Top Tens: Evelyn from Lead Shot Hazard's Top Ten Punk Rock Influences

1. Tyrannosaurus ALAN
These guys probably count as my biggest influence because, if I hadn't been to see them as many times as I had, I might not be playing the sax now. I had always liked the idea of starting to learn but it wasn't until I saw Tom with Dreads playing, and it looked like so much fun, that I had to give it a try. Their last two albums are also incredible – those punchy horn lines are to die for and I always try to recreate that punch when I'm writing horn lines for Lead Shot Hazard.

2. The Agincourt rock club, Camberley
I used to go there every week with my mates and we'd have a very (drunken) great time. It was also a place for me to discover tunes. The Adge (affectionate name) would have a ska-punk half hour and they'd always play Kicking Pigeons by [Spunge], The Impression That I Get by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Sell Out by Reel Big Fish and Gainesville Rock City by Less Than Jake. Needless to say, it was great dancing around like an idiot and knocking on people's heads when 'never had to knock on wood' was sung.

3. The Plan
This is Tom (from Lead Shot Hazard)'s old band and I went to see them a lot – also doing merch for them and all the other things that band girlfriends tend to do. They're a major influence – a bit like Tyrannosaurus Alan – because they gave me an insight into just how much fun – and how much work – being in a band is. They also played with loads of bands in the scene, such as Tyrannosaurus Alan, Fandangle, Faintest Idea, Wonk Unit, Bogus Gasman, etc. so going to these shows got me more into the scene.

4. Beat The Red Light
I remember discovering BTRL like it was yesterday. When Lead Shot Hazard were starting up, Dave told me about them since they're a local band. So I downloaded their stuff from Bandcamp and OH MY GOD it blew my tiny mind. I'd never heard of marrying ska-punk and metal before. It was like tasting a Crispy Creme Biscoff doughnut for the first time. They have so much energy on stage too and their sound is unparalleled. I'm chuffed that Redeemon is carrying on the legacy.

5. Faintest Idea
These guys have mastered the art of the catchy horn riff. More often than not, I'll get one of their songs in my head because they're just so damn catchy. Also, those dance moves that the horn section do (i.e. me, as well, when I'm depping for them) are great fun – probably one of the reasons we now have dance moves for Lead Shot Hazard.

6. Fandangle
So these guys influenced my teenage years quite a bit – my sister was the tour manager for them and would put on a yearly ska-punk all dayer at The Camden Underworld, which I always went to. So I got to see Fandangle quite a lot. Again, their energy on stage is great fun. Their songs are awesome – check out their album Fly Away, which is an oldie but a very good goodie. Again, super catchy horn lines!

7. The Junk
The songs these guys play really resonate with me since their tracks are so powerful and the sax in them always blows me away. There's an urgency to their stuff that I've always strived to recreate when writing my horn lines (I don't think I've ever quite managed it) and the balance of heaviness and ska-y-ness is great.

8. Atrocity Solution
I discovered these guys at around the same time I discovered Beat The Red Light, as they came up as a similar artist. These guys have an album called Lost Remedies and it's the only album that I really enjoy listening to from start to finish, in order (I'm usually a shuffle fan). There's something in the throaty, growly vocals and the inclusion of a cello (so emotive and original) that moves me to the point where I have to keep listening. For our songs, we usually tend to write in minor keys and, for me, this is an influence for that.

9. Metallica
When I was 14, I got into all the alternative stuff and Korn, Slipknot and Metallica were the first bands I got into. The first album I bought was Ride The Lightning by Metallica and it's incredible. One song which really got me through some tough times in my teenage years was Fade To Black, which I'm now trying to recreate on the sax (one day!). The melancholic tones and emotional guitar solos – with the amazing build-up at the end – really makes for a great song. You can hear some of that influence coming through in some of the tracks on our new album, Fires To Find Our Friends.

10. Popes of Chillitown
I also remember discovering Wisdom Teeth like it was yesterday, I was at work and looking for something new to listen to. I'd heard of these guys before but we hadn't played with them yet – I believe I was searching for them as we were going to play on a line up with them. I listened to it on a loop and was hooked. It's still one of my absolute favourites. They're amazing live, too – the energy that Tarzan has is hard to beat and the polish with which they deliver a set is stunning. Again, as with most of the bands on my influence list, their horn lines are incredible, and when I dep for Popes, I struggle to do them justice.

Lead Shot Hazard's album, Fires To Find Our Friends, comes out on the 25th August and you can preview a couple of songs from it on crabshackrecords.com now.