Music > Interviews

Lonely The Brave

26/04/16

Cambridge band Lonely The Brave have been together for eight years, bringing their anthemic rock and emotional lyrics to the masses. They’ve supported massive acts like The Deftones and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Radio 1 are also big fans. Their brand new album Things Will Matter is out this month, and they’re headlining a show at Open. I spoke to Andrew, the bass player, about lyrics, metal and staying friends with your bandmates.

Your latest single Radar has just been released. It’s got a great video – can you tell me about it? 

 Thanks! We are really pleased with the video, from the time we heard about the original concept it seemed like it was going to work well for that song. It's a really well shot piece, directed by Lewis Cater, and the alien abduction story ties in nicely with aspects of the lyrics. The relationship between the father and son is a nice touch too, quite a few of our videos have themes of human relationships running through them. This wasn't an intentional decision but it has recurred, presumably because that's what our music inspires in the people working on the visual side of things.

Your second album Things Will Matter is out in May. What does the title mean to you and how do the songs reflect the title? 

The title reflects on several things, the way past experiences shape what happens in the present and future, being one. It's also about family and the other things that matter to us personally, hence the album cover being composed of photos from our lives. A lot has happened to us over the past couple of years since The Day's War was released and these things have gone a long way towards shaping the new record. I think you have to take something from good and bad elements of life for inspiration, this was certainly the case when writing Things Will Matter. The songs are always about subjects that are important to us, especially in terms of Dave's lyrics which are inspired by these experiences. 

How does it compare to The Day’s War, your debut album? 

For me, it's a lot more varied and ambitious while still being very much a Lonely the Brave album. It has more dynamics in respect to the tracks, and we all made a real effort to step up when it came to writing and recording our parts. Ross Orton, the producer, really helped by pushing us to get the best out, we nearly lost our minds a few times trying to get things right! Our only real goal was to make the best record we could, I think we achieved that under sometimes difficult circumstances. The Day's War holds great memories and, while the pressures are definitely different these days, we are incredibly proud of what we've produced with this new album.

 I love the first track on Things Will Matter, Wait In The Car. Can you tell me the story behind it?

Mark came up with the main keyboard line on guitar and transposed it to see how it sounded, which worked really well. For a long time we just had that, some other keyboard parts and the vocal melody; it was only when we came to record it for the album that we added the other musical parts. There are some nice atmospheric guitars on it now as well as synth bass and bass guitar, played with a violin bow which was a lot of fun to do! The whole track turned out to be a great recording experience, our first session with Ross Orton, which also produced the album version of Black Mire.

So you’re from Cambridge. What was the music scene like for you there when you were growing up? Did you pop over to Norwich for gigs much when you were young? 

Cambridge has always had an exciting and varied music scene, it never got stuck on one sound so there have been lots of bands with their own style over the years. It's not always had a huge amount of venues, there was The Boat Race back in the day as well as a Barfly for a while. The Portland Arms, The Junction and Corn Exchange have been the main venues for a long time. As is the case for many bands, we used to watch each other playing in other groups. I remember seeing Dave singing when we were really young and thinking that I'd love to be in a band with him one day! I've seen quite a few bands at the Waterfront in Norwich, we've been fortunate enough to support both Therapy? and Mallory Knox there; it's a great venue.

I know your album launch is going to be at the Corn Exchange in May – you must be really excited to play the biggest venue in Cambridge?

Incredibly excited and terrified at the same time! It's such an iconic place for Cambridge, some of my favourite gig memories are from shows there. This ramps up the nerves a fair bit. When you get in front of a home crowd they usually disappear though. The weight of history can be felt when being in a place like that, just thinking about Pink Floyd playing there in the ‘60's sends a bit of a shiver down my spine. It's just a huge honour treading the same stage as so many amazing bands have done, and the whole thing will be an overwhelming experience.

Where did your name originate?

None of us seem to be able to remember exactly. We were looking for something which sounded right, rather than having a great deal of meaning. A fair bit of time was spent thinking about it, the name is important, but after a while I think it just came to symbolise the band rather than giving an insight into it. There is a film with a similar name but I don't think any of us have seen it, although it might have been a subconscious influence I guess. We all like the name (and the music of) Poison the Well and we wanted a name that sounded similar, if only phonetically.

Your songs are so emotional. Are the lyrics based on Dave’s own experiences and passions, and are they sometimes hard for him to sing live because of how personal they might be?

Dave's words are definitely very personal, I doubt that they would sound sincere if they weren't. I think the emotion stems from the subject matter and the way we all react to each other musically. You need that feeling there in what you are playing to bring out the best in each other. I can't speak for Dave, but I'd imagine it can be very hard to sing something that personal. The lyrics mean a lot to me, even if I don't always fully understand what inspired them - you have to draw your own meanings from songs as well as the literal one. I'd definitely find them hard to sing live, in tune anyway!

Who would you say your influences are, and who did you grow up listening to?

As a band, we have a wide range of influences from metal and hardcore to hip hop, through acoustic singer/songwriters to film scores. It's important to take in a lot of different music, even if it's not your cup of tea it can open up new ideas. Personally, I like a lot of heavier stuff, stoner rock and sludge bands like Kylesa. When I was very young, my parents mostly listened to classical music but also the Doors, who I love to this day. Later on I got into heavy rock, metal and 90's indie and shoegaze. Some of my all time favourite bands like Faith No More and Pantera played at the Corn Exchange around this time; it was a very influential period in my life.

Has it been a struggle to stay focused on the band as you’ve been together for eight years now?

We're very lucky to be good friends, and have known each other a long time so that helps a lot when it comes to remaining focused on the important things. When you've been through a lot of ups and downs together, it gives you a shared sense of purpose, which is important for a group of people who spend a lot of time in a van together. Our main concern has always been making the best music we can and, as long as we have the same vision for doing that we'll be able to stay on track. Eight years sounds like a long time when you say it but it has gone by very quickly. Time flies when you're having fun!

Are you able to make a living from the band and not have to have day jobs now?  

There was a period of 18 months or so, up to the end of last year, when we were so busy we were able to be a band full time. I'm sure it's the same for most bands, the money only comes in when you're busy. We had a couple of months after finishing recording Things Will Matter when there were no shows booked. It made sense to go and do some work during this period, bills have to be paid and it keeps me out of the pub! I'm fortunate enough to be able to work sporadically when I need to, and am happy to do so. I don't see any conflict between the two things, it's just the reality of being in a band these days so it's all good!

What are you most excited about for this next tour?

The Corn Exchange show is definitely up there, but just to be out playing live again is going to be very exciting. Recording the album was a great experience and seeing the singles and videos being released is amazing, but you can't beat the live scenario. It's the time you genuinely get to interact with the people who like your band, and hearing a good reaction is the best feeling on earth. We are rehearsing hard at the moment as our first show is playing the whole of the new album at the Lexington in London. It's been interesting learning the new songs, and some of them have changed a fair bit in the studio. We love a challenge though!

What’s the best thing about being in Lonely The Brave?

There are some fairly obvious things like playing a great show or nailing a tricky take in the studio. For me, the best moments can be something like finishing writing a song that we've been working on for a long time. Just getting back in the practice room after a break recently was a real thrill. The sense of achievement when creating something from scratch can only really be matched by seeing someone enjoy it. Ultimately, that's the best thing I think, the process of seeing a song through, from an initial idea, writing, recording and watching a positive reaction to it. 

Lonely The Brave play Open on 23rd May. Tickets available from opennorwich.org.uk