Twenty Twenty are lead singer and guitarist Sam Halliday, his brother bassist Jack Halliday and drummer Sonny Watson-Lang. The band formed in early 2009 after Sonny agreed to play drums with the Halliday brothers.

Hailing from Essex and Cambridge, the trio have steadily created an incredible buzz prior to their major label signing. Playing live shows with the likes of JLS, McFly, Selena Gomez and The Sugababes and touring the UK on their own headline sold-out tours throughout 2010, they amassed a huge fan base along the way.

Now with major label support, Twenty Twenty released their new single ‘Love To Life’ on 17th April followed by their mini album ‘Small Talk’.

[Twenty Twenty are L to R: Sonny Watson-Lang, Sam Halliday and Jack Halliday]

The Voice 21 team were excited to hear that the boys were going to pop down to the Voice 21 office as they came to the West Midlands during their tour with The Wanted. So on a sunny Monday afternoon members of the editorial team greeted Twenty Twenty and sat them down for a chat.

Interview with Twenty Twenty
by Aneela Aziz, Shanice Abbott, Aniera Evans, Elisha Iqbal

 1. How did you decide on the name Twenty Twenty?

Sonny: I don’t know why but we spent months thinking of a name, and then one night we ended up having a drink in a local pub and we looked at the clock and it was twenty past eight at night. And we all liked the word twenty as well. That’s kind of pretty much it.

2. Your band’s chemistry is great and it compliments your music, so how did you all meet and come together as a band?

Sam: Well Jack and I are brothers. I was at university and Jack was just finishing his A-levels and we both had an opportunity to take a gap year out, and we knew a friend who knew Sonny. So there was a time when we just wanted to do music. So we starting jamming and writing songs in the studio and a few months later thought we’d give it a go. We didn’t plan on it really, we just started writing and recording and all of a sudden we kind of managed to get here, and we have just celebrated our 2nd year anniversary of being a band!

3. For those who haven’t heard your music, what other bands out there would you compare yourselves to?

Sam: We get a lot of people that like McFly that sort of like us. I think every band says that their music is their music but as far as influence goes we grew up listening to bands like Blink 182 and Green Day, just kind of pop rock. But we have a lot of pop influences as well. So we listen to a whole spectrum of things.

4. The music industry is difficult to break in to, how have you found it?

Sam: Hard! It is tough but it is good fun. I think the main thing is people don’t understand, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing, whether you are in a job or education is that you need to put work in to it, and I think a lot people think you just record some songs on Myspace and suddenly the next day you get millions of hits and you get someone ringing you up with lots of money going yeah you’re going to be famous tomorrow. And it doesn’t quite work like that. You’ve got to do lots of work and put the time in but when do put the work and effort in it does pay off because you get to play quite amazing shows.

Sonny: You have got to be committed.

Sam: Yeah you have got to kind of really go for it.

Jack: The thing is like at the same time it’s hard work but it’s the best work, it’s really good fun and you know it’s hard work but you love doing it

5. How does it feel being signed to a record label?

Sam: It’s amazing! I think like for lots of bands that have been touring the unsigned circuit like we are it’s great, a great platform because labels help you kind of get out there, but at the same time we’ve always said, especially to our fans, that being signed to a major label is great, a massive achievement for us, but at the same time we are not one of those bands that just disappears and suddenly walks around with big egos and thinks they’re going to be massive. So we keep in touch with all of our fans.

Jack: For us it’s kind of like we’re starting again. It’s like a new chapter for the band and it’s time to go for it really.

6. Who inspires your music? Who are your idols?

Jack: I grew up listening to Blink 182.

Sam: We are all big Blink fans and really into alternative music. But like we said before we love our pop music. We love Jessie J and Katy Perry at the minute. So yeah literally we listen to a whole range of things from like Heavy rock…

Jack: Even old My Chemical Romance as well.

