01
When The World Stood Still
The Small Fortunes began when Louis Menguy and Louis James started writing together during the pandemic. What do you remember about those first sessions, and what sparked the idea that this could become a real band?
"It all began during a strange period when the world had come to a standstill. Everything was on hold, and there wasn’t much else to do. Louis James and I happened to be living in the same house with a few other people, and looking back, it feels like the perfect set of circumstances for us to start writing together.
Once we’d written our first song, Rolling With the Thunder, and finally made it into the studio to record it, it quickly became clear that recording alone wasn’t enough. These songs were meant to be played live. From that moment on, we knew we had to build a band and take them out to an audience."
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“These songs were meant to be played live.”
02
The Blues Never Left
Your music draws from blues legends like Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker. What was it about that music that resonated with you early on?
"Louis James and I have always been drawn to the blues. There’s something timeless about its rawness and honesty, and we found ourselves wanting to hear more contemporary music that carried the same spirit.
So much of the music we love has its roots in the blues, and we wanted to tap into that foundation to create something that feels both authentic and modern. Our goal was to see how far we could push that sound while staying true to what inspired us in the first place. We believed there were others out there who felt the same way we did, people who wanted to hear more music that embraced the soul and emotion of the blues in a fresh, contemporary context."
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“Something timeless about its rawness and honesty.”
03
Where Garage Rock Meets The Blues
At the same time, there’s a strong garage rock energy in your sound reminiscent of bands like The White Stripes or BRMC. How did those more modern influences shape the direction of the band?
“Yeah, we’ve always loved bands like BRMC, The Black Keys and The White Stripes. There’s something about those open-tuned riffs, the overdriven vocals, and the sheer grit and intensity of their sound that really resonates with us. What we admire most is the honesty and energy of their live performances, and the way they managed to capture that same raw spirit on their records. That’s something we’ve always wanted to emulate in our own music.”
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“We’ve always wanted to emulate that same raw spirit.”
04
When Everything Clicked
The full lineup only really locked into place in 2024. How did the band’s identity evolve once everyone was in the room together?
"Louis James and I had already recorded around ten songs with Dave Radahd-Jones at RedCity Studios in Manchester before we even started rehearsing with the full band. It was a bit of a backwards approach compared to how most bands begin, but in hindsight it really helped us focus on exactly what we wanted the live show to be.
The songs were already there, so when it came to rehearsals, our only goal was to perform them in the best way possible. In the end, we exceeded our own expectations. As soon as Chris, Liam, Glover and the rest of us started playing together, everything just clicked. The sound came together naturally, and before long our live shows started growing as more and more people began hearing about what we were doing."
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“Everything just clicked.”
05
Like A Freight Train
You’ve quickly built a reputation for high-energy live shows, even selling out your first UK tour. What do you think happens on stage that people connect with?
"Yeah, we were genuinely blown away by the response as soon as we started playing live. Our first two tours sold out in quick succession, which gave us a real sense that people were connecting with what we were doing.
I think a lot of that comes down to the sound we create on stage. The moment you hear Louis’ harmonica weaving through Glover’s organ, with the growling, overdriven bass and guitar sitting on top of Chris’ thunderous drums, it hits you like a freight train. There’s an energy to it that’s hard to describe until you’re standing in the room.
At a time when AI is becoming more prominent and so much online can feel manufactured or artificial, I think people are craving something real. They’re looking for genuine performances, well-written songs, musicians playing together in the moment, and Louis’ voice bringing it all to life. That authenticity seems to resonate with people, and we’re incredibly grateful that so many have connected with what we’re doing."
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“People are craving something real.”
06
Giving The Songs A Home
You released two EPs in relatively quick succession. Was that pace intentional, or did the songs simply demand to be released quickly?
"We’d been sitting on the songs from those first couple of EPs for a while. With the exception of one track, they were all recorded by just Louis James and me, and we were really keen to finally get them out into the world before moving into the next chapter with music recorded by the full band.
It also felt important to give our growing live audience something they could really get their teeth into. People had been coming to the shows and asking where they could hear the songs, so releasing the EPs gave them a body of work to take away with them and connect with. We hoped it would make the live experience even more meaningful, allowing fans to come back already knowing the songs and sing along with us."
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“People had been asking where they could hear the songs.”
07
Leaving Room To Breathe
Your recordings feel direct and focused, almost deliberately restrained compared to some modern rock productions. How intentional is that simplicity when shaping your sound?
"It was a very deliberate decision to keep the production lo-fi and restrained, especially compared to a lot of modern rock records. We wanted the recordings to feel honest and leave plenty of space for the performances, rather than polishing everything to perfection.
Dave at RedCity Studios did an incredible job of understanding exactly what we were aiming for and capturing that on record. Together, I think we found a sound that stayed true to our vision and achieved exactly what we’d set out to create."
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“We wanted the recordings to feel honest.”
08
The Songs That Define Us
Looking at the Down To The Wire EP, which track feels most representative of where the band stands right now?
"We feel like Castaway is a great representation of where we are as a band. We were really proud of how that track came together, and it captures so much of what we’re trying to achieve musically.
That said, we’re always pushing ourselves forward. As we write and evolve, the songs that best represent us are constantly changing. Right now, though, tracks like Castaway and Together We’re Alone really embody who we are. They strike the balance between the rawness, melody and energy that we’ve been chasing from the very beginning, and they feel like the clearest expression of our identity as a band."
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“They feel like the clearest expression of our identity.”
09
Choosing Honesty
Was there a moment on the EP that felt particularly vulnerable or risky to release?
"It can always feel risky putting your music out into the world, especially when you’re trying to do something you genuinely believe in. You’re opening yourself up and inviting people to judge something that’s deeply personal.
But for us, it feels like an even bigger risk not to express ourselves or put our whole hearts into something we truly believe in. Every decision in life comes with an element of risk, so we’d rather take ours by being honest and making the music we love than by playing it safe.
Expressing ourselves and sharing the things that inspire us has always been at the heart of what we do. That belief has always outweighed any fear of how the music might be received."
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“We’d rather take our risk by being honest.”
10
Only The Beginning
If these first releases represent the foundation of The Small Fortunes, what do you feel the next chapter of the band might look or sound like?
"We’re going to keep building on the foundation we’ve laid and see just how far we can take it. The response we’ve had in such a short space of time, both from our live shows and our releases, has given us a huge amount of confidence. It feels like we’re only just getting started, and we genuinely believe the sky’s the limit.
Our focus is simple: keep writing and recording gritty, hook-filled, blues-inspired songs, keep putting on the best live shows we possibly can, and bring as many people along for the journey as we can. If the reaction so far is anything to go by, we’re incredibly excited about what’s ahead. We can’t wait to see just how big this can become."
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“It feels like we’re only just getting started.”