After spending the last few months building and developing their sound, Nottingham-based newcomers Lapels have now unveiled their highly-tipped debut single 'Warning Lights'.
Channelling a fresh and soaring indie-rock aesthetic from start to finish, 'Warning Lights' makes for a powerful introduction to their sound. Taking their cues from the retro Britpop direction, these guys have brought the classic style bang up to date with shimmering tones and soaring hooks throughout.
So with the new single out now, we sat down with them to find out more about their background and inspirations over the years.
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What was the first instrument you learned to play?
Adam: I started playing guitar when I was 6, could never get the hang of it so I started playing drums!
Andy (singer/guitarist): I first learned the guitar when I was around 8, never looked back.
Nathan: The first instrument I learned to play seriously was the drums. I had lessons for a few years but then switched over to guitar when I started to lose interest in pursuing the drums
Will: When I was nine I briefly had Cornet lessons at school, though moved onto electric guitar the next year.
What was the first album you remember owning?
Adam: Back and black ACDC
Andy: I used to listen to albums that my family had around the house when I was growing up ,but the first one I bought myself was probably something really daft like the school of rock CD when the film came out, had some decent stuff like the who on it to be fair.
Nathan: The first album I remember owning was Abbey Road. I remember coming home from school one day and my dad had bought it for me and I just played it on repeat constantly because it blew my mind and that's when I started to take music more seriously I think
Will: ‘Rainbow Rave Up’ – a terrible rave CD with Zippy singing over it, I was very young…
Did you ever form a band when you were younger and if so, what did they sound like?
Adam: I only ever played drums on my own in my bedroom until joining the band!
Andy: No not really, I would play guitar with other people but nothing I’d call a band.
Nathan: I was in a little band when I was younger with two other lads from school. That was when I still played the drums and we just did a few covers at some local gigs. I think we used to play stuff like 'Teenage Kicks' and 'My Generation' terribly
Will: The first I was in was called Dry Ice, formed in 2012 for a school talent show, we only ever played one song – Song 2 by Blur. The crowd went absolutely mad for some reason.
What is a song you wish you had written yourself?
Adam: Lay down – DMA’S
Andy: A day in the life – The Beatles
Nathan: There's too many really to narrow down, but I'd say 'English Rose' by The Jam has to be up there for me. The best songs are always the simplest ones and they're the hardest to write and there's something very pure about it
Will: Happy Birthday To You, imagine the royalties.
What has been the most thrilling moment about creating your own music?
Adam: Seeing people enjoying me play my own drum parts live
Andy: Either the first time you smash it out in the rehearsal rooms and everything just clicks, or when hearing the final version come to life in the studio.
Nathan: The most thrilling moment about writing our own music is when we play it on stage and I can see people singing the words back to us. It's always a great feeling
Will: Probably writing a good bass part and then hearing it come together with the rest of the band live for the first time, always feels great.
And what about the most frustrating part?
Adam: Making things musical but also technically interesting
Andy: Being a perfectionist and knowing when it’s time to leave it as it is.
Nathan: The most frustrating part I think is when you lose sight of where the idea is going and you keep going round in circles and can never seem to develop the idea any further. The best thing to do in that situation is to leave it alone for a bit and come back to it later with a fresh perspective in my experience
Will: Starting to write a song, it’s the most difficult part.
Which artist would you most love to share a stage with?
Adam: Jake Bugg
Andy: I think Alex Turner would be great, his stage presence is brilliant or Pete Doherty if it were an acoustic type thing, probably be a shambles but a lot of fun.
Nathan: I'm not really sure who I’d like to share a stage with... There's so many I can think of all for different reasons. I would have loved to share a stage though with Keith Moon, I think that would have been mental although I would have probably ended up deaf
Will: I couldn’t say just one, but probably one of the greats while they’re still going, like The Stones or The Who.
Where do you see yourself in five years time?
Adam: Hopefully playing gigs for a living and smashing things out with the band!
Andy: Smashing gigs and still living it.
Nathan: Where do I see myself in five years time? On a sunlounger with a cold
Will: Hopefully not in a job interview being asked the same question as this…
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Lapels' debut single 'Warning Lights' is available to stream now. Check it out below.
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