Independent alt-punk band As Rome Burns are making their mark on the London music scene, fuelled by their commitment to raw, energetic live performances and an unfiltered take on modern issues. In this interview, they discuss the financial and logistical challenges of being a DIY band, the impact of streaming platforms on new artists, and why grassroots venues remain vital to the industry. From the patriarchal violence that inspired their track Boy to the realities of self-promotion in a saturated market, the band provide a candid look at the obstacles facing independent musicians today. As they gear up for a busy 2025, with an EP in the works and festival ambitions on the horizon, they remain focused on their ethos: making music that moves people—whether through sound, meaning, or sheer energy on stage.
As Rome Burns, thanks for taking the time to sit down with us to discuss your career and how your journey through the rubble of a once thriving and robust industry provides an exposition of the challenges facing other independent artists in the UK and beyond. Listening to your debut and sophomore releases, you’ve clearly got the sound to stand at the vanguard of alt-punk in 2025. Has the state of the industry tempered your expectations and aspirations?
Pete: Thank you so much! We’re really stoked with how our alternative, rock, and punk sound has come together. As for the industry, we’re a DIY band—putting our own money and energy into this project—and while it’s clear that being full-time musicians isn’t financially feasible right now, that hasn’t slowed us down one bit. We know that the music has to fit alongside our day jobs, and finding that balance can be tough for a lot of bands. But honestly, the challenges we face haven’t dampened our enthusiasm at all. We’re all about creating original music and getting it out there to an audience in great venues, and so far, we’ve been able to do just that without any major roadblocks.
Sam: I think for all of us, the priority is just making music and performing, it would be amazing to turn this into a day job, but just having the freedom and support to put our music out there is the ultimate goal.
What initially brought you together as a band?
Pete: Alex, our drummer is the glue that brought us all together. I met Alex about 18 months ago. I’d start playing open mic nights covering classic folk and rock tunes from the likes of Springsteen and Dylan and from that got jamming with another guitarist who knew Alex and brought him along to drum the session. Pretty soon Alex and I were meeting up regularly playing together and had a few months with a conveyer belt of other musicians joining in before we finally found the perfect group dynamic when David (Lead Guitar) and Sam (Bass and backing vocals) joined us in the Summer of 2024, both guys came through Alex.
Sam: I think my first session with the guys, where they showed me what they’d been working on for the last few months was eye opening, we just jelled so well from the get-go in terms of music taste and enthusiasm. It was like a breath of fresh air!
What’s the ethos that drives you creatively, both in the studio and on stage?
Pete: We’re a live rock band. Our motivation for doing this is that we want to make sure we’re putting on an absolute blinder of a live show. We recognise that when people come to see a DIY band in a grassroots venue, they’re taking a risk with their money that it’s going to be worth their time and we won’t squander the opportunity to make sure that our setlist is above all other things – really fucking great.
Sam: As Pete says, it’s about energy, being able to get people dancing, but also provoke some thought through our music is incredible. I think in terms of ethos we just love making, and playing music, it’s as simple as that!
How would you describe your sound to someone discovering your music for the first time, and what influences shaped it?
Pete: We are still a young band, settling on a “sound” and so I’d say that our music is reflective of the influences that each musician brings to the table. Alex’s drumming is very heavy – inspired by post-hardcore bands like Architects and Currents. David is also a metalhead but his lead guitar lines are reminiscent of Kings of Leon. Within one or two sessions with Sam in the band as a bassist, we’d written on of our favourite songs “I think you should leave” (to be recorded later this year) which is an amalgamation of Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Rage Against the Machine and the bassline he came up with is probably my favourite bassline of all time. I think its fair to say that I probably bring in more of a modern indie vibe to the proceedings – I am massively influenced by bands like Idles and Wunderhorse. However, what we hope is that these diverse influences help us to create something fresh and exciting.
Sam: One of my biggest influences in the way I play the bass is flea, but also with a dash of Chris Wolstenholme and Nick Oliveri (which I acknowledge might be a bit eclectic!). For me its about powerful, energetic basslines which are just as important when present, as when they’re missing. I love slap, hence ‘I think you should leave’ but I think blending the sound together, in the way Muse do so well is critical.
What message or emotion do you hope people take away from listening to your music?
Pete: I think the meaning or our songs is ultimately up to the listener, but as a band, we aim to write songs about modern themes and issues. I wrote many of the lyrics to our debut song Boy in early 2024, around the time that Alexei Navalny was murdered. What struck me most was how the media instinctively framed his death in the context of geopolitics, rationalising an act of violence in a way that dulled its horror. Once you notice this tendency to explain away violence, particularly violence rooted in patriarchal systems of power, it becomes impossible to ignore.
The song also references Sarah Everard, Brianna Ghey, and Jamal Khashoggi, innocent people whose brutal murders were not only horrific but also emblematic of the systemic violence perpetuated by patriarchal structures. These acts, often justified or contextualised by media narratives, reflect an ingrained tendency to intellectualise rather than confront the power imbalances and misogyny at their core. In some ways, this rationalisation feels like a subconscious apology for the perpetrator, further silencing the victims and avoiding the uncomfortable truths about the systems that enable such violence.
With Boy we wanted to shine a light on this pattern and question why society is so quick to rationalise patriarchal violence rather than acknowledge its raw brutality. It’s about forcing ourselves to confront these uncomfortable truths and challenge the systems that perpetuate them.
Sam: Our music is ultimately inspired by our own experiences and feelings, we have songs that represent our take on the state of the world, and misinformation, songs about patriarchal violence and political violence. Ultimately art is in the eye of the beholder, but I would like people to see our music as a protest against common themes in society today, and use them as an anthem to give them energy to fight against these issues.
What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced so far?
Pete: At this stage our greatest challenge is getting our recorded music out there to a wider audience. In the UK, streaming platforms account for over 85% of all music consumption. The real struggle with that is that it is incredibly difficult for new music to break through the algorithms that favour established artists and new acts signed to major labels (which have the resources to help those acts break through that algorithm). It would be great if streaming platforms would consider better ways of helping acts like us to get our music out to audiences who might be into it but until then we will keep plugging away making music purely for the joy of it and not worry too much about things that are out of our control.
Sam: Along with streaming, I think the deck is very much stacked against grassroots music these days, without being signed its so hard to find opportunities. We are fortunate that we are able to fund our band ourselves, but for others who aren’t so lucky, it can be impossible to get good recordings, and therefore gigs, with transport costs and get an audience together. The government needs to do more to support the arts and culture in the UK, to bring us back to being world leading in musical influence.
What sacrifices have you had to make to get the band off the ground?
Pete: I’m not sure I’d describe anything I’ve had to do as a sacrifice. We’ve certainly put more money into it than we’ll likely see back out of it anytime soon but once we’re on stage playing out songs – it all seems worth it.
Sam: I think the biggest sacrifice is time, time with family and friends, time spent practicing, reaching out to promoters, writing music all takes a toll. Thankfully we all have very understanding partners!
As a band without major label backing, what’s been your biggest learning curve when it comes to self-promotion and building a fanbase?
Pete: I think the biggest learning curve for me (which has only dawned recently) is that we have to accept that we need to get better at social media if we want to widen our fan base. We would all much rather be making music, rather than “content” but we’re finding ways, slowly but surely, to do both.
Sam: I really didn’t realise how much promoters dominate the industry at the low levels, it feels like you have to make friends with a lot of people to make progress!
Despite all of the hurdles and the extortionately inhibiting costs of being an independent artist, you’re still making waves with sold-out shows at iconic venues. What was it like to sell out London’s prestigious Hope & Anchor?
Pete: The Hope & Anchor is one of those grassroots venues that every small UK band needs to play at some stage. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a small venue, the soundproof cladding is coming off the walls, bands have their stickers stuck on everything and there isn’t a green room for the artists so all the gear is just stacked up in a mess in the corner. It’s seen bands like Joy Division, the Cure, the Ramones and U2 play there back in the day and it felt great playing to such an energetic crowd.
Sam: The feeling and the atmosphere there really added to the music. I know we would put in the same shift whether we were playing to an empty venue but to have a full crowd there to support us was just incredible. I’m hopeful we can keep up the momentum but the main thing is creating those opportunities to showcase how our music can move people.
What has surprised you the most about working with promoters, and how have those experiences shaped your understanding of the industry?
Pete: We’re currently working with three reputable promoters in London, and they’ve been fantastic in helping us take those first steps into the live music scene here. They’ve provided us with opportunities to perform, gain some exposure and build our confidence on stage, which we’re really grateful for.
That said, as we’ve started to connect with other bands and the live music community, we’ve seen the potential of playing gigs organised by bands themselves, which often allows for a more collaborative and grassroots approach. We’re exploring the balance between working with promoters and pursuing those kinds of opportunities, both have their unique advantages.
One thing we’ve noticed about the traditional promoter model is the expectation of bands to sell tickets. While that’s understandable to a degree, it’s something we feel could be shared more evenly between promoters and bands to ensure both are invested in bringing in an audience.
Moving forward, we’re open to a hybrid approach – working with promoters who can introduce us to new audiences whilst also collaborating with other bands and communities to create events that align more closely with our ethos. Ultimately for us it’s all about finding opportunities to connect with people who are passionate about live music and giving them an engaging show.
Sam: Totally echo what Pete said there, we want to make sure we have the recordings, live performances, and festival performances to showcase how dedicated we are to making music. Part of that is building the contacts in the industry and showing how serious we are about playing. I do this kind of relationship-building a lot in my day job, but I didn’t quite grasp how much you would have to do it as a musician too!
How do you balance chasing opportunities with staying grounded in your creativity?
Pete: I think so far they work both hand in hand. Having gigs in the diary has really focussed our minds and helped us work towards an end goal – ensuring we have a fresh and exciting set list of music for our audiences.
Sam: Thankfully we are really self-motivated, as I said I think we could play at 100% energy to an empty room, our music does and always will come from within. So I think we have done really well in staying grounded.
It seems that there are no easy answers for how the cultural sector can be rectified and reformed, but if you had your say, what would the industry look like 10 years from now?
Pete: That is an amazing question! In terms of improving the live ecosystem, I think in the next ten years we need to see way more movement on subsidies and support for grassroots culture (not just music but theatre, art, poetry, the lot). Calls from the Music Venue Trust that £1 of all tickets sold at Stadiums and Arenas should be distributed to smaller venues is an excellent idea and it’s amazing to hear Sam Fender took it upon himself to follow that suggestion whilst selling tickets for his latest tour. Turning towards how people access and enjoy recorded music, I would really like to see streaming platforms rethinking their algorithms and paying musicians a fair wage for the content that they are profiting from.
Sam: It’s so hard to say, I think given the closures of so many venues, the decline of streaming revenue and the movement of revenue into the pockets of the 0.01% of musicians, a lot of work will have to be done to bring things back to the environment that existed 20+ years ago. I think people are cautiously optimistic about coming out to crowded venues again, now covid is less of an issue, and the newer generations are embracing live music like never before. I’m optimistic but not blind to the work that needs to be done.
What do you think people outside of the music world misunderstand about the realities of being an independent band?
Pete: One thing I didn’t fully appreciate before joining this band is just how much proactivity is required to make it work. Being in an independent band isn’t just about writing music, practising your instrument, and honing your craft. You’re wearing so many hats at once. You’re an actor on stage, a social media strategist online, and a marketer promoting your work. You need to keep up with current events and cultural shifts, stay inspired by listening to new music, and sometimes even master technical skills like videography or understanding the science of sound. All of this has to happen while juggling a day job and maintaining some semblance of a personal life. It’s a constant balancing act, and I think people outside the music world often underestimate just how multi-faceted and demanding it really is.
Sam: You have to be your own success, you won’t see any improvement for so long but if you keep at it, you can make it! Or at least that’s what I tell myself!
What do you have in store for 2025?
Pete: We have three goals for 2025. We want to release an EP, continue to play a number of gigs on the London circuit and to play at least one music festival this summer. It’s going to be a great year and we’re off to a fantastic start with a number of gigs lined up in February and March. We are also in discussions with a number of recording studios regarding the EP. Now, we’re just waiting for Glastonbury to give us the call.
Sam: Or Download!
Stream As Rome Burns on Spotify.
Follow the band on Instagram.
Interview by Amelia Vandergast
