Wolverhampton unsigned act HÜDS will keep on recording

That is the smart attitude of Wulfrunians HÜDS, a bunch of school friends who have a clear idea how they want to record their music and who they want to play it with.

They're particular about who the bands they want to attach themselves to are, and how best to grab the headlines that will help them shoot up the musical food chain.

In fact, they've just come out of the studio recently which led to our conversation with the band - Tettenhall guitarist and vocalist Edward 'Ed' Dexter and Codsall trio Billy Frampton, also on guitar and vocals, bassist Karl Stothard and drummer Rohan Mittal.

"We've just been in the studio in Kidderminster recording a track April Roses that will be part of our next release," Ed tells us.

"It's coming at the end of November. It will be a single and come with a B-side called Daydreams. There will be more recording going on later in the month and we'll also have a video to release by the end of the year."

It's all be done very locally, which shows the strength of the modern music industry in a part of the world that has historically boomed with the artists and movements it has produced.

They were at the home of MAS Records in Kidderminster College, a project part-founded and patronised by Wolves FC and Led Zeppelin hero Robert Plant. Work is still do be done on the track too by Tom Gittins of Monochrome Studios in Worcestershire, who acts as the main producer for MAS Records.

"It's part of a government scheme that subsidises your studio time to support new artists," adds Ed. "It will then be sent off to Monochrome Studios in Worcestershire.

"We've got our own rehearsal space in Tettenhall and previously we've recorded with Matthew Pinfield at Grandflat Recordings in the area.

"Next, we'll be trying our hands at a live recording of a track by one of our favourite bands - Bauhaus' Bela Lugosi's Dead. We'll aim to get that out on every major streaming platform and it's vital to have a video these days. That will hopefully be made and put out on our YouTube channel - just type in HÜDS to find us."

Ed, Billy, Karl and Rohan should be successful as a creative forced based on their long-running friendship rooted in their school days.

Ed, Billy and Rohan all met while attending Codsall Middle School. Ed and Rohan played drums together and bonded over their love of music, forming a high school band with Billy. Karl and Billy had known each other from a very young age and when the high school project fell apart, Karl stepped in to complete HÜDS as we see them today.

"When you've been friends for so long when you player together it's just natural," Ed continues. "It's definitely not unique to us but it is an advantage."

On November 10, HÜDS are taking to the stage at the city's The Hummingbird alongside fellow rockers Cymbeline. And that friendship started at a young age, too.

"I know Arran from Cymbeline from school, too," Ed continues. "They're another Wolves band and we get on really well. We went along to see them at the Vinyl & Vintage shop in the city and they asked us if we wanted to do something.

"Vinyl & Vintage are great at supporting local bands too," he says of a shop that has been a long-time supporter of a former The Ticket Unsigned star Fall Girl. "We're trying to get something set up with them too and hope to have a gig lined up for the end of November, so keep your eyes peeled."

But despite the close relationship with Cymbeline, they are quite guarded against getting themselves caught up in the 'wrong scene' and treading down a career path that isn't right for them. It's not an insular, isolationist outlook. They just want to get it right.

"Scenes can be difficult," Ed admits. "We played previously at the Newhampton Arts Centre with a few different bands and while all the guys were great they had different ambitions to us and different musical directions to us.

"Birmingham is central to everything here. Wolverhampton is good, but Birmingham is central. There's lots of young bands there creating a scene we relate to and that is definitely what we want to do."

They've admitted, too, that support slots don't always work as the audience might not be interested in them - and many, it is sad to say, don't bother turning up in time to see the support act anyway.

"Our crowds vary from venue to venue. We're just starting out so interest is only just growing. But sometimes we can have quite a backing. When you are playing for the headliners' audience it can be quite difficult and they're not really watching. We hope we get some of them hooked though.

"We headlined The Sunflower Lounge in Birmingham in July. It was intimate but there were loads of kids there and the crowd went crazy for it. They were flying around and there were plenty of split lips, I heard some earrings got torn out and it was chaos. It was definitely the best we've played.

"You've just got to get those headline slots and get your scene going. You've got to build up that traction and interest going.

"The hardest part is getting started."

And they will be hoping to do just that with the Cymbeline gig...just with fewer earrings getting town out.

HÜDS can be found on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook under the handle @HudsBaby, while their music can be found for searching their name on Soundcloud and Spotify. Tickets for the gig at The Hummingbird are available via their social medias and the venue website.

By Leigh Sanders