“As cheesy as it may sound, if you do not have any self-love or self-respect – you will absolutely not find those feelings in someone else”
Anteros are a four-piece from London, fronted by vocalist Laura Hayden, with Joshua Rumble on bass, Jackson Couzens on guitar and Harry Balazs on drums. They’ve been on our radar since they released their infectiously catchy single ‘Breakfast’ back in 2016. Since then, they’ve supported the likes of Two Door Cinema Club and White Lies and have relentlessly tackled the UK festival circuit with sensational performances at prestigious festivals such as Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds. We chatted to Laura about how the subject of anxiety has appeared in their lyrics over the years, the ridiculous beauty standards that women are subjected to and much more…
Hey Anteros, what are you up to at the moment?
Hi! We are currently recording our debut album.
Laura, you come across as a very bold and confident live performer – have you always been so confident?
I always find it funny when someone says that. On the inside, I am VERY nervous. It took a while for me to find my feet on stage, to figure out how I wanted to carry myself – I wouldn’t even let go of the mic stand. For such a long time, I was scared of being judged, that I found myself not enjoying the performance aspect as much as I wanted to. To me, that defeated the purpose. When we opened the Other Stage at Glastonbury a couple of summers ago, it hit me that I would regret not enjoying it down the line… so I let go. That’s what I’ve been doing ever since.
In ‘Bonnie’, you sing about dancing care-free, like no one is watching, and Bonnie sounds like a character that you’re in awe of and that you want to emulate. Is that the case?
Completely. I feel like, as girls and women, we are constantly being pressured to look or act a certain way. We spend our teens and twenties picking ourselves apart, instead of learning how to love ourselves, and appreciate the individuality of girls and women around us. I wrote ‘Bonnie’ about the girl I wanted to be, who turned out to be the woman within me.
‘On The Moon’ seems to be about someone who wasn’t very supportive of you… What advice would you give to any of your fans who feel like they aren’t surrounded by people who support them?
It’s so easy to fall into a bad relationship. It took me a few toxic relationships to understand that really, it starts with yourself. As cheesy as it may sound, if you do not have any self-love or self-respect – you will absolutely not find those feelings in someone else. I would rather have a handful of good friends than one hundred flakey ones, and I would rather be single than in a relationship where my emotional needs are not being met.
How important has music been to your mental health?
We always say that songwriting is like therapy for us, it is very cathartic. It’s a great feeling, being able to let out any doubts or drama. The more sensitive the subject, the more upbeat we try to make it sound. Now we feel like there’s a time and a place when we can open that can of worms and turn something that hurt us into something we can dance to.
For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
We feel grateful for our families, friends, for music, and for each other.
Complete this sentence: “Ace mental health for me means…”
Accepting myself & those around me.
What advice do you offer to friends when they are feeling overwhelmed?
It’s always so much easier to see things when you are on the outside. Aside from offering a clearer perspective, every situation is different, so it really depends on what has caused these feelings.
What three songs lift your spirits?
‘Me Julie’ – Ali G feat. Shaggy
‘Thriller’ – Michael Jackson
‘Alright’ – Supergrass
Do you have any routines that help you through stressful situations, such as right before a live performance?
90% of the time we are in great spirits before gigs. The stress of driving and loading in is over. We tend to all have dinner together between soundcheck and our set. It’s usually just the four of us, which is fun. It’s good to try and establish some routine if we are travelling a lot.