Introducing: The Genes

What do you get when you mix a South Asian Oasis fan, a funky metalhead, and a Titanic-obsessed musician?

The answer: The Genes—a bold, genre-defying band blending confidence, storytelling, and pure musical genius.

Hailing from Warwickshire, this eclectic quartet formed in 2023, quickly gaining a reputation as rising stars on the indie scene. Fronted by the charismatic Pav Rai, a powerhouse guitarist and songwriter, The Genes are rounded out by Billy Bloomer, the artistically tortured bassist and boat enthusiast, Kerry Wright, the pyrotechnics-savvy keyboardist, and Chris Williams, the silent but deadly drummer.

Their sound? Energetic, loud, and undeniably captivating, with sweet guitar riffs, hip-hop-inspired basslines, dramatic drums, and ambient keys tying it all together. Whether it's heart-wrenching ballads or upbeat anthems, The Genes deliver songs rich in characters, humor, and raw emotion, cementing their status as one of Birmingham’s most exciting new acts. Ready to meet The Genes? Let’s dive into their journey, music, and the chaos behind the creativity.

The Genes’ sound is described as a creative fusion of confidence, stories, and musical genius. How do each of your individual influences—South Asian Oasis fandom, metal funk, and Titanic obsession—come together to shape your music?

We all channel our obsession streak into songwriting and break the song down in detail, to curate it to something we are all happy with. For me, I like the anthemic-ness of oasis and I think that seeps into the songs I write. For billy, being into boats, his attention to detail means the basslines he creates matches well to the song, making him  the perfect crew member. And the metal funk tends to represent our musical diversity which, each of our 7 song list set, individually falls into different genres.

Your songs are rich with characters, stories, and witty jokes. Can you share the inspiration behind one of your favourite tracks and the story it tells?

We are currently able to tell you about our title track ‘the Genes’. The song was sparked from the ultimate dilemma, having so many choices of what you want to be or do in life and you decide, okay I would love ALL of the choices, but how can you possibly be all of the things??

During each verse, Pav (me) vocally embodies a different characters (e.g. Essex girl, macho man) who encounter the band and tell you in the verses about how impressed they were to see a band do it all. Because of course, The Genes does it all!! Now we are at the midpoint of the song, and role into the samba section because why not, then we have a jazzy grungy spacey outro where we really sit into the essence of the Genes.  We hope that makes sense.

With a lineup full of unique personalities—like Pav's performance antics, Billy's artistic quirks, and Kerry’s pyrotechnic flair—how do these dynamics influence your live shows?

Well, to be frank with you we end up with LOTS of theatrics, drum tricks from Chris, billy having a ‘boat facts’ section whilst we play Celine Dion in the background shoddily, Kerry sticking a sticker on her keyboard saying ‘korg’ despite it being a Yamaha, the list goes on.

We also suspect most of our fans come for not only the bangers in the set but also the randomness each of us possess which leads to an enjoyable and fun atmosphere. We love chatting with the crowd (not too much, we still have a job to do) because it really makes us all feel like we are a part of it and gives us energy to feed off.

The Genes have been called genre-defying. How do you balance blending so many influences while maintaining a cohesive sound that represents the band?

Looking back, turns out we have ended up with a set list with each song being a blend of 1-3 genres, which we quite like. It means we have range and with the story telling and my frontwoman-ness to be the central thread to it all.

From playing venues like The Flapper and Mama Roux’s to captivating audiences with narrative-led songs, what has been the most memorable moment of your journey so far, and what’s next for The Genes?

We LOVED playing at the sunflower lounge during the summer. A memorable moment was playing Leamington Spa’s bandstand which was notably our most classy gig, and our first outdoor gig. We borrowed a drum kit which was literally on its last leg, and watching our set back, Chris was chasing after the kick because it kept rolling away, it was quite a funny site however that experience only made us stronger.

We want more gigs (hit us up we will play anywhere – within reason) !!!!! We also hope to release some singles and an EP next year with a track list of our current live set and a few cheeky surprises. @the_genes_