INTERVIEW: Lonely The Brave - GigslutzGigslutz

Ahead of their show at O2 Academy in Newcastle Upon-Tyne, Gigslutz caught up with guitarist Ross Smithwick and bass player Andrew Bushen of Lonely The Brave. Discussing their relationship with Marmozets, how difficult getting Radio 1 on-board is and their exclusive Glastonbury 2015 predictions, Doom-pop saviours Lonely The Brave let us pick their mysterious minds.

Hi Guys, could you introduce yourselves and the roles within the band?

Bush: Hello, I’m Bush from Lonely The Brave and I play bass.
Ross: Hi I’m Ross and I play guitar.

So you’re playing the O2 Academy Newcastle tonight as part of ‘The Big Cheese Tour’ – what exactly is this and how did it come about?

Ross: It’s three awesome bands on one tour. The Big Cheese is obviously the magazine and I think Marmozets were already on it and then we got the offer too.

Did you know any of the bands playing tonight before the tour?

Ross: We did a few festivals over the summer and got to know them [Marmozets] but it wasn’t until this tour that we got really close.

Bush: We met them [Marmozets] at Download and Reading & Leeds, but we’ve really got on well during this tour and it’s been lots of fun really!

The debut album ‘The Days War’ is out now. could you describe the themes involved in the album?

Bush: That’s a tough one! Well, Dave [Jakes] rights the lyrics, so a lot of the themes come from what he writes about. Things about friendship, family and, I guess, camaraderie with both unhappy and positive elements to it. I think the album’s themes came out of that really. The imagery [album art] was basically the guy who did the artwork, Alex Woodhead. We gave him the album to listen to and he just came up with all the artwork: it was how he envisioned it.

How well has the debut been received?

Ross: Yeah, there’s been some overwhelming feedback. We’ve got some great fans out there and it’s connected with people really well.

Bush: Amazing really. We’ve had the album ready for a couple of years and now that it’s been released, the feedback and reaction from it has been incredible.

Both NME and Q magazine have mentioned The Lonely Brave recently, have there been any other famous faces interested in you?

Ross: Kerrang! Have been really supportive, Rock Sound too.

Zane Lowe’s been behind the band too hasn’t he?

Ross: Radio 1 have been awesome. We’re really lucky!

Bush: I think if one of the DJs like you and picks up on you, then it’s still not easy, but it definitely helps you along the way. Daniel P Carter and Zane Lowe have just been amazing. When they bring things up for their evening shows, hopefully it starts to translate to the day time as well.

Having a scroll through your twitter, there’s a photograph that’s been sent to you by George Ezra. Are the band and Ezra friends?

Ross: Yeah, he’s actually a good friend of mine. We both met in Bristol a few years ago and we got to hang-out before either of us were doing what we’re doing now.

Could there be a Lonely The Brave / Ezra collaboration on the cards?

Ross: Hey maybe, but he is a very busy man!

A lot of the shows, Nottingham in particular, are sold out across the tour. How does it feel for the band to be able to sell-out a show?

Ross: It still feels special and not something that you take for granted. Over the last couple of years we’ve played these similar venues, and they’ve not been sold out so hopefully things are moving in the right direction for us. Having a great co-headliner and Allusondrugs supporting playing as well is helping us get around. So really, it’s fantastic!

Has there ever been a defining moment for the band while playing live?

Bush: There’s shows that really stand-out. We did our album launch at Dingwalls in London a couple of months ago, and we all felt that was one of the most amazing nights for us.

Ross: Festivals and stuff like Download, Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds, all of those were amazing for us. Glastonbury was incredible. We were on quite early in the day and there was the question of ‘how many people are going to turn up?’. It was great though, it was rammed.

Bush: It was the first time I’d ever been to Glastonbury and we were playing in a tent… But you could see people camping outside and just going about their daily thing.

Gigslutz predictions: who’s headlining Glastonbury 2015?

Bush: It’s always the usual isn’t it? Fleetwood Mac, it’s got to happen hasn’t it?

Ross: David Bowie perhaps? Then they always have a left-field one. They always mix it up.

Bush: Madonna, maybe [Lady] Gaga? Yeah Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie and Madonna; you heard it here first!

Well, thank you so much for talking to Gigslutz and have a fabulous show tonight and a great end to your tour!

Ross: Thank you very much!

Ella Scott
@ell44h