The lead singer of the band European Invasion, Jonny Hammond, discusses the band's upcoming first European tour. He expresses excitement about being able to perform for their fans outside the UK. Hammond notes that the band's success has happened very quickly, going from playing in pubs hoping for a chance to their European tour just a few years later. He pinpoints the band's EP reaching the top 10 of the alternative iTunes chart in 2010 as the moment they realized people liked their music enough to support them and their career could take off.

1. EUROPEAN INVASION
_______ LEAD SINGER JONNY HAMMOND TALKS
ABOUT THEIR UPCOMING EUROPEAN TOUR
Q. THIS IS YOUR FIRST TOUR THAT WILL BE OUTSIDE OF THE
UK, ARE YOU EXCITED?
A. VERY, IT IS GREAT PLAYING IN FRONT OF OUR HOME
CROWD IN THE UK BUT WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF
FANS IN OTHER COUNTRIES WHO WOULD LOVE TO SEE US
PLAY, WE WANT TO PLEASE ALL OF OUR FANS. WE START
THE TOUR IN THE UK SO THAT IS GOING TO GET US PUMPED
UP AND EXCITED TO TAKE OUR MUSIC ACROSS EUROPE.
Q. IT WAS A YEAR AGO WHEN YOU PERFORMED YOUR FIRST
UK TOUR, DID YOU EXPECT THINGS TO MOVE THIS FAST?
A. IT’S NOT THAT I DIDN’T EXPECT IT, WE HAVE WORKED SO
HARD TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN AND THE FACT THAT IT HAS
HAPPENED SO QUICKLY SHOWS THAT HARD WORK PAYS
OFF, NOBODY HAD HEARD OF US A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO
AND NOW WE ARE GOING ON TOUR IN EUROPE, ITS
OVERWHELMING.
Q. YOU CERTAINLY HAVE SURPRISED US ALL, IT’S ALWAYS
GREAT TO SEE A BAND BREAK THROUGH INTO THE
LIMELIGHT.
A. I THINK IT’S THE WAY THAT IT HAPPENS, YOU SPEND ALL
OF YEAR TEENAGE YEARS MAKING MUSIC, PLAYING IN PUBS
HOPING THAT SOMEONE IS GONNA GIVE YOU A CHANCE.
Q. WHEN WOULD YOU SAY YOU GOT THAT CHANCE AND
KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO BECOME BIG?
A. WE MADE AN EP IN 2010, THE WORD GOT OUT AND IT
ENDED UP GETTING INTO THE TOP TEN ON THE
ALTERNATIVE iTUNES CHART, THAT GOT US SOME

2. ATTENTION AND KICKSTARTED US INTO MAKING AN ALBUM,
WE HAD HELP FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE AND THEY
SUPPORTED US, THE ALBUM WAS A SUCCESS AND THAT
TURNED INTO OUR FIRST UK TOUR. I THINK OUR EP
GETTING INTO THE TOP 10 WAS THE MOMENT WE REALISED
PEOPLE LIKE OUR MUSIC ENOUGH TO BUY IT AND SUPPORT
US, THAT IS WHEN I HAD A FEELING WE COULD MAKE
SOMETHING OUT OF THIS.
Q. GOING ON TOUR CAN TAKE A LOT OUT OF SOMEONE, IT
MUST HELP THAT YOU ARE DOING IT WITH YOUR
BANDMATES
A. BEING AWAY FROM HOME FOR SO LONG CAN GET TO YOU
SOMETIMES, BUT I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SOMEONE WHO IS
INTERESTED IN TRAVELLING SO I GUESS GOING ON A
EUROPEAN TOUR TO PERFORM KILLS TWO BIRDS WITH ONE
STONE. I FORMED THE BAND WITH FRIENDS I KNEW SINCE
SCHOOL SO WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CLOSE, ALTHOUGH
BEING WITH THEM EVERY DAY CAN GET QUITE ANNOYING,
WE ARE LIKE BROTHERS. WE JUST NEED TO FORGET ABOUT
HOME FOR A WHILE AND FOCUS ON OUR MUSIC AND HELP
EACHOTHER THROUGH EVERYTHING, BEING AWAY FOR SO
LONG JUST MAKES IT THAT BIT BETTER WHEN WE
ACTUALLY GET TO SEE OUR FAMILIES.
Q. IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR PLACE YOU ARE LOOKING
FORWARD TO PERFORMING AT DURING THE TOUR?
A. ON OUR FIRST UK TOUR WE NEVER PERFORMED IN
NEWCASTLE, WE ARE OPENING THERE THIS TIME ROUND SO
THAT IS VERY EXCITING BECAUSE IT IS MY HOMETOWN, THE
O2 HAS A GREAT ATMOSPHERE AND I KNOW IT IS GOING TO
ROCK. AS FAR AS EUROPE GOES I DON’T KNOW, I’M JUST
EXCITED TO SEE EVERY ONE OF OUR FANS FROM EUROPE
AND I CAN’T WAIT TO PERFORM FOR THEM.
Q. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR AFTER THIS TOUR?
A. CONTINUE DOING WHAT WE DO BEST, WE JUST WANT TO
FOCUS ON THE TOUR AT THE MINUTE BUT WE CAN NOT WAIT

3. TO GET BACK INTO THE RECORDING STUDIO AND MAKE
MORE MUSIC. I THINK THERE IS GOING TO BE A SHORT
PERIOD WHERE WE CHILL AND SPEND TIME WITH OUR
FAMILIES BECAUSE WE WILL NOT HAVE SEEN THEM FOR A
FEW MONTHS BUT AFTER THAT WE ARE GONNA GET
STRAIGHT INTO OUR SECOND ALBUM!
Q. WELL WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU COME UP WITH
NEXT! THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING WITH US!
A. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME!