Introducing: The False Flag
Sheffield alt-rock outfit with pop and punk influences, THE FALSE FLAG are Nathan Dunn (vocals), Jake Johnson (rhythm guitar), Matt Penney (lead guitar), George Woodward (bass guitar) & Josh Davidson-Hague (drums).
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN TOGETHER AS A BAND/PLAYING MUSIC?
JJ: 7-8 years. This formation is new, it’s been 1 year with Nathan on vocals.
GW: Too bloody long
ND: We’ve all been doing our own things for a few years, whether solo like me or in other versions of this band like the rest of the guys. This iteration is about a year in the making.
GIVE US 3 REASONS WHY WE SHOULD TRACK DOWN, LISTEN AND DISCOVER YOUR MUSIC?
JJ: In a world of overproduced dirge, we have a raw sound that’s also quite accessible across the board.
MP: I really need to quit my day job.
ND: We hold the listener/audience in high regard, so we’ve made a lot of effort to go the extra mile in how we deliver our music. We have a self-produced music and lyric video in the making, and more plans for filmed material to accompany the tracks. And we think the stuff we have is great.
WHERE DO YOU SOUND BEST – FESTIVAL, CLUB, BEDROOM – OR SOMEWHERE ELSE?
ND: We have a very invigorating live sound, but equally we’ve learned through recording that our tracks translate really well there too. There’s plenty going on and lots of layers to appreciate that sometimes get (rightly) lost in the chaos of a live gig. There’s a bit for everyone.
JJ: The bigger the stage, the better.
GW: Derby Crown Court.
JDH: Toilet.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST…
RECORD?
GW: James Brown’s Greatest Hits.
JDH: Californication – Red Hot Chilli Peppers.
JJ: Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel.
ND: Friends – White Lies.
CD?
GW: American Idiot.
MP: Also American Idiot – it was the album that inspired me to play guitar.
JDH: Nevermind.
JJ: Zenyatta Mondatta – The Police.
ND: The Black Parade – My Chemical Romance.
DOWNLOAD?
GW: lINkInpARk.intHeENd.exe.
JDH: Highway to Hell.
JJ: Definitely Maybe – Oasis.
ND: Probably something daft like ‘Glorious’ by Andreas Johnson.
SO, WHEN IT ALL GOES RIGHT AND YOU’VE GOT A HUGE QUEUE OF HANGERS-ON AND A RIDICULOUS MANSION, WHAT WILL BE YOUR BIGGEST INDULGENCE, MUSICAL OR OTHERWISE?
ND: Honestly just a home studio and time. Get loads of gear and just sit and write. Rehearse. Practice. There’s no sort of musical item or object I crave except those that open doors in some creative way. I’d love to learn how to program and play synths, for example. It’s not even that unattainable! But even if I invested now, the time isn’t there. The sort of success you describe means I could doss off and not worry about income, meaning I could spend more time just being creative without conflating it with economic value.
JJ: Jimi Hendrix’s Stratocaster and a 20ft Ferrero Rocher pyramid.
GW: Big fu*k-off bag of cheesy hash browns and 10 gallon of creamy pints.
MP: Drugs.
JDH: Eggs.
SO, WHEN IT ALL GOES WRONG AND YOU’VE ACRIMONIOUSLY BROKEN UP CITING HUGE MUSICAL DIFFERENCES, WHAT DO YOU FALL BACK ON?
ND: Me and my acoustic guitar. I’ve drifted from writing songs the way I used to when that’s all I had, but I know I’ll always have that and will revisit it more thoroughly in time. Hopefully not in the disastrous terms described.
JJ: Good old pint pulling.
GW: Heroin’s decent I suppose.
MP: Drugs.
JDH: Heroin.
The False Flag, 2026
CITE SOME INTER-BAND MUSICAL DIFFERENCES…
ND: There’s a bit of nu-metal among my inspirations but broadly speaking I’m not a big metalhead which I think some of the lads are.
JJ: Others in the band are partial to metal and I’m not.
JDH: Metal.
GW: My music taste is vastly superior and they simply don’t understand.
MP: Drugs.
WHO ARE YORKSHIRE’S FINEST IN CULTURE, SPORT AND MUSIC?
GW: Mark Addy, Harry Maguire (big bazzer) and Phil Oakey.
MP: Arctic Monkeys, Pulp & Bring Me The Horizon.
JJ: Sheffield Wednesday, Sean Bean and Arctic Monkeys or Pulp.
ND: The guys at Warp Films in Sheffield have been doing amazing thinks for the culture here. Sport is Sheffield United and music is impossible to say, but I can promise you the only contenders for that crown are Sheffield acts.
NAME YOUR SUPERGROUP – WHO’S PLAYING WHAT, WHO’S ON VOCALS AND WHO’S YOUR BEZ?
ND: Travis Barker on drums, Flea on bass, Martin Gore on synth, Josh Homme on guitar, Chester Bennington on vocals, Bjork on additional vocals and David Byrne as our Bez. David Bowie can help write the songs too. Maybe do a couple features.
GW: Drums-Prince, Bass-Prince, Guitar-Prince, Vocals-Prince, Bez-Bez.
MP: II from Sleep Token, Hendrix and Flea would have to feature.
JDH: Me, Hendrix and Frank Gallagher.
JJ: Drums – Matt Helders, Bass – Mani, Lead – John Squire, Vocals – John Lennon, Keys – Nick Rhodes and Tambo – Liam Gallagher.
GO SEE THIS FILM:
GW: Behind the Green Door.
MP: Pulp Fiction.
JDH: Holes.
JJ: Goodfellas.
ND: Mulholland Drive.
GO READ THIS BOOK:
GW: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
MP: 1984.
JDH: Scar Tissue.
JJ: Avon catalogue.
ND: Your Silence Will Not Protect You.
GREAT LOST BAND/ARTIST:
GW: Lower Than Atlantis, Them Crooked Vultures, Creedence Clearwater Revival
MP: Jeff Buckley
JDH: Prince
JJ: Creedence Clearwater Revival
ND: Frightened Rabbit
WOULDN’T BE CAUGHT DEAD SUPPORTING:
ND: 30 Seconds To Mars.
GW: Leeds United, Liverpool and Tories
JJ: Sheffield United, Leeds United.
LONDON, L.A OR LEEDS?:
ND: Depends what for. Maybe London because it’ll have all the infrastructure of a place like LA without any of the yankness. But it’s London so, no winners really.
GW: None they’re all sh*te
MP: n/a they’re all sh*t.
AND FINALLY… AS YOU LEAVE THE STAGE, WHAT ARE YOUR PARTING WORDS?
ND: Thank you very much (not in an Elvis accent), Goodnight.
GW: Who stole my Maroon 5 cd?
MP: A cheeky wave as I don’t have a microphone.
JDH: Sausages
JJ: Thank you and you’re welcome.
The False Flag’s debut single HEART ALARM is streaming in all good platforms from Friday 10th April 2026. Follow their socials for news on their Spring/Summer 2026 gig dates and for new music: https://linktr.ee/thefalseflagband
