It’s all been leading up to this for Mallory Knox. After announcing their reunion at the very end of 2023 and making their comeback on the main stage at Slam Dunk this Summer, they are now hitting the road once again. It’s the first time the quintet will be making their way across the UK together, with Mikey Chapman back on vocal duties since 2017, and with the tenth anniversary of their album ‘Asymmetry’ to celebrate, it’s going to be quite the emotional experience both on stage and in the crowd.
To find out more about what to expect from the tour and how the band are feeling being right back at it again together, Rock Sound sat down with Mikey and went over every moment and feeling that has allowed us to end up here.
Rock Sound: Ten months on from first saying that you were back, how are you feeling right now when you consider that this is a position you’re in with the rest of the guys?
Mikey: “The whole journey has been cathartic. It’s been a journey of self-realisation and realising that some things I had built up in my head as massive problems I had been so anxious about weren’t so potent. You come out of the other side, and it feels like therapy. Then, to get to this moment where we are past the big bang, the big comeback and the rollercoaster of emotions of Slam Dunk, sitting here now at 34 and able to have the age, wisdom and perspective to know how magic it is to play these songs and reflect on the adventures we had is something.
“But also, you start to realise how much it means to people and how interconnected we all are because of this, whether we realise it or not. Everybody who comes to a show listens to us; we are all woven into this tapestry of music being our passion. To be at the forefront of that, on the stage, and be one of the facilitators of those emotions that make music so addictive for me is just really magic.
“I have a day job now and other responsibilities wants and needs in my life. But adding music, particularly Mallory, into that equation and seeing how that fits as an older person is excellent. I wondered how or if it would fit, and so far, it is settling in nicely.”
RS: Was there a point when you were in contact with everything again before the conversation about the band came up? How did it all come together?
Mikey: “Within the band, there were a few fair different dynamics. James and I have been friends since we were six years old, and there was always a connection, even after Mallory. It superseded Mallory. It’s much the same with Dave and a little bit with Joe. But it got to a point where Mallory and the boys became synonymous with one another. When I fell out of love with it and wasn’t doing so well, they were, by proxy, a part of that feeling. So there was a time when I did have to have a break from them, but it wasn’t a specific thing of me being away from them; it was me being away from the whole package.
“So, Dave and James, I would always be drip-fed into their lives and them into mine. We move in the same circles and are from quite a small community. Sam and Joe are less so, just because our social circles outside of music move in different ways. But it was interesting because we would always have conversations of varying intensity about music in general. Then there was the drip feed from some of the boys about starting Mallory up again and what it would be like. It was lovely that there came the point last year where a few things had happened in our personal lives that had rocked the boat and made us realise just how much time had gone by and that life is too short.
“Those jokey comments and considerations about getting the band back together quickly became much more purposeful conversations. It was at Slam Dunk last year that the ball started rolling, at least in my head. You flash forward a year and a bit and we are having this conversation. It’s pretty mad.”
RS: It feels pretty fated that Slam Dunk was where it started to come together, and of course, the place you then played together again for the first time. It makes sense in such an environment that has so much personal and professional history for the band attached to it; it’s pretty hard to deny its power…
“The time that I have had away, it has been amazing to visit the scene from the perspective of what made me love it in the first place. There’s this amazing quote I once heard: ‘ How sad it is that people who live by the sea soon lose the ability to hear the waves’. It becomes the norm, a drone. You no longer have the peace or serenity that comes with hearing those waves; the experience is very much the same in music. You spend so much time in it and around and really pushing yourself in other ways than that pure enjoyment. And before you know it, you don’t hear the waves, and you don’t realise it at the same time. Until I had the chance to step away, get some perspective, and then reapproach, it changed the shape of it all.
“Then, in coming out after COVID and seeing how much life and society can change, it was brutal in that respect. It gave us a newfound appreciation for what we can do. Also, being a bit older made me realise how much impact and change can be had if you commit to a particular attitude. If you manifest a certain way of thinking, I like the idea that we can improve the music scene and offer up understanding for new bands, as well as current bands and people in the scene generally. To help those who find themselves stopping hearing the waves and showing them, they can have moments of pause and reflection or even take some steps back to preserve and prolong themselves.”
RS: That’s such an interesting part to play because it’s true how quickly the UK scene, in particular, can change with bands coming and going. But sharing your knowledge and experience may allow things to be more stable…
Mikey: “A lot of the times you go through experiences and coming out the other side you wear it as a badge of honour or accolade that you have done such a thing. But we rarely get the opportunity or platform to deconstruct that and talk about how you go through it or what worked and what didn’t. What gave you that little boost and energy to take yourself across the finish line. I always liken it to being quite a primal thing. In the past, we would converse about the day before, which always made us better hunters or builders.
“And in music, the formats don’t always allow long-form conversation in order to break things down, and maybe someone doesn’t want to hear the nitty-gritty of someone’s troubles. They want music to be fun and an enjoyment thing. But that being said, there are thousands of people in the industry – bands, professionals and fans – who all have incredible amounts of valuable information that will help younger people who are going to go through these processes in one form or another. It’s about trying to keep that ball rolling or speed it up.”