7. Can you tell us about your song writing, who pens the tracks?

Sam: Well we write predominately, but we kind of work with various writers and producers as well. To be honest with you it’s mainly producers isn’t it. Like for instance, our single ‘Love to Life’ was co-written and produced with a guy who did a lot of McFly albums, but we are heavily involved with it. It’s more like structuring, arrangement and recording of the songs that we kind of collaborate with other people rather than the actual kind of writing.

8. How does it feel to have your singles ‘Love to life’ & ‘Tell Me a Secret’ on iTunes soon?

Jack: It’s really weird. It’s about 5 days away now and it’s really nerve-wracking because it’s like time to shine.

Sonny: It’s pretty cool seeing them on there.

Sam: It’s so cool and we’re really excited about it.

9. Does it feel weird to have fans?

Sam: No no. It was probably weird at the start. But our fan base hasn’t just appeared like once there was one person that liked us then there were two.

Sonny: It’s kind of weird though because a lot of the fans that we’ve had from the very start have been people we see everywhere so they are kind of like friends.

Sam: I think if suddenly we walked outside one day and everyone started screaming at us that would be weird. But because the fans have grown up with the band it has grown organically. I must admit like, especially I noticed it when we were on tour with The Saturdays we went over to Belfast and we have never ever been there before. We went out for lunch and I went shopping, and there were a few girls that came up to me and asked for a photo and it was really weird that people recognise you places you have never been before. It’s weird in that respect.

Sonny: It’s probably more weird because weren’t you buying some pants?

Sam: Yeah I was buying some underwear at the same time. And these girls, bless them, were following me around the shop, so I was trying to quickly buy my underwear, haha.

10. You are currently touring with the Wanted. How is the tour going? Have you got to know the guys from the Wanted?

Jack: Yeah, it’s really good fun. It’s been busy because on this tour we have done a lot of school shows as well at the same time. So we have been going to bed at the early hours of the morning and getting up just a little bit later. But it’s been really good fun and the Wanted are awesome.

Sam: We have known them for quite a while now because we are signed to the same label and we have played a couple of shows with them before this tour and sort of got to know them there. It was quite nice already having that head start because you usually have those first few days when you walk down the corridor and it’s like ‘alright… hi… the weather’s nice’ (haha) stuff like that.

11. What is your favourite thing about touring?

Sam: The shows! How ever long we spend on stage is the best amount of time.

Jack: You can never be on stage enough. When it’s over you wanna go back out there and do it again.

Sonny: When everyone is singing back to you and having a great time.

Sam: It’s nice just being on tour, generally travelling around seeing all the different places. Sittin’ in the van, living off take away food (haha). You kinda miss home food after a while.

12. What do you do on downtime between recording and touring?

Sam: In our spare time we just kind of…

Sonny: SLEEP!

Sam: (haha) Yeah, try and get some rest. No we visit friends, yeah visit people cuz sometimes we haven’t seen people for ages. Just kinda do stuff you don’t get time to do, like go shopping.

13. What was the first gig you ever played and was it a success?

Sam: Noooooo it wasn’t a success (haha)

Jack: Could it be classed as a show?

Sam: Not really. You know what you never forget your first show. There must have been about 30 people in this bar and the people were all like really burly men.

Jack: And we had a small stage. Sonny was here with his drum kit and Sam would keep knocking off his symbol with his elbow. It was really small and didn’t have room, but no one really battered an eyelid. We were just trying to have a good time (haha).

Sam: Yeah the banter with the crowd was a bit rubbish, we might as well of been playing to an empty room. But it’s kind of weird because we came off stage going “oh that was amazing!” (haha) “Oh that was such a good gig!”  At the end of the day we look at it now and love the fact that we played that show.

Sonny: Yeah you gotta start somewhere.

Sam: It makes you more appreciative when you play gigs like tonight at the Wolverhampton Civic in front of 2,000 people.

