Club Records. Growing up making music in Bedfordshire, Templeman, who began playing drums at just seven years-old and taught himself guitar, bass and production as a teenager, has drawn praise from tastemakers all across the industry. As he gears up to return in a post-covid world, we caught up with Alfie for a quick Zoom chat…

You’ve made quite the impression since releasing your debut EP ‘Happiness In Liquid Form’. What’s it been like to achieve such great success, so quickly?

Alfie: I feel like if I actually thought about it, it would catch me off guard; it is pretty crazy, you know all the followers and stuff like that. I don’t like to think about it, I like to keep going and move forward and not let it get in the way too much otherwise I’ll end up getting an ego boost [laughs].

You’re 17-years-old and are involved in a sometimes-intense industry; do you think you’ve had to grow up fast as a result of your speedy progression?

Alfie: You know what, I don’t actually think so. I’ve been at it so long, all this comes natural to me. I’ve been making music since I was like seven or eight. The kind of music I listen to is for like 50-year-olds; it’s for old men. So honestly, it’s cool to listen to young people as well; I don’t think I’m maturing too quick.

So do you come from a musical family; I read that your dad collects guitars, right?

Alfie: Yeah he loves it. He’s always played as a hobby, so I’d always pick them up and mess around. Eventually, it became my job [laughs]. 

You grew up and live in Bedfordshire. How has your surroundings influenced both you and your music?

Alfie: There’s not much here, so apart from it being nice to look at, I just get bored, so I resort to making music as a means of enjoyment.

Your debut EP is laden with funk and psych influences; what inspired the EP? Were you listening to anything in particular whilst recording it?

Alfie: A lot of really late 70’s funk stuff; a lot of Nile Rodgers and Chic [laughs]. I really like Daft Punk as well, I recently revisited ‘Random Access Memory’ because I hadn’t heard it in such a long time. I was also messing around with a lot of low-fi, indie, mellow stuff; it was a real mixed bag. 

You’ve collaborated on a lot recently, penning a tune with The Vaccines’ Justin Young and working with Coach Party on a single; do you enjoy working with other artists and creatives?

Alfie: Yeah I think it’s really cool; I prefer to work on my own really. Once in a while though, someone comes along who you really enjoy working with and it resonates and connects; I love it when something clicks straight off the bat. Nothing is going to work if we’re not on the same page, we’ve got to have a mutual understanding that we want to make something great.

How was the recording process for the EP?

Alfie: You know what, I kind of zone out when I’m making music, so I don’t tend to remember it all too well. It’s like the same old kind of thing I’ve done forever. I always just get the bass down, mess around with the guitar melodies and write some random lyrics to go over the top; it’s a really straightforward process but can be boring with some of the production stuff. Behind the scenes it’s always just engineering faults and macs blowing up [laughs]. Making a song can take like an hour; it’s crazy.

Your videos are really cool and arty; are the visuals as important to you as your music?

Alfie: Yeah totally. It’s not just the videos either, but the artwork for the releases too. I like making sure it’s all as colourful as the music. I’ve always been a huge fan of album art so I think it’s super important to get that right. It definitely makes the music more interesting; and it goes hand-in-hand with vinyl too, which I love.

You’ve toured a lot over the past year, taking up spots with Nilufer Yanya, Sports Team and Coach Party. What are you missing about gigging and being on the road?

Alfie: I’m missing being able to eat total garbage to be honest with you, and the feeling you get just before you go on stage, I just love the hysteria and cheering from the crowd. I guess leaving school and getting on the road mega quick has been great; I was so ready for touring after leaving school, I was almost preparing for it. I was releasing stuff before I did my GCSE’s and have been talking with Chess Club for years; so yeah I love it!