Start Listening To: Web
The London-via-Portsmouth four-piece on chaotic jams, concept songs, and finding beauty in the wreckage.
Web are a band that thrive on tension, unpredictability and the sheer mess of creation. Born out of Portsmouth pub jams and shaped in London’s DIY scene, the four-piece fuse grunge, hardcore, post-rock and left-field chaos into something that feels both feral and deliberate. With flute woven into the noise and concept songs like Titanic at the center of their debut EP, they balance improvisation with structure, absurdity with intensity. We caught up with them to talk strawberries, Jethro Tull comparisons, and why they want listeners walking away asking, “what the hell was that?”
For those unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make?
Lucas: You could say it all started when I got into playing guitar and starting bands at around 16 years old and my parents said “Let you little brother play with you” in much the same way they had said for years about the Playstation. We grew up on 90s grunge inherited from our dad and then later heavy hardcore and beatdown absorbed from friends, but the Web project took shape as we were getting more into post-rock and left field music (Slint, Swans, Death Grips, black midi etc) and the bands sound is a kind of twisted combination of those influences.
A lot of the material took shape in Portsmouth pubs, lots of improvisational live sets and experimenting with cutting up the songs and rearranging them for maximum impact. The flute came in when we moved to London and met Kathryn and it felt like the missing piece.
Kathryn: Thanks.
How did the experience of writing 'Titanic' differ from your previous work, and what new elements did it introduce to your sound?
Lucas: Titanic was the first true ‘concept’ song we wrote that really influenced how we write and what about. The main guitar parts came about in a jam. I think I said “this sounds like the final moments of the Titanic, panic stations” and we built the song around that idea. We used this same technique in ‘Terminal’ which is also on the EP
Can you share a memorable moment from the recording process of your debut EP that really encapsulates the essence of Web?
Kathryn: On the drive to Middle Farm Studios (where we recorded the EP) we saw a sign that said ‘strawberries for sale’ so Kristian made an extremely erratic and sudden left turn down a dirt road in search for them. Didn’t find them, ended up at a chicken farm
What role does improvisation play in your music, and how do you balance it with structured songwriting during rehearsals?
Lucas: Improvisation is really at the heart of the band. Kristian brings the raw musicality - a lot of the core ideas for the songs come from him - but we carve out the songs collaboratively through relentless jamming. It's the only way a song like ‘Titanic’ can exist - I can’t imagine any one person sitting down to demo that on garage band
As you prepare for your EP launch show, what can fans expect in terms of the live experience and setlist?
Lucas: Expect to laugh, cry, rock out and reflect. Here at Web it's our mission to make sure that our audience doesn't just watch the show, they feel it. It's a journey, strap in and feel the Gs.
How has your move from Portsmouth to London influenced your music and the way you connect with your audience?
Lucas: The biggest influence has really been all the creative friends we’ve made here. The EP wouldn’t be the way it is without our friends Daniel Huddlestone (Palace Watson) and Soren Bryce (Tummyache). The songs had existed for a long time and we’d tried with different studios and producers but nothing really clicked. It's so much better and easier to work with people you love, trust and respect and we needed the time in the big smoke to find them.
What stories or themes can fans look forward to in the other tracks on the EP, and how do they connect to 'Titanic'?
Lucas: Crashing into the abyss, be it in the physical (Titanic, Terminal), intellectual (News) or psychological (Improv)
What has been the most surprising reaction you've received from fans or critics regarding your music so far?
Lucas: I’m always surprised by how many people that don’t listen to experimental stuff that are into the band. Deep down we do love a catchy pop rock banger and its funny how that can work its way into a track like News or Titanic.
Kathryn: Jethro Tull comparisons.
How do you see the evolution of your sound progressing in future releases, and what new directions are you eager to explore?
Lucas: Our recent writing sessions have revolved around songs that Kristian has written with the rest of us Web-ifying them. Its kind of like doing things the other way around - taking a singer-songwriter style song, deconstructing it and reassembling rather than taking raw musical ideas and forcing them into the shape of a song. :Its been fun figuring out how to apply the themes of the lyrics to the music after having spent so long building stories and themes in reaction to how the instrumental sounds.
What inspired the concept behind your debut EP, and how do you feel it reflects your collective journey as a band?
Lucas: The concept really emerged naturally. These songs are all on the same vibe, riding the same wave. They naturally gravitated towards each other. They’re doomy, they’re mental, they hang out together.
What do you love right now?
Lucas: Rider beers
Kathryn: Pickled eggs and Versi by Andy Stott
Ben: Hardstyle & wasabi peanuts
Kristian: Jesus Christ
What do you hate right now?
Lucas: Going to the green room for a cold rider beer to find they’ve all been taken by another band
Kathryn: Smiling
Ben: pickled eggs
Kristian: My sin
Name an album you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why it’s still important to you?
Lucas: Nevermind’s influence was massive for Kristian, Ben and myself. Personally, I can’t seem to shake Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins. Something about those songs that just hit even after all this time. We played a Smashing Pumpkins tribute set a couple of Halloweens ago at the George Tavern which felt very full circle.
Kathryn: For me, The Black Parade
Ben: GY!BE.
When someone hears your music for the first time, what do you hope sticks with them?
Lucas: Just to be like, “wtf was that?” Either positively or negatively.
