We sat down with Tom from Sheffield’s newest indie rock band CRUZ. The band are set to release their new single, EP and headline their first show in their hometown before the end of the year.

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Your new single ‘Make It Right’ is scheduled for release on 29th September, what is the message behind the track?

Tom: Our vocalist Sam wrote it. It is based on a relationship that broke down and the conflict in between, it’s like the saying when it’s good, it’s good and when it’s bad, it’s bad.

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The EP comes across with a similar message with its title ‘If Not Now, When?’. How excited are you for that to be released?

Tom: All the boys are buzzing for it, it has been a long time coming. I think we have really harnessed our sound and where we want to take the band forward. The tunes we put out at the start of the year, we spent a lot of time and money to put them together and we wanted to make the EP our statement of exactly what CRUZ is.

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Your headline show takes place at Sidney & Matilda in Sheffield, is there a reason why you chose this venue?

Tom: We have done a few gigs there already, and played different venues around the city, but we really like that venue a lot. It is an intimate venue but has the facilities to make it bigger. It’s in a basement, it has a low ceiling so the sound is mega and bounces off everything. It has that friendly atmosphere and people who come to our gigs like it too.

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You played this year’s Y Not Festival, for a new band that is a huge feat, how did the show go?

Tom: We loved it. It was a bit surreal as we have only been gigging a year. We threw ourselves in the deep end really. We released music before we even played a show which we preferred to do so people got to listen to the songs first before seeing us live. We were asked to play Mosfest in Sheffield, and then in a matter of weeks we were asked by This Feeling if we wanted a slot at Y Not. We played Thursday for the early entry guests and the turnout was brilliant. The tent was packed. We really enjoyed it.

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Did you get the chance to take everything in at the festival?

Tom: We stayed the whole weekend. We watched Kasabian up close which was amazing. We caught up with bands like Lock-In, Alright, and Manila Times who we played in Manchester with. It was good to meet people we already know and others we have spoken to over social media. 

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How important do you think it is for bands to build up a network with other artists?

Tom: I think it’s massive. The Sheffield bands we know always help each other out, getting to play gigs with them. What we are trying to do more is to play more outside of our hometown, like doing gig swaps etc. 

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Have you managed to experience the new places you have played yet?

Tom: It really depends what we are doing, we all have jobs so it can be a bit of a rush to get to the venue for sound check. We went to a network event with Scruff of the Neck in Manchester, met lots of other bands. If the opportunity is there then we will, but it is important to us that we watch the other bands on the line-up too.

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Do you have any goals that you want to achieve for next year?

Tom: We want to go on a tour around the UK. We want to show as many people as possible what we are about. 

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Any plans for 2024 that are set in stone?

Tom: There are a few things we can’t announce yet. We have some festivals already booked and bigger gigs to be involved in, but I can’t say too much.

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How was CRUZ formed?

Tom: It was the first year of university. We were having some drinks at Sam’s flat and he had a guitar in his room, so I just picked it up and started playing on it for a bit. At that point we both acknowledged we both play guitar but we didn’t act on it until lockdown. We started sending each other music and then it came to the decision to think about bringing other people in. We met Jamie who plays bass and Ethan we met through a recommendation from a friend. 

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If you had to create your ideal rider for when you do go out on tour, what would it include?

Tom: Ethan would say loads of pot noodles, he loves them. Sam is big on his honey, and for Jamie it would be something rogue, but I don’t know what. As long as there is beer for me, I’m not too fussy. I’ll go with a classic indie band beer Red Stripe.

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What is studio life like for CRUZ?

Tom: Our first single was recorded in a place where there was nothing around us. We just sat and watched football then. We have just been recording at The Nave in Leeds, and they have a pool table and a PS2, nothing out of the ordinary really. Trips to co-op for meal deals as well.

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Can you switch off from the music when you are altogether at a social event?

Tom: I can’t. I have tried but I become a bit obsessed with it. I’m always on my phone checking stats for streams and the website etc. Ethan is the same, and he’s constantly writing. Sam is always on his guitar, and we live together so even when we are just watching football or something like that, we’re always looking at what other bands are up to. It’s not what we always talk about but it is definitely a huge factor. I think our other housemates probably get bored of us talking about it.

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A huge thank you to Tom from CRUZ for taking time out of his evening to chat with us, we look forward to seeing what the guys can achieve going forward.

CRUZ will be headlining Sidney & Matilda in Sheffield on 15th December 2023.

Tickets can be purchased HERE.


Their debut EP is scheduled for release 24th November, with the band’s next single out 29th September. Pre-save is available HERE.