RS: So, fast-forward to you being on stage at Slam Dunk this past Summer. What were you feeling before you started playing, and how did that compare to how you felt at the end of the set? Watching from the crowd, you could almost see the moment you all slotted back into the position of, “I remember how to do this,”…
Mikey: “That’s a really interesting observation, because it definitely did feel like that. There is so much head fuzz when you’re approaching something like that. You worry about things going wrong. You see, there are loads of people out there, but what if they are just waiting for The All-American Rejects? What if I’m rubbish? What if my knee pops out during the first song? All of these questions are flying around your mind. Then you get on stage and become this sort of flow state. I’ve played shows, jammed, and performed since Mallory in various forms, but what we did at Slam Dunk and what we always did with Mallory can only be bought and paid for by practising four times a week every week for six years. It was one of those things that I had forgotten. Working with so many other musicians and artists has been wonderful, but with any relationship, there are certain elements that you cannot define in other people. It’s unfair to look for them in other people because they are so unique.
“I got a taste for it when we were in rehearsal. Sam joined us a couple of days before we played the shows, and there was a lock and a click at that moment. But getting on the stage, it was a whole other level. The sound of the crowd gives me goosebumps every time, and that never goes away. And when the fuzz had cleared, it felt like we had never been away, really. It was quite surreal at first, but then you start to see so many familiar faces down the front. Some have a bit more salt and pepper in their beards than the last time you saw them, some have their little ones with them now. But seeing them was the most beautiful circle of life thing. It all felt incredible.”
RS: And with you approaching this tour as a celebration of a decade of ‘Asymmetry’, it feels like the perfect base for a lot of reasons. For one, it was a huge entry point for a lot of people to the band, but also, it was a moment where it felt like the Mallory sound became its most defined. Was it always the intention to pay homage to this time with your setlist?
Mikey: “The fact it’s been ten years is just a nice excuse. The thing is, it feels like last year. It seems so long ago, but at the same time, it doesn’t. Being able to put a benchmark down and compare and contrast between then and now, seeing what has changed and what hasn’t, feels really nice. Also, being in the same room as a bunch of people who were literally with us around the release. That’s the most amazing thing. There’s a bond and a relationship that we have with these people. Some of which we know bits about, some which we know a lot, some which we don’t know at all. But there is a connection there, and I don’t see any better way to celebrate that with this anniversary.
“You’re right; it was an entry point for a lot of people. It’s when we particularly started picking up pace in a more mainstream way. We got amazing support from the rock community from the get-go, but this is when Radio 1 started giving us a lot of support. You start working into conversations with major labels around that and all the stuff that comes with it.
“So, in terms of what we are doing regarding a setlist, we wanted it to be an acknowledgement of ‘Asymmetry’, but we don’t want the tour to be just about it. We have love for the ‘Pilot’ EP crew and the early stuff all the way through who joined us on ‘Wired’. I get messages from people saying, ‘I didn’t know you guys had broken up. I only started listening to you six months ago, and it’s amazing you’re back together. There are so many eras of fans, and when they get into it, that will play a part in what I want to talk about between songs. It’s such a huge thing, and we feel so lucky and fortunate to be able to reflect on all of that.”
RS: It’s a big reminder that it is there forever once you have created something. It exists even when you’re not paying attention to it. The cogs of the machine will always turn and always be active. So, there are surely conversations about what comes next after this, but no matter what, Mallory Knox will still be alive in some way, shape or form…
Mikey: “It’s one of those few things you can put out into the world that serves you and others. I think that’s art in general, isn’t it? Once it has floated out into the ether, people will find it. I was listening to David Bowie the other day. He is long gone, but he’s still here. And my kids will listen to Bowie one day. It’s the same as listening to classical music from someone who wrote it in 1800. There’s a weird immortality element, and it is so far-reaching and impactful and means different things to different people. It’s no wonder that we are so obsessed with music, films, and art.
“In terms of our conversations about the future, they are ongoing. We are all a lot older. Our lifestyles are different, we have different responsibilities and that only grows by the day. We understand that we care about each other and each other’s mental well-being. We respect each other’s space and what we are all doing in our lives. That will have a big play in how and what we do, but generally, it will be hard to say that we’re not doing anything. Coming back, having these experiences and having those conversations takes time to wear off. There’s plenty that we can get up to as a band. But when we were younger, we were so hooked on the euphoria and the potential that it could make the whole thing very wearing. But my favourite quote these days, ‘When you’re younger, you climb the mountain so the world can see you. When you’re older, you want to climb the mountain to see the world. It’s that change of perspective and the culture that we want to manifest around that. It’s still in motion, so watch this space.”
Mallory Knox will play the following live dates:
13 Oct Glasgow SWG3
15 Oct Bristol O2 Academy
16 Oct Birmingham O2 Institute
17 Oct Manchester O2 Ritz
18 Oct London Electric Ballroom
20 Oct London Islington Assembly Hall
