After a 4 week residency at Club NME this January and a support slot with Ellie Goulding this year, Sons and Lovers are hotly tipped for big things. We got chance to catch up with them and ask how it’s all felt so far.
Eddie Bye: There are a couple bands that share the name Sons and Lovers, presumably you each have different reasons for the name. What’s yours?
Tom Lillywhite: There are a few yeah, we got ours from the DH Lawrence novel.
EB: Earlier this year you took up a Club NME residency at KOKO in London. Would you say this helped build your profile?
TL: Yeah I think it really helped. It was an amazing thing to get asked to do and it’s one of our favourite venues so playing it every weekend in January was pretty special.
EB: You supported Ellie Goulding on her last UK tour, how do you feel supporting someone with such a big name? Is it something you’ve always wanted to do or is it just part of growing as a band?
TL: We felt really lucky to be out on tour with someone who has that kind of profile. Not only that but we’re big fans of hers so it was really fun and we had a great time!
EB: After supporting OneRepublic on tour, would you say your fan base grew dramatically?
TL: The OneRepublic shows seemed to go down really well, they’ve got some lovely fans who have been really supportive of us since we played with them.
EB: Is there a particular audience you are aiming for when you write/perform?
TL: We don’t really write for an audience, I personally don’t find it a very healthy way to start the creative process. We know our sound though so I guess that’s always in the back of our minds when we’re writing.
EB: What are the major influence which go into the band’s sound?
TL: We all have very different musical influences and backgrounds from Botch to The Beatles but when it comes down to it, all of us can appreciate a good pop song no matter what genre of music.
EB: Do you think that performing with such acts as OneRepublic and Ellie Goulding has a bearing on the sort of audience you will pull in to your shows in future?
TL: Yeah, I think that’s kind of inevitable.
EB: Tim, we must ask, how would you say playing with Sons and Lovers compares to being part of a metal core band? It seems like a crazy contrast!
Tim Hillier-Brook: It’s a huge contrast musically, and in terms of the musical peers we have and audience we play to, but the core elements of being in a band are the same We still tour, make music, and have a great time doing it. The main thing for me personally is that everything seems to be taken a little less seriously which feels great.
EB: What have been your favourite gigs so far? Which ones are you looking forward to?
TL: The last sold out show at KOKO was amazing. Playing Reading and Leeds will be a big moment for us. It’s the first festival I ever went to and I’ve been so many times, can’t wait!
EB: Where do you see yourselves in 5 years? Any chance of any metal influences being slipped in?
TL: As long as we’re able to keep writing, recording and performing music full-time we’ll be more than happy, it’s the dream! I wouldn’t hold your breath for any metal influences unfortunately – maybe that difficult 3rd album?
