Interview: 10Q’s with LAWLESS
Lawless are a new band who have just released their debut album ‘Rock Savage’ through Escape Music. Here we catch-up with vocalist/guitarist Paul Hume to find out more about the band, their new album and what they have planned in the future.
www.escape-music.com
1. What are you currently up to? (recording, gigs, plans etc.)
Loads of stuff in the pipeline ,we have just confirmed our next headline show at the Sugarmill in Hanley Stoke-on-Trent on the 7th November ,we are in negotiations with bands and venues with regards to some tours and festivals to be announced soon and Neil and myself (Paul) are beginning writing for the next album so all’s great at the moment
2. How did Lawless get together?
Neil and myself play in the band Demon and have played in bands and known each other for many years. I know Neil is a great song writer having contributed to the last two demon albums and from other bands he has been in in the past so when Neil suggested to me the idea of writing together with a view to forming a band I jumped at the chance.
3. Could you take us through the new album ‘Rock Savage’ e.g. recording process, ideas behind the songs
Sure we first wrote all the tracks, Neil would write the complete song and record it guitars, bass, drums, from beginning to end on his home studio he would then give me the finished song.
Neil’s a prolific writer so he would be giving me songs on a daily basis. I would then look for the songs I could most feel the vibe of and start writing lyrics and melody ,it only took a couple of months to write the whole album Neil and myself work really quickly. We then demoed the album from beginning to end ready for recording. We knew with the quality of the songs that we needed to put a band together and we wanted the whole project to be a band thing and not just a studio album.
So first off we asked Josh Tabbie Williams who’s a good friend of ours and he said yes he’d love to do it,then we spent a while thinking about guitarists it had to be the right player who loved the music and was a fantastic player. Neil owns a music shop in Hanley called the Rhythm House when one day an old friend of his walked through the doors Howie G. He rang me straight away and said I’ve found our guitarist! We gave the demoed songs to Howie and he said straight away count me in, so Lawless was born.
We knew when we had our first rehearsal that the band had something special we just jelled straight away as anyone will tell you who’s seen us live. We rehearsed the album ready for recording and then from December 2012 until May 2013 spent six months recording it.
I am glad you’ve asked me about the ideas behind the songs. To many people read the title such as “Metal Time” or “Rock n Roll City” and think its just cheap cheesy rock n roll and don’t take time to listen to and understand the lyrics. The ideas behind the songs are varied we have the first song “Heavy Metal Heaven” which is a simple song about something I’m sure all us rockers do which is going out at the weekend to your favouite club/pub or to see a band its the time when you can become yourself no work the next day and just for those few hours you can live in Heavy Metal Heaven.
I can’t mention on here what “Black Widow Ladies” is about, make your own mind up Ha Ha. “F.O.A.D” is about that arsehole who everybody knows, thinks they know it all and everybody’s wrong. You’re an idiot and they love telling everybody so. “Misery” is about the paparazzi building people up and then crushing them the first chance they get.
“S.O.S” is a sloppy love song. Many have been there when they’ve split from there partner and are left all alone but there’s no one there for them. “Rock N Roll City” is about what I call the Simon Cowell syndrome where kids and people are brain washed into thinking that the drivel they produce is the be all and end all of music. Just because they have the money to plough into TV and records the kids think this is the only type of music out there. The songs says “your minds for you not them” them being the popular media I wish we could educate more people about all kinds of music not just rock and metal but everything music should have a level playing field and not just be used to brainwash kids.
“Step” in is a simply funky arena style anthem chant song no frills no heavy meaning just good honest rock n roll and having a good time at a gig. One of my all time heroes is Ronnie James Dio and “Scream” was really written in his style it really has no meaning its just a lot of words put together that rhyme and work well. Make your own mind up what its about.
“Pretender” is a political song and is basically referring to the various political parties and how they ALL promise one thing and do another this goes for ALL parties there all pretenders and all as bad as each other, nuff said. “Where Heroes Fall” is about us all as a community and country, when the shit hits the fan as with the recent recession we must all stand together, each and every one of us is a hero in our own way and fight our own battles. Where heroes fall we stand and call its not over ,its not over, and finally “Metal Time”. Again this is not a cheesy metal song it has deep meaning to me and I’m sure EVERY metal fan of all genres. Its about that first time you ever heard metal music and refers to my personal experience of this, as I’m sure many others first heard metal as a young kid I can remember the exact place and I can still see the scene in my head who was there and what the band and songs were. I grew my hair was hated by the teachers for this but I lived for my music and couldn’t wait for the school bell to ring so I could get off home and listen to the latest band. I’m sure that everyone who loves metal music has been through a similar experience in one way or another ,”when the school bell rings only one thing on his mind ,its METAL TIME ”
4. How did you hook-up with Escape Music? Have you been pleased with the reaction to the album so far from reviewers and sales wise?
I am a producer and run commercial recording studios here in Stoke-on-Trent (Summerbank studios ,excuse the plug!!) I had been working on FM’s latest album when Steve Overland happened to be in the studio at the same time I was finishing mixing the Lawless album, he asked “who’s this?” I told him it was my band Lawless and he loved the stuff so much he immediately referred us to his colleagues at Escape Music who also loved the stuff and the album was out within 2 months! The album has had rave reviews all over the world album sales have been fantastic.
Nothing made us go for the 80′s sound that is who we are, we lived and loved through the 80′s we just write how we write.
6. How is the current rock and metal music scene as it appears rock music is in good shape with a lot of magazines around, Firefest doing well and the European festivals still going strong.
Yeah its great and getting better. There’s loads of rock festivals all over the world (don’t get enough coverage though unlike V and pop miming bands on the beach shite!) and some brilliant magazines and webzines flying the flag its getting stronger and stronger and so it should.
7. How important is social media like Facebook, Twitter etc for the band in getting your music out there and communicating with your fans?
Fantastic isn’t it? We can be so close to our supporters its like one big family all under one roof
8. How did the recent album launch go in Stoke? Any plans to perhaps link up and play with Demon in the future?
The album launch was fantastic the venue was rammed we’ve got a lot of good people working for us on the live front some great guitar techs merch people and possibly the best sound engineer in the country Rich Lloyd (big shout out to you guys and gals) at our shows they are the 5th member they make it all happen, with regards to Lawless playing with Demon you never know, never say never.
9. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time away from music?
Family, friends, supporting local bands and venues, beer, Jack Daniels, bikes, SLEEP, rock n roll really is my life.
10. Anything else to add and a message for your fans…
Just welcome aboard its gonna be a long fast ride, without you we couldn’t do this when ever we are in your area always come say hello. Keep flying the rock n roll flag each and everyone of us live for what we believe in, you all rock and remember “ITS METAL TIME”
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