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Sam Halliday (main vocals/guitar) and younger brother Jack (bass/vocals) have been writing and playing music together since college meeting third band member Sonny Watson-Lang (Drums/vocals) through management. The three are extremely close friends and enjoy being able to share the art of making music together. With the completion of their first album “Raise Your Hands” the boys have already kicked off their ‘Get down’ tour of the UK. Having already toured with Saving Aimee to gain status, on a cold September evening it was clear that the band are growing in popularity with tickets sold out. At Liverpool’s O2 Academy on hand to heat up the atmosphere were Twenty-Twenty.
The Gig kicked off with supporting band The Gap Year Riot which gave us a chance to sneak in and chat to the trio.
Picking a name is probably one of the toughest parts of forming a band, as this is a main focus point to liking a band. If a band has a poop name, chances are your not going to want to look them up. Jack enlightened me on how the band was named as for months the band was nameless.
“Stupid really but we were sat somewhere one time and someone asked the time and it was 20:20 and we kind of liked the ring to it. We kept the name as a temporary thing but from then it just stuck.”
Fully aware of the 70s American pop band 20/20, the boys have stuck with the written form adding that it’s too late now anyway having printed all the merch, which tells me that the boys never expected to become this well known. Jack kindly added that if anybody needs any band names to let them know because they have tons!
As any musician will tell you, there’s always some sort of attraction to the instrument picked up, how did the boys come to choose their instruments?
Sam and Jack tell me that they had always had a passion for the drums however, the two felt like salt to pepper when sat on the stool, drums sticks in hand. “The drums just weren’t for us” they say. Sam went on to learn the guitar and found it much easier to learn and eventually had more interest the six string. Jack was bought a bass guitar for his fourteenth birthday and liked playing the bass more than the guitar; he says “It just suited me.” Sonny looking a little rough perhaps from the night before being a big Strongbow fan, couldn’t remember what made him want to play the drums, but he says he knows he has always had a mini obsession and perhaps this took over at some point. It is clear from how he acts on stage that he has an obvious love for his instrument and being able to play and sing is a huge talent.
Having a fresh alternative sound similar to the likes of ‘Funeral for a Friend’, I wondered who the bands influences were while growing up. Sam the main speaker of the three told me, “while growing up the obvious influences where the likes of New found glory and Blink 182, we don’t aspire to be them, we are just major fans, obviously. But the thought of us maybe one day having careers like them would just be incredible. More obvious inspirations compared to the music we make would be like The Used, Funeral for a Friend, and Fight star.
Talking to the boys about existing bands and artists it was clear the boys had good music taste, but who had the best?
Both Jack and Sam instantly looked at Sonny. Jack smirked as he nudged Sonny “It’s defiantly this one as much he has more of a diverse music taste. As much as I hate to admit, his little head is a jukebox for classics”
Sonny interrupted in his defence, “Not classics like 1940 chart toppers, but no I’m into like mellow acoustics and soft melodies and yeah.” Bit odd for a drummer to admit but I’ve heard stranger things.
Its seems as though the boys have come a long way since the odd practice before dinner or a high school Christmas concert, so what advice do they give for aspiring musicians wanting to start a band?
Sam, quick off the mark to answer, says, “Make sure you just f***ing do it! But don’t arse round! It’s the worst thing you can do.”
Sonny adds, “Yeah just go with it but makes sure you are 100% dedicated or you can quickly take the fun out of making music.”
Jack warns, “You can’t take yourself too seriously though and you need to make sure you have the time to do it otherwise, you just end up not wanting to do it anymore through stressin’ out.”
Sam continues with some wise words, “So many bands expect fame and glory instantly but it just doesn’t work like that. You need to take on board what people say, but most of all just enjoy it!”
Sonny Slumped in his chair with arms folded, points to the other two and finishes with, “Preferably don’t start a band with a couple of idiots!”
As the trio play out with their final song Story of our Lives with screaming teenagers in my ear I think, Twenty Twenty idiots? Definitely not.

Twenty Twenty say a big hello to all our readers. To find out more about the boys and what they are getting up to, why not add their Myspace page:
www.myspace.com/twentytwentyband.
Or check out their official website
www.twentytwentyband.com