The Deep Blue

Words and Photographs by Marieke Hulzinga

Could you share the origin story of the band with me, but make it sound like a movie premise?

Niamh: Georgia and Sophie and I used to play music together in another band. When the pandemic hit, we decided to start a new project called ‘The Deep Blue’. And we sought out Katie and her luscious vocals. And then we wrote this new set. I’m trying to make it sound more like a film...

Georgia: Then disaster struck. “Oh no, a pandemic!”

Niamh: That’s it.

Georgia: “What should we do?” We spent weeks in one room together writing songs and creating this new and incredible band, The Deep Blue, something the world had never seen before. And then, as the pandemic came to a close we were unleashed unto the world. And that’s when The Deep Blue really took flight and had the most incredible summer on their first step towards world domination. The end.

Rest of the band: Yes! [applause]

Georgia: I await the movie contracts, Marieke.

I would say you are quite known for your beautiful harmonies, and you make it look and sound so effortless. Can you talk a bit more about the writing process, who sings and writes what and how you come up with all the different parts?

Georgia: We do a mixture of things really, sometimes one of us will write a song and then we’ll take it to the band. When we decide to move forward with it, that’s when we’ll start adding harmonies to the demo and we start learning those parts. Sometimes we come with a tune, and I won’t lie, sometimes we sing it and it just comes out. I know that sounds very self congratulating. But when you’ve done it for many years and you’re really in tune with each other, we kind of know where we sit in the harmony structure. And on good days, it just comes out.

Katie: We all have a background in kind of ‘choraly’ or group singing, so we’re kind of used to knowing where we sit in harmonies.

Niamh: Georgia is our master producer, so sometimes we’ll send her a new song. And it’s all lovely and acoustic and then Georgia will turn it into a certified banger. That’s always a lovely moment. There was one where Sophie wrote this beautiful song, just on guitar. I had sent it to Georgia and I was in The Guggenheim Museum in New York and she sent over this demo that she had made and I was walking around amongst all the art and I was like: ‘Wow, I love it’. It’s so exciting because you send something off and then it comes back sounding so different. And I think it’s good to sort of bounce it around. We’ve been experimenting with different sounds and some of them come out more electronic or poppy or indie. So yes, it’s always a fun experience.

Sophie: I think it’s nice, because each of us have such a different songwriting style. So it’s nice to see how the songs first start out, and to watch the process of how they then get ‘Deep Blue-ified’. It will still sound like a Deep Blue song, but you can tell who has written it. It still has a bit of individuality to it, but it feels like it’s part of the bigger Deep Blue sphere.

Next to being in a band together, is there anything else you share? A particular hobby, favourite tv show, etc?

Sophie: We love eating together.
Niamh: I was going to say, Katie loves eggs and I love that Katie loves eggs. I really appreciate Katie’s egg obsession.

Georgia: Sophie is definitely the chef, she’s an incredible cook.

Niamh: When we have rehearsals and Sophie cooks, it is just phenomenal. Georgia has been known to almost shed a tear upon arrival, when she’d see this beautiful meal.

Georgia: We also just love hanging out together. Does that count?

Sophie: And we go to gigs together.
Georgia: We do, yes. We are all quite different though. Maybe that’s

why it works.

Niamh: Katie and I also enjoy doing a Salford accent. We both have alter egos, Gracie and Ruby, from Salford. We all enjoy doing an accent I’d say.

Georgia: That’s it, we do! I think we hardly ever speak in our own accents.

What is the biggest thing you have learned about being in a band, going on tour and releasing music so far?

Georgia: I think for me it’s the fact that it’s so much better when you’re having a good time. And that may sound very obvious, but I’m not in it to be famous or to make money or even to sell a million records. I wouldn’t do any of that or aim for any of that if it wasn’t good fun. So the fact that it is such good fun and we have such a laugh, it makes it all so doable. Because it’s quite hard work and there’s a lot of sacrifice involved and it just wouldn’t be worth it at all if it wasn’t as fun as it is. And it really is a bit of a giggle.

Sophie: It’s the best fun in the world.

Niamh: You do have to sort of shape your world around it, because it’s quite an odd concept really. There’s so much work and you have all of these joyous wonderful experiences but it’s definitely a difficult industry to make a way in, to make money or to make it financially viable. So you just have to keep remembering why you’re doing it in the first place. But I think having a group really helps. Because it must be quite difficult being a solo artist and to keep yourself going all the time. But yeah, it is really fun being in a band. And if something goes wrong, it’s hilarious. You’ve got people to laugh with you. If you would be a solo act it would be quite crap, I would imagine. We played through a fire alarm once, when we supported Flyte in Manchester. We were so excited and we were about 10 minutes into our set and the fire alarm started blaring. And we were devastated, because we were so excited about that gig. So we just ended up singing through the alarm with the audience on our side.

