Queer Punk duo bringing Joyous Rage to The Brickyard

As a little ice-breaker before their much anticipated visit to Carlisle, we wanted to get to know siblings Sean and Natalie a bit better. We were on a bus, they were on a train…we chatted queerness, transgender visibility and England’s oldest lollipop.

Are you sitting comfortably?

Hi Comfort!

We can’t wait to welcome you to Carlisle! What should we expect tomorrow night? 

Lots of unreleased songs, which we usually prioritize in our sets, because it’s what excites us most. Other than that expect bangers. 

You’re on a tour at the moment? Any best and worst bits so far!?

It has just been a beautiful year for us we’ve played the most shows we’ve ever played in a year and we’ve been all over Europe. We played a show in Marseille which was unbelievable, people actually sang along to the end of our tune “one size fits all” it was stunning. The only negative is that the arts are being squeeze dry of every penny from our shocking government and it’s just becoming so much harder to sustain yourself financially unless your parents are minted. We’re lucky there’s only two of us so it makes it more feasible. But every show has been great and we love to play for as much folk as possible.

Would it be fair to say that queerness has a large part to play in your creative process? How do you think it feeds into your work?

Queerness is in everything I do, and always has been. Even as a child when I was still unsure of the world queerness defined my life, people decided I was queer long before I realized and ever since I have learnt that being on the outside is powerful. I am free, there is no laid path for me I can do what I want I can define life on my terms because ,kicking and screaming, I already have. I named myself, I will decide what is enough. 

We love that you’re unafraid to take on big issues with your music and performances, has that always been important for you both?

Yeah I think it’s important to write about the world we live in now, everything affects everything so to me you can’t avoid writing about bigger issues. I feel like there’s more room for more fearlessness. I’m still learning and growing as a person so what I write about will change but writers like Audre Lorde have been so influential in teaching me that politics reaches every fibre of your being, when you’re existence is politicized everything you write is. 

Do you think there’s enough representation of trans people in music? 

I don’t, I want more trans artists that aren’t just grateful to be there, ones that challenge the industry because it’s not made to serve us. I don’t want to make art that’s easy for straight/Cis people to digest, leave that for the AIs.’ We are platforms when we’re joyful, playful, sexual but I want our rage in full force

Any tips for young queer artists wanting to make music professionally?

Just be open and do what you want to do, don’t take peoples advice because no one really has a clue what they’re doing. As long as you can get any sort of satisfaction from your art, that’s enough. 

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How long have you been making music for? Was it always a part of your relationship growing up?

We’ve been making music as Comfort for about 6 years, before we were in a band together as teenagers playing some classic rock bangers. We’ve always been so excited by music sharing tunes and playing each other music throughout our lives, we didn’t play together for quite a few years prior to comfort because we lived in different cities. 

How is it working together as siblings? 

It’s beautiful, stress free and fulfilling. We don’t put any pressure on each other and we both have a deep trust for one another, there’s not any egos involved we’re both on the same page and just want to make tunes that we are both into. 

Without googling and using only your wild imaginations, can you guess what the following Carlisle-y things are:

Licking Stone?

England’s oldest lollipop licked by Edward Longshanks himself.

Correct.

Strawberry Fields?

A really tacky Beatles themed post office.

Wow, correct…

Hardwick Circus?

A really high quality candle shop, artisan. 

Spot on.

Twisted Wheel?

Where some boy does banging chrome rims for half price.

Clearly you’ve done your homework. We’re impressed.  

Finally, tell us a secret?

I’m not a grass. 

Comfort are playing at Brickyard Carlisle on Saturday 18th November! It’s an affordable, thoughtful and queer friendly space! Get yersel down!

Words Stevie

Images 1/2 @oculus_sinistra

Images 3/4/5 Courtesy of Comfort