STITCHED: We’re just gonna write what we like, and be authentic with it.
Written by Conrad Newton - Photos by Conrad Newton & Sarah Farooque
STITCHED are a unique band. Musically, the Black Country quintet sit at a crossroads of genres, with a melting pot of influences that have led to a sound that is, at times, hard to label. 2025’s Terminal was a Frankenstein’s Monster of death, groove, metalcore and hardcore inspiration. A debut full length after a handful of EPs and 6 years of hard work; they’re now reaping the fruits of their labour.
We sat down with vocalist Devan Loines and drummer Josh Farrier to talk all things Stitched - from changing influences to their EMP Stage slot at this year’s edition of Bloodstock Festival.
We’re in the heart of Digbeth as the sun begins to set on the UK’s second city. It’s warm and these men are tired, but there is still an air of excitement as they look to the weeks ahead. An adventure to Slovenia for Tolminator Fest awaits, fresh off the back of a trip to Denmark for Northern Aggression. And, of course, the hallowed grounds of Bloodstock Festival.
Bloodstock holds a special place in the hearts of every member of Stitched. “It’s my favourite festival to go to, actually. It’s always so fun when you’re there” notes Josh. “I’ve been there for the last 5 years”. Devan was a later arrival, sharing that he’d always had Download as a tradition before venturing to Catton Park. “One year I went [to Bloodstock] and realised I didn’t need to go to Download anymore”.
Photo - Sarah Farooque
“We used to do Metal to the Masses when I was in my old band. We did it once with Stitched, made it to the final and didn’t get in” recalls Devan. Metal to the Masses is notoriously difficult to win, especially in a city like Birmingham with such a thriving underground music scene. “Every year I’ve emailed to see if we could get on it. After bringing the album out, we’ve become professional enough to play the EMP Stage on the Sunday, apparently.”
“If we got Bloodstock, we were gonna get it because we’d earned it, you know what I mean?”
Even as the momentum begins to build and stages start to get bigger, the band take immense pride in the scene they’re from. No two shows are the same, but a lot of the people are. The hardcore scene is a passionate one, with a plethora of genres crossing over to create a one-of-one environment for artists and gig-goers alike. At its core, hardcore is about authenticity and expression, something that Stitched will never abandon.
“We’re trying to find the sweet spot while still appealing to the hardcore fans. The new music is appealing more to metal fans though, I think” remarks Josh. The original idea behind Stitched was more metal-leaning though, as Devan mentions - “it kind of feels good to be back in that and be doing alright with it. The new tracks we’ve done, there’s no mention of them yet, but they’re kind of getting more death metal influenced. Just because that’s what we’ve been getting into.”
“We’re just gonna write what we like, and be authentic with it. Whatever comes of it will come.”
Of course, the band that stands here today is not the same as the Stitched of five years ago, or indeed the band that released Slumtracks. Lineup changes, differing tastes and learned experiences have made sure of that. It’s human nature to progress, after all.
“To be honest, me and Mike (guitarist) always had the drive for it. He always wrote the music and I pushed it as much as I could”, Devan continues, “what else could I do? Be a vocalist and try to get better at being a vocalist”.
“When we first started Stitched, we were listening to Ocean Grove and Knocked Loose, those bands have changed and so have we. But there’s also a lot of Acacia Strain in our music. We listen to Sanguisugabogg, Peeling Flesh, that low caveman type s*** now.”
It’s not just the household names, however. “We could be playing somewhere random, like Banbury, and hear something we like. And then you take a little bit from it. Bands like Repulsed, Public Execution, Deathfiend - I wrote Mirelurk specifically for Johnny Doom to do a feature on.”
On the mention of new members, praise comes in heaps for drummer Josh. “He’s a f***ing awesome drummer. He can do anything we throw at him 10 times better than we ask him to. And he’s CONSISTENT.”
The drum department isn’t the only change, however, as the guys reveal that there is movement in other areas. “We’ve got a few fill-ins on the bass, the main one being Connor from Depravity. We’ve taken influence from that band, toured with them and all that. He’s from London which does break the Black Country curse a little bit. But he’ll hopefully have a great influence on us.”
As we begin to wind things down, more to get out of the heat than anything else, Devan and Josh look to what’s next for Stitched as their momentum begins to build. “We want to show the history of the area we’re from. It might sound a bit weird for a hardcore song, which is why we’ve kind of stepped away from that a little bit.”
Coming from the Black Country is a badge of honour for them, and they want to show that it’s more than just an accent, as they point out. “The next three tracks are about where we’re from. We’ve got a track called The Witch Elm,” announces Devan, clearly excited to break the news of new music and a different direction for the band. “It’s about an unsolved murder that a lot of people from our area know about. It’s a really interesting story. We want to utilise the essence of the Black Country, and tell people what we’re all about.”
“It’s a moody, grey area where we live, but steel was invented in the black country. So were battered chips.
Shout out to battered chips.”
Stitched open the EMP Stage at this year’s Bloodstock Festival on Sunday August 9th, 2026. Terminal is out now on all streaming platforms.
