by Chelsea Ness
Glaswegian alt-rockers, Lonehead have been main players in the Glaswegian rock scene for a while now and with the release of their debut album, Wonderful and How to Get it, the band are certainly showing no sign of slowing down anytime soon. I caught up with them to find out how they originally formed, their most memorable gig and of course more about their debut album. Have a read below now…
1. How did you guys form? Lonehead was born from the ashes of Glasgow indie rock band The Halos. Craig Hadden, the original drummer, who played on the album, met Jim Keilt at a Glasgow jam session. We always wanted to be a classic 3 piece rock band – guitar, bass and drums – playing power pop and guitar rock – the music we want to play. We started writing original material. Mark Brown (ex-Cosmic Rough Riders) then joined the band.
2. What bands / musicians are your main influences? We have a broad range of influences. Classic bands include The Who, Cream. Modern influences include new wave bands like the Manic Street Preachers and Stereophonics. David Bowie, as an artist, was – and is – also a big influence.
3. You have recently released your debut album, ‘Wonderful and How to Get It’ – is there a particular message or meaning that you want the album to represent? The title is really all about our journey as aspiring musicians. There are songs that reference the frustrations of trying to break through as a band – the search for “Wonderful”. We Pass It On, the new single, is about the indelible mark we all leave – you do the best you can while you’re in the here and now – do your best and do no harm is the message.
4. How long did it take you to write the album? The writing took around a year. It’s a band album – born out of rehearsal rooms. We already had material from previous solo albums Jim; “We probably had half a dozen songs to start with. We worked with Scottish producer Stuart McCredie on the lead tracks including Jazz Killer and Monkey Boots. The album was a co-production. Grant Milne at Chem19 gave us a lot of help on the new single “We Pass It On”.
5. What is your favourite track from the album and what song are you most looking forward to performing live? We enjoy playing Monkey Boots and Clockwork Radio live. If we were going to highlight one track it would probably be Clockwork Radio – it really encapsulates what Lonehead is all about.
6. Our favourite track so far is ‘Does Your Money Make You Happy?’, what was the influence behind this track? The idea came from an early Halos writing session. The song was lying around but became a live favourite. It always get’s a great response. It’s really about the vacuous nature of the pursuit of wealth.
7. You are based in Glasgow – what other Glaswegian bands do you recommend us checking out? Definitely The Bleeders – avant-garde punk rock 2-piece. Spoonr – really great Glasgow new wave band. Tom Mcguire & The Brassholes are our top tip.
8. What’s been your most memorable gig you’ve played so far and why? Opening for Sackridge. We did a show at the O2 benefit show following the helicopter accident at Clutha Vaults – was poignant. Supporting Wishbone Ash in Glasgow was also a highlight.
9. What’s the craziest thing to happen to you on stage? Probably a Yorkshire Biker Rally where the audience got a little bit over excited!
10. What are the band’s main aims and ambitions when things return back to normality? We’ve recorded loads of new music in lockdown – it’s been a really creative period. 25 tracks remotely – we’ll be playing them live as soon as we get the chance. Meantime we want to consistently release new music over this year. New EP release coming in March – “Too Long Gone”.
Lonehead’s social media platforms:
https://www.facebook.com/loneheadband
https://www.instagram.com/loneheadband
Stills Photography Credit: Euan Anderson Photography
Check out Lonehead’s latest release below…
The Music Files 