Band of Skulls Say They're Not White Stripes' 'Disciples'

Band of Skulls say they're getting fed up with constant comparisons to the White Stripes.

The Southampton blues-rock trio have garnered more than a few comments saying their sound is strangely reminiscent of Jack White's output.

But drummer Matt Hayward tells Spinner they're not disciples of White, but simply grew up listening to the same music as their American peer.

He tells Spinner, "It's a bit tiresome, but we don't really get mad about it as it could be worse, it could be other bands we're compared to. I think we just have the same sort of record collections and grew up with the same kind of music."

He continues, "But we [Band of Skulls] were making the same kind of music before we even heard White Stripes. Me and Russell [Marsden, guitar and vocals] were nine or 10 when we first met. We were put in a room together and given a lot of instruments to play with, as we're both from musical families, and we've been playing together ever since.

"My dad is a musician and he ran a recording studio in Southampton and he'd record all the local blues artists. Yep, Southampton had the blues! It all kind of sprang from that. Me and Russell were surrounded by it, then we became crazy Hendrix fans. It wasn't like we heard the White Stripes and went, 'There's an idea ... '"

He adds, "People seem to get really hung up on one song 'I Know What I Am,' sounding a bit like them, but those people generally haven't heard the rest of the album.

"Jack White is brilliant though, although we haven't met him yet. And the Dead Weather are great, very cool, we saw them when we played Coachella."

As for other festivals, Matt says he and his bandmates are thrilled to be playing this summer's big UK festivals, Glastonbury and Reading/Leeds, for the first time this summer.

He says, "Playing them is my childhood dream. The little kid in me is going to be so chuffed!"

Before the festivals, however, the band play a free gig in London on June 11 on a boat moored on the river Thames. Click here for more information.

As previously reported by Spinner, the band will then release new single, 'Fires,' on September 13, ahead of the September 20 release of a deluxe version of debut album 'Baby Darling Doll Face Honey.' This features five new tracks, including 'Friends,' which featured on the soundtrack of 'Twilight Saga: New Moon.'