14. Do you feel it is important to interact with the audience? and how do you do it?

Jack: Yeah! That’s the thing we’ve always been really big on, like that’s kind of what we love doing the most. When we play we always try to put on a show rather than just playing songs because there’s nothing worse than going to see a band were they’re playing through a few songs and just mumble down the microphone and that’s it, then they go of stage. So we always try and get people up and jumping around. Even if you don’t know the words just jump along and make loud noises.

15. Can you recall the moment when you first decided you wanted to become a musician?

Sam:  I wanted to be a musician from the age of 13 but it’s different when you actually want to make it a profession. I used to do a lot of musical theatre and used to be in bands when I was growing up and stuff like that, jumping around in the bedroom to ‘Take That’ when I was 6 years old (haha). But actually for me as far as doing it professionally that probably came a bit later. I’ve been involved in music since I was 11 or 12 but like doing it professionally I kind of only decided when the band started that I wanted to do it properly and go for it.

Sonny: For me I was quite young when I wanted to do it so. Slightly earlier than you guys

Sam: What… earlier than 6 years old jumping around singing to Take That? (haha)

Jack: To be honest with you we’re doing it but it doesn’t feel like a profession. We’d like to be professional but I don’t think were doing it as a profession. We just love doing it and it’s just kind of happened.

Sonny: Yeah, I’ve been in bands with people before I was doing this and they were like “Ahh I’ve got work tomorrow so I can’t really be bothered”.

Sam: When we did it we were all still working but we said that if we were going to do it then we’re going to do it properly. I got in loads of trouble at work, I kept taking sick days off, which wasn’t good so don’t do that! (haha)

16. If you weren’t making music, what do you think you would all be doing?

Sam: I dropped out of uni to do this so I’d probably be trying to finish a degree and trying to get a job in something art or design related.

Sonny: I’d probably be involved in property development, that’s kind of what I was doing so yeah, I’d probably still be doing that.

Jack: Thinking about it now, this summer I’d probably be graduating uni.

Sam: Oh hang on a minute I’d probably be working then. No wait, I’d still be at university because it was a 4 year course. But that year out went really well with the band so I kind of didn’t go back to finish.

But you’re still doing really well…

Sam: Well yeah, I do not regret that moment when I rang up my mum in like June and was like mum I’m leaving uni, so no I don’t regret any of it, it’s been amazing.

17. Are there any annoying habits within the band?

Jack: Well Sam’s really messy which is kind of annoying when the dressing room is full of all of his stuff!

Sam: But I like to think that my faults are the reason that makes me the person I am.

Jack: Like when his cupboard opens it just explodes but yeah that’s about it, me and Sonny don’t really have any annoying habits.

Sam: Jack takes flippin’ ages to do anything, AGES! We will be like walking down to stage ready to go on and we are like “where’s Jack?” and he’s still getting ready.

Jack: That’s not an annoying habit is it?

Sam: It is when I’m like hurry up the music’s playing ready for us to go on and you’re still messing around doing what you need to do.

18. What has been your most embarrassing moment?

Sam: Well , to cut a long story short, on a Saturday morning my dog jumped out of my first floor window and jumped on to the street, I don’t know why she did it but she’s a grey hound so she runs really fast and I was in my dressing gown and boxers and I had to run down the street half naked to get my dog so I could pick her up and bring her back inside but that day my mom got a phone call later on that day from the women across the road saying hello I’ve just seen your daughter run down the road (haha) and well that was quite embarrassing. We hadn’t moved in there that long either so all the neighbours must have thought well this is kind of different, didn’t know they had a daughter.

Sonny: One of my most embarrassing moments… I’ve just remembered this, never said this before.

Sam: Oh it better be good then.

Sonny: I’ve done this a few times. I walk in to things like glass doors and like smash my face and everyone just starts laughing. And I’ve walked into things like lamp posts.

Sam: Yeah I’ve seen you do that.

Sonny: I’ve done this recently but not in to a post, in to actual people (haha) and while having a conversation and I wasn’t looking cuz I was checking out train times and I just tripped over all their stuff, they weren’t impressed. I said sorry. Yeah that was a bit embarrassing.

