Notts trio Lapels have been on our radar for sometime now. It was an absolute pleasure to learn more about them from Nathan Pointon of the band.
OSM: Hi, where are Lapels from and who is in the band?
We’re from the Midlands area (Burton and Ilkeston) and we are Nathan (bass and vocals), Andy (guitar and vocals) and Adam (drums).
OSM: Your EP, ‘Live at Black Barn’’, is out now. How did you decide which tracks to include on
the EP?
We never initially planned to do an EP but we had some tracks that we didn’t end up recording for our album but we still wanted to put them out so that’s how it came about really.
OSM: What challenges have you faced since launching your career?
-Like every other artist on the planet, the pandemic hit us like a wrecking ball, literally stopping us in our tracks with everything. As the backlog of booked live gigs took hold, we’ve found that stages are having to accommodate pre-booked gigs from x2 years ago, before they can look at the next generation of talent for live performances. That’s our biggest challenge, but the music industry is in this boat together, so we’re working with our fans, management and label to work around it. The live circuit is slowly opening up and we’re loving meeting our fans face to face at gigs.
OSM: How did you come about recording the tracks at Paul Weller’s studio? How was the
recording process?
We had an in-road to be able to record at Paul's studio so we grabbed that with both hands, as it was something we all wanted to do. The process was different to how we’d normally record, as we decided to record it live to capture that ‘live feel’. It was definitely a great experience to record at Black Barn and we all have fond memories of it and we got a good record out of it.
OSM: From your point of view, what is the EP as a whole about, what is its message?
I’ll let people draw their own conclusions but I think optimism is a recurring theme.
OSM: From the three tracks on the EP, are any your favourites?
I like them all for different reasons so I wouldn’t say I have an overall favourite however I did personally really like how ‘The Time Is Ours’ came out.
OSM: What challenges have you faced since launching your career?
Like every other artist on the planet, the pandemic hit us like a wrecking ball, literally stopping us in our tracks with everything. As the backlog of booked live gigs took hold, we’ve found that stages are having to accommodate pre-booked gigs from x2 years ago, before they can look at the next generation of talent for live performances. That’s our biggest challenge, but the music industry is in this boat together, so we’re working with our fans, management and label to work around it. The live circuit is slowly opening up and we’re loving meeting our fans face to face at gigs.
OSM: What are the plans for the year ahead for yourselves?
Summer’s here, covid restrictions are easing, so our priority is to get on those stages and play live – that’s what we do best and where our true passion lies. We’ve just stepped off the plane from Cannes where we headlined at the first international music conference MICANNES; it was awesome to meet all the industry influencers in one place. Plus we’re constantly writing and recording. Our debut mini album ‘Live at Black Barn’ has just been released, but our sights are now set on our debut album – watch out for that, it’s gonna be awesome.
OSM: If you could change anything about the industry what would it be?
Probably for people to take more of a punt on new bands. It’s difficult nowadays because there’s so much saturation and it’s hard to get people to come along for the ride before you’re established. We were lucky, we were quickly snapped up by Marquee Records, but often that’s about luck (who you meet). But we’re proof that luck doesn’t happen, so keep pushing and trying everyone.
OSM: If you could share the stage with another band or performer who would it be?
-There would be so many to choose from, I do quite like the idea of sharing the
stage with Miles Kane though, we think that would be good.
OSM: Who are some of the main influences of your music?
- There’s too many to say really but I guess between us all it’s a combination of bands like The Libertines, The Beatles, Supergrass, Arctic Monkeys, Oasis, Tom Misch, Night Cafe and The Jam come through in our stuff but there’s loads of stuff we like and I think all of our influences come out in some way or another however subtle it may be.
OSM: What songs are on your playlist right now, which songs are you into at the moment?
-For me (Nathan) I’ve been listening to some new stuff that’s been coming out. I like the new Black Keys’ track and the new Jamie T track so yeah I’d say they’ve been in my playlist. Adam’s currently listening to Tony Royster Jr, Eric Moore and Andy Prado, whilst Andy’s been listening to Cage and Elephant a lot recently.
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