BLACKWATERS START CREATIVE HUB IN THEIR ADOPTED HOMETOWN OF SHEFFIELD - 09/08/2019

Having spent the last few years adjusting to life up North, BlackWaters seem to not only have adopted the city of Sheffield as their home but have been adopted by the Steel City as honorary Sheffield dwellers.

This year they swapped the city’s Tramlines fringe for the official Tramlines Festival to play The Library Stage. When asked about making the swap, lead vocalist, Max Tanner said “It feels good. Last year we played the fringe. It’s exciting to be on at the main event.”

The band’s drummer, James Watkins, added “I feel like progress has been made when you go from the fringe to the main field festival.”

Blackwaters at Tramlines. Photo by me.

It has been a long while since the last time me and the band spoke at a popular hub of the city, the Frog and Parrot. Sitting down at the festival, we spoke about all they have done since the last time we spoke and most recently they released a new single, I’m Not Your Man.

Written by Tanner and guitarist, David Carpenter, on a bright sunny day in a field while they were being bitten by ants, Watkins said that this song is the one they are “most proud of”.

Watkins said, “It felt like a changing point in the band, not a massive change, it still sounds like us but I think our whole aesthetic and the style we portray to everyone changed slightly and people saw that as a more mature side to. I think that kind of punk rap energetic style will always stay though.”

Agreeing with him, Carpenter said, “Especially live.”

Blackwaters at Tramlines. Photo by me.

On top of the new single, the band have recently started up their own Arts Lab which allows creatives from all over Sheffield and beyond to come together and work on a number of different types of art as Tanner said, “We don’t just want to specifically keep it to music.”

Discussing the need for a creative hub like this, Watkins said, “There are a lot of bands like ourselves who are trying to do something in Sheffield but there wasn’t a creative hub for any of them and I think since we last spoke, we are just trying to push that creative hub and it is growing.”

Blackwaters at Tramlines. Photo by me.

Naming it Jarr’ed Up Arts Lab after their song, Jarr’ed Up Generation and record label, Jarr’ed Up Records, the arts lab is, as Tanner said, a “community based project” where they “put on shows, do open mics and put on gigs in our backyard.”

Bassist of the band, Ollie Franklin said, “We’ve met a lot of bands and people in general through doing it.”

With the hope for an extension into different art forms, they are looking at poetry writing, painting classes and master classes in different subjects.

Blackwaters at Tramlines. Photo by me.

With a show by China Bears (supports to be announced) at Sheffield’s Café Totem courtesy of the Jarr’ed Up Arts Lab on 29^th November, another Yard Party* happening on 9^th August at which BlackWaters themselves will be playing alongside Calva Louise and Nervous Pills and more events in the pipeline, there is a lot to get involved with through the Jarr’ed Up Arts Lab if you are a creative from in or around Sheffield.

BlackWaters will also be heading on tour with The Libertines in December has they play the first night at Glasgow's Barrowlands on the 7th and the second night at Birmingham's O2 Academy on the 15th.

*The Yard Party is at the house of BlackWaters near Ecclesall Road, direct message their social media for the address.