Discover the heart and harmony behind Autocamper's music as we dive into their latest singles and quirky recording adventures.

Known for their heartfelt and sincere pop sound, Autocamper brings a unique blend of everyday beauty and raw emotion to their music. In this candid conversation, we dive into their latest double A-side single, ‘Blanche’ and ‘Budge’ uncover the quirky details of their recording process, and explore how Manchester influences their sound. We also get a glimpse into their songwriting process, their inspirations, and what's next for the band.

For those unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make? 

Jack: Autocamper, based in South Manchester. Sincere Pop. 

Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your latest double a-side single, "Blanche" and "Budge"? 

Jack: I can’t remember 

Niamh: I can remember but I don’t want to show Jack up 

How did the recording process differ between "Blanche," recorded at Withington Public Hall, and "Budge," recorded in Arthur Arnold's bedroom? 

Jack: We had cups of tea at Arthur's house which I think benefited the process as opposed to the public halls session. Surprisingly, both the bar room where we recorded the drums at Withy Public Hall and Arthur’s bedroom were incredibly cozy. I reckon that comes through in the recording. 

Niamh: It was more trial and error in withy halls to find ways we could all hear each other playing without it affecting the recording. Initially we tried to have everyone in different rooms of the pub but we kept going out of time, so we all squashed into the bar room at the front. Arthur’s house is a seasoned demo factory, so it was easy there 

With vocal duties shared between Jack Harkins and Niamh Purtill, how do you approach crafting harmonies and the interplay between your voices? 

Jack: I can’t really sing and Niamh thinks up most of the backing vocals/harmony stuff so it’s very much her ear for it. On Blanche, I struggled to write a second verse and the general rule is that we sing what we write and Niamh wrote that verse so sung it and it sounded interesting. 

Manchester has a rich musical history. How has the city influenced Autocamper's sound and songwriting? 

Jack: Not at all from my side of things. I don’t listen to any older Manchester bands. Hate Oasis and stuff like that. Not that arsed about The Fall either. From a contemporary perspective, it doesn’t feel like we fit in with the sound of other stuff coming out of Manchester. That’s not to say that there isn’t some really good stuff about though as a listener. Maybe living here has an influence on us subliminally but I write a lot of stuff about the seaside and you’d be hard-pressed to find sand in Levenshulme.

Niamh: I live in chorlton so I think of the Bee Gees daily. They are the biggest influence on my songwriting, and as a group we’ve been working on our 3-part close harmonies a lot 

"Blanche" and "Budge" both seem to capture everyday moments and emotions. Can you elaborate on your lyrical approach and the themes you explore in your music? 

Jack: I just try to be as sincere as possible. 

Autocamper is often praised for making the ordinary beautiful. How do you find inspiration in the mundane aspects of life? 

Jack: You’ve got to laugh or you’ll cry 

Niamh: I think if you didn’t find inspiration in the mundane you’d be bored a lot of the time ! 

Can you walk us through your songwriting process? How do you typically begin crafting a new song? 

Jack: I sit in my bedroom and write something and then bring it to the room and everyone puts their bit on it. 

Niamh: All the songs I’m happiest with were written in extreme moments of distress which I can no longer remember.

Could you share some insights into the collaborative dynamic within Autocamper? How do each of you contribute to the creative process? 

Jack: One of us usually brings a song to the room and then we all add our bits. 

Niamh: There was a secret 5th member of autocamper that used to arrange all our music, which was neither human nor animal. It lived in the disused kitchen in Trafford Bar where we used to practise, and was sadly killed when the kitchen was demolished. Now we all have to write our own parts, which is hard 

What do you love right now? 

Jack: Waterloo Road, Bamber Bridge FC, Van Morrison, Sunsets, Tigers and Flies, Chaddy from UK’s Hardest Debt Collector, Good yet subtle haircuts 

Niamh: The Bradshaws, drunk dialling, that ‘tinned fish date night’ series on instagram, Painting with John, the music venue Quarry in liverpool

What do you hate right now? 

Jack: Townies, Feeling sad, Consistent rainfall. 

Niamh: Cold weather in april, videos of smug looking poodles that jack sends to me, the large and unsightly hole that my landlord dug in our garden recently and never filled in 

Name an album you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why it’s still important to you? 

Jack: Sittin Pretty by The Pastels because it makes me feel like anything is possible and everything should be fun. Honourable mention to the Ostrich Churchyard album by Orange Juice - because James Kirk rules. 

Niamh: There’s a frankie cosmos album on bandcamp called ‘im sorry im hi lets go’ that’s about 15 minutes long but I was obsessed with in college. it made me feel like i could write my own songs and I still think it rocks 

What's next for Autocamper following the release of "Blanche" and "Budge"? Any upcoming projects or goals for the band? 

Jack: Lots of gigs, having fun, and recording an album maybe. We’d like to go abroad. 

Niamh: Our goal is to become the first band ever to headline every day of Glastonbury. I think we will achieve it.