Fresh from their Isle of Wight Festival Main Stage performance, Wight Noize winners, Isle of Wight rock band, The Optimists, will celebrate the release of their debut EP when they perform at Newport’s Strings Bar and Venue, this Friday.

Lead singer Matt Read and guitarist Aaron Meakin caught up with the Isle of Wight County Press to talk about Small Talk, which was released digitally last week and has already been streamed 2,000 times. 

Matt said: "We’ve had a really good response, with loads of people messaging us and sharing it. 

"[The title] comes from the title track and it’s about how I don’t like small talk. It’s me just venting about it, basically!”

It's not just about the digital release (which you can find a link for HERE) - physical copies are on the way.

"We’re just getting the artwork finalised, but we’ll have some cassettes to pre-order," Aaron said. 

The Optimists have been on the Island music scene for years and have supported the likes of Brighton-based Youth Sector, Merseyside rockers The K’s - and even Bez, of Happy Mondays fame. 

Aaron said it was so "strange doing port bombs with Bez in the dressing rooms,” at Strings in November 2021.

“It was quite the experience,” he added.

Isle of Wight County Press: On Main Stage, at the Isle of Wight Festival.On Main Stage, at the Isle of Wight Festival. (Image: Jake Curran.)

For Aaron and Matt, the Isle of Wight music scene is an encouraging one and it is something for the Island to boast about.

"Everyone knows everyone and we’re all supportive of each other.

"We all want everyone to do really well," said Matt.

The pair referenced the success of Coach Party, Grade 2, Plastic Mermaids and Wet Leg. 

And Lauran Hibberd, who can currently be found on her headline UK tour, was also mentioned. 

Playing Isle of Wight Festival's Main Stage was the "quickest half hour of my life," said Matt - an experience that was something of a blur.

Aaron said it wasn’t until the next day, when they looked back at the photos and thought, "Christ, we did that!" 

Catch the gig

  • The Optimists - aka Matt and Aaron with drummer Jacob Cass, bassist Henry Bolton and keyboard player Jacob Hopkinson - will play a headline show at Strings Bar and Venue tomorrow Friday, July 7.
  • Advance tickets cost £7. Find them HERE.
  • Support will come from Myriad and Hello Honey.

Backstage, Matt even managed to walk past One Direction’s Niall Horan without recognising him at first.

"We’ll be playing all our new tracks and we have an unreleased track to show off," Aaron promised.

"We’re looking forward to seeing people down there!"