Mallory Knox prepare to wrap up 2016 with an epic headline set at Butserfest

It will mark the third time the Cambridge five-piece have played the festival – each time working their way up the bill.

Since Asymmetry went top 20 on its release in October 2014, the band have hit the road hard. Now however, they’re getting ready to pave the way for album number three.

Frontman Mikey Chapman explains where the band’s heads are at right now: ‘Butserfest is the last show of this year for Mallory.

‘Behind the scenes we’ve been very busy with the new album and we want to make sure everything’s committed to that and then we can come back with a bang, so Butserfest is a good opportunity for us to cap off 2016.’

And he’s quick to praise the festival for the support it’s given to the alternative rockers since their start.

‘It’s been amazing, we’ve always been very fortunate from the get-go to have fantastic people who put on these great shows and who have faith in us and keep asking us back.

‘Butserfest, Slam Dunk and a number of other small, independent festivals have been nothing short of phenomenal to us. To be able to cap it off and to headline Butserfest this time is fantastic, and we’re so thankful to be given the opportunity.’

He also praised Butserfest and the ethos behind it – it is the UK’s largest drink and drugs free music festival.

‘In the music industry nowadays with the uncertainty of ticket sales – and where we’ve seen some seemingly great festivals fail in the last couple of years – we’re at a stage where exploring different avenues and ways of running and hosting festivals is a great idea.

‘For the council to get involved, much as we see them as these white-collar, boring types who keep everything far too sensible for their own good, to explore that and explore that well, is a really good thing to do. That they’re even keen to do it is testament to them.

‘The proof of the pudding is in the eating, though, and they’ve shown with Butserfest that it can absolutely work.’

With the new album in the can and this show wrapping up the Asymmetry campaign, will we be hearing any new material at Butserfest?

‘Wrapping it up is a great way to describe this.

‘We won’t be doing any new stuff though, mostly because on the last record we put out a few songs within shows and as much as we’re so excited for people to hear it, we want the first thing people hear is to be the record for that initial impact: “Here’s Mallory, here’s what we’re about now”.

‘With the internet and social media nowadays, while it’s wonderful that people want to share our songs and get the music out there, a shoddy video of a brand new song on Youtube that then gets ripped and shared, it’s a bit of an anticlimax.

‘Not only that, but I think Asymmetry has some great legs in terms of shows, and to cap off 2016 with a great Asymmetry show will be perfect.’

What can you tell us about the new album?

‘I don’t know how much I’m supposed to say,’ he laughs.

‘We’re working with Dan Austin who we worked with on the last album, and Gethin Pearson who’s also another phenomenal producer, and we’ve had just the best time, man.

‘It’s been the most exciting, free-flowing creative process we’ve ever been a part of.

‘And the product we’ve come up with has really excited us and everyone we work with.

‘The only missing factor now is to get it where it needs to be and to get it out to the people who matter – which is obviously the fans.

‘We’re over the moon with it, We can’t wait for everyone to see what we’ve been working on.’

Mikey reveals that they’re working towards putting it out early next year, but says it’s too soon to pin down a release date and they don’t want to disappoint fans by giving a date that may not happen.

‘We’re champing at the bit to get this out,’ he adds, ‘but we’re playing by the rules and working hard behind the scenes to get it out as soon as possible.’

Keeping in touch with their fans is clearly important to the band. They recently did a Twitter Q&A where the band obviously enjoyed fielding a wide range of questions.

‘It’s interesting, I’m not much of a social media person. I try and interact with it, but when something amazing or fun happens, reaching for my phone or raising my social media profile isn’t the first thing I think of.

‘But with things like that Q&A, it’s a great chance for us to get involved with the fans and vice versa.

‘You get a good mix of serious questions and people having a laugh. It epitomises everything that’s great about social media.’

On the flipside of that, Mikey still rather charmingly enjoys meeting and playing alongside his heroes and those who influenced the band. Last year they were on the bill with one such person, Charlie Simpson, sometime-Fightstar frontman, at Takedown Festival in Southampton.

‘It’s constantly a real trip.

‘You can take it even further back to My Chemical Romance or InMe, bands who did everything to inspire me. I went to see my mate Frank from Death Spells and My Chemical Romance before that the other day and (InMe frontman) Dave McPherson’s a good friend of mine now.

‘With Charlie, we’re on great terms and we hang out when we’re in the same vicinity. It’s the most surreal thing.

‘They’ve helped build the foundation of what Mallory is, and to not only meet those people but to become at least acquaintances is a real honour and a real perk on that side of things.

‘Meeting your heroes and then realising they’re absolute legends is great.’