Sophie: We spend so much time together when we’re doing gigs or when we’re writing, I think these guys are the people I spend the most time with generally. So you have to like each other and you have to respect each other and you have to enjoy being in each other’s company. Otherwise it is such hard work. And I think we are super lucky to have that between the four of us, that we get on so well. I think working with women as well, for me, it’s such an empowering and healing experience every time I do it. So that is something I always cherished.

Katie: I also think we’ve gone through so much together, we had pandemics, and as a performer especially during the festival season, we would play on these huge stages which can be terrifying. But being surrounded by your band mates, who you spend so much time with and who you’ve built such a strong connection with and have such a wonderful relationship with, it’s indeed so empowering. And I think learning to be a group and being supportive of each other all the time is very special.

If you could learn to play any other instrument, what would it be?

Niamh: Banjo.

Sophie: I’ve got two. The one I’ve always wanted to learn is the violin. But at the moment the mandolin is calling my name. I need to learn the mandolin.

Katie: I don’t think I’ve entered the brass world yet, so maybe give me a French horn?

Sophie: I can see that for you. It’s the classiest brass instrument there is.

Georgia: I’d pick the accordion I think. I love the accordion, it’s so cool. Niamh, don’t look at me like that. You’ve picked the banjo for goodness sake. With the accordion you can play chords, you can play tunes..

Niamh: And you can lose friends as well. You can upset your family members, you can get yourself uninvited to parties..

Georgia: Banjo is twangy and irritating. Accordion is soothing and melancholic.

Katie: Soothing?
Georgia: Are you thinking of the right instrument? Do you even know

what an accordion is?

[Marieke is brought in to stop the “fighting”]

Which of your songs is the most fun to play live? Which one gets the biggest reaction?

Georgia: I’d say ‘He Said She Said’, because we teach the audience to sing along. But then I love singing ‘Water’ as well.

Katie: Yeah that one is fun. And I’d say ‘Rest’ as well, we usually play those at the beginning of our set to put us in the right headspace.

Sophie: I love playing ‘Yellow & Gold’ personally, because that’s the one when I can really smash the drum kit. I’m allowed to do it in that song.

Niamh: The sing along is fun with ‘He Said She Said’, and also ‘Cotton White Linen’ when we bring it down and make it all acoustic and luscious. Which is nice because people get to see a different side and get to hear more of the singing exposed, which is really fun. And bonus points if you make someone cry and if you see them cry.

What is your favourite thing about living in Manchester?

Niamh: The music scene is great, there’s pretty much a gig every night and there are really great venues.

Sophie: I love the people, Northern people are literally the best. I’m from Wales and they are really similar to Welsh people. They’re always up for the craic and super friendly and lovely.

Katie: I think the people for me as well, I’m from the South of England where it’s very different. People don’t really stop and have a chat.. Maybe they do, but not to me. But in the North they do. I enjoy the friendliness and community in Manchester.

Georgia: I love all of those things too. And there is great food in Manchester. I also love the Peak District, let’s give a little shout out to the Peak District. It’s very close, you can have beautiful country walks. What more do you want? I can take my accordion..

What is the name of the WhatsApp group that you’re all in together?

Niamh: Oh it’s so boring. “Full band Deep Blue”, that is dry as a bone.

Georgia: We need to come up with a better name. What should we call it? “The Accordion Collective.”
Niamh: No. Absolutely no way.

Sophie: Something like “Bitches and Hoes”, always a classic.

Georgia: What about.. “Sophie’s Vegetarian Ragout”.

Sophie: It is a nice ragout, to be fair.

Katie: Or sometimes people get our band name wrong. So we’ve been introduced as “The Deep Blue Sea”. Or “Blue Moon”.

Georgia: The Dibbly Bloomers.

Niamh: That is what Georgia calls us at gigs and I started taking the mick out of her a little bit.

Georgia: Apparently I mumble when I introduce the band..

Niamh: Sometimes she gets really Scottish and she just goes: “Hello we’re the Dibbly Bloomers.” So let’s change it to that.

Georgia: Done.

What is your favourite type of colour blue?

Niamh: Royal blue is my favourite one.

Sophie: I like teal, personally. I think it’s quite a classy colour, teal.

Katie: I like duck egg blue.

Georgia: I like the colour blue of the sea on a cold day. Don’t roll your eyes Niamh. A kind of pale, grey blue. Like the sea. On a cold day.

And lastly, what’s your drink of choice?

Niamh: Mulled wine! I drink it all year round as well. I love it.

Sophie: Mine’s a gin and tonic. Or an old fashioned.

Niamh: Katie would be WKD.

Katie: Don’t you dare. I’m more of a Prosecco kind of girl. I just feel fancy when I have any type of sparkly drink. So that would be my drink of choice.

Sophie: I’m changing my answer. I don’t know why I forgot about red wine, but it would be red wine for me. That’s my favourite drink.

Georgia: I like red wine too, but since it’s winter I love a brandy hot chocolate. You can’t really get them in a pub. But just a hot chocolate with quite a lot of brandy, that’s the good stuff.