Black Midi’s unique sound is hard to categorize. Their avant-garde rock combines math rock breakdowns with elements of post-punk and jazz, making their records a dizzying experience.
Given their experimental style, one might expect them to draw inspiration from similarly quirky acts. However, frontman Geordie Greep recently emphasized that AC/DC has significantly influenced the band’s sound.
“You might read this, listen to my band, and think I’m talking gibberish, but there is definitely an influence!” Greep laughed in an interview.
Greep acknowledges that AC/DC’s influence on Black Midi isn’t immediately obvious, but it’s there. “One thing that’s very prevalent in some of the best music is people taking influence from other things and imitating it in their own way,” he explains.
Reflecting on other artists, Greep notes that influence often gets diluted and transformed into something new. The original inspiration isn’t always clear. “If you played AC/DC to a hardcore Chuck Berry fan back in the day, they wouldn’t have liked it, mistaking it for noise,” he says. “Sure, Angus is trying to play like Chuck Berry and old blues guitarists, but he doesn’t sound like them. It became his own thing.”
Greep points out that the same applies to Jimi Hendrix. “He was playing his own version of the blues,” Greep insists. “But it didn’t come across like that at all; it sounded like something new.”
Many artists have taken inspiration and transformed it into their unique style. For example, Taylor Swift cites Paul McCartney as her biggest inspiration. DJ Zedd, known for his EDM tracks, draws from a wide range of genres, including classical music and death metal.