Jack: I used to play the trumpet when I was little and I had to play in front of an audience, and I forgot to get the person who plays the piano to play along. I was just standing there in front of everyone going bright red. The worse part is because I messed it up they made me do it again. I was just standing there hating life right then.

19. What is your favourite song to perform and why?

Sam: I don’t know, all of our songs really. On this tour I’ve really liked the first song which is ‘Burning Up’ because of the intro, we come out and it kind of kicks off but just because everyone joins in and it makes you feel really good. Last night we were standing behind the curtain and the crowd started clapping along to it and we were just like what’s going on.

Sonny: I quite enjoy playing our single ‘Love To Life’. That’s going down well. It’s the last song we do just to get everyone up. That’s good fun as well.

20. Have you met any famous artists so far, and if so who’s the most famous artist you’ve met?

Sam: We’ve met lots of people. Obviously we’ve toured with The Saturdays, we’re on tour with The Wanted. Before we got signed we managed to support bands like Mcfly and Scouting For Girls. We’ve played with Selena Gomez, the Sugababes, JLS. We were really excited to play with Mcfly. Like everyone we’ve played with has been awesome but those guys are like an influence to us. Everyone from Scout For Girls was really nice to us, we literally got a call the night before a gig to say their support act had to drop out and we stood in for one night. They were the nicest guys, really humble and down to earth.

21. Who would you all like to collaborate with?

Sam: Jessie J or Katie Perry. We feel like we would like to collaborate with an artist who is different to us, that would be pretty cool.

22. If we were to look through your ipod, what music would we find on there at the moment?

Sam: Lots of different stuff, I’ve got everything from Mcfly to M People.

Sonny: Yeah I’m loving that in the van (haha). I’ve got the script on their at the moment

Jack: We love absolutely everything.

23. Ok you’re a fly, whose wall would you like to be on?

Sam: Do you know what, I’ve always wondered what the Queen gets up to in her spare time (haha). Just because I reckon she is a bit of a party animal. I bet she is like “Alright Harry and Wills how you doin’? Congrats on the marriage, shall we sit down and watch a bit of Family Guy later?” (haha). She takes her crown off, puts her robe on and just kind of wanders around with a cigar in her hand (haha).

24. How do you do your hair?

Sam: A lot of hair dryer noise and a lot of hair spray and straigteners. Pink Straighteners!

Sonny: Yes I have got pink straighteners but they are pretty awesome. You start from the back and end at the front. Sometimes we have bad hair days and me and Jack are just screaming at the mirror.

Sam: (haha) They slam their pot of gel down and put more in an it makes it even worse!

Jack: Less is more!

25. What’s the best and worst piece of advice you have been given?

Sam: We have been given lots of good advice, like when we met Scouting For Girls they told us to keep at it, keep doing what we’re doing, sometimes you have good times and sometimes you have hard times but it’s all worth it in the end. The only bad advice, well I don’t think you can call it that but when we first started the band a lot of people thought we were a bit nuts for doing it.

Jack: Yeah people are like what you doing? But to be honest with you there are thousands of bands out there so some people are like oh you’re in a band, yeah right.

26. Now here’s your chance to pass on your pearls of wisdom, what advice would you give to young people who are trying to make it in the music industry?

Sam: Go for it.

Sonny: Be committed.

Sam: Have fun as well. The main thing is to enjoy it, because there are times when it is hard so you need to make sure that you enjoy it to get through those times.

Jack: You need to put time and effort into it, but just go for it.

27. Finally, why should the readers of Voice 21 check you out?

Sam: We are like a fun loving band so if you want to have a good time then come check us out. We are always doing a gig somewhere so come down and meet us, maybe we can have a cup of tea, or a sausage roll, or a Jaffa cake!
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Twenty Twenty’s debut single ‘Love To Life’ is out now! We wish the guys all the best. They were down to earth, very charming and funny. The Voice 21 team love their music and I’m sure the readers will too, so go check them out.