Liverpool band Joe Symes And The Loving Kind have been receiving rave reviews both locally and internationally and were described by the late Beatles manager and Merseybeat promoter, Sam Leach, as being one of the most exciting bands to come out of Liverpool. Here we speak with Joe Symes, vocalist and drummer Colin White about the inception of the band and it’s retro psych sound.

AMFM Magazine: Joe, the Pandemic started when you were coming off a two- and half-year tour, and you’ve been in lockdown along with everyone else for most of last year. How’s the scene right now in England? Is there a vibe of preparing for life to return to normal, with more gigs?

Joe Symes &The Loving Kind:  It’s been a very strange year; never seen anything like this before. Right now, most acts are in the same predicament where we’re unable to play gigs, which can be soul destroying. It’s basically a case of keeping updated on when certain restrictions are being lifted, and when venues can open up again. But there is light at the end of the tunnel. That we truly believe.

AMFM Live music is the lifeblood of the music industry, whether it’s a large stadium gig or in a pub. How have you been able to keep your sanity this past year?

JS&TLK: Even though gigs haven’t been able to happen, and studio time has been delayed a little, all online activity has been in full flow. International radio play, magazine interviews and reviews, album sales on the website, even some celebrity endorsement videos have made, which we’re very, very proud of.

AMFM: Tell us about your second album PHASE 2 – how did the lockdown affect your writing?

JS&TLK:  Phase II is our second album. It was recorded during probably our heaviest touring schedule, and in several studios across the UK including Peter Gabriel’s Solid State Logic in Oxfordshire, the Motor Museum in Liverpool, a couple of sneaky sessions in Abbey Road Studios, London, and finally the mixing and mastering at Parr Street Studios in Liverpool. For anyone who hasn’t heard it, we could only describe it as an album consisting of 10 heavy, catchy rock/pop songs (or Heavy Pop, as we would refer it to). We’re extremely proud it, and the feedback globally has been incredible. The celebrity endorsements we’ve just mentioned have definitely proved that.  I don’t think the lockdown has affected the writing as such. It has given us time to write more new material, which will be part of some future releases, so I guess good things can happen out of bad situations.

AMFM: When did you first fall in love with the idea of making music?

JS&TLK:  Speaking on behalf of us all, it was definitely when we were teenagers. We’ve all been surrounded by different types of music our whole lives. The Beatles, The Doors, The Who, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Smiths, Genesis, Motown, Frank Sinatra, Movie composers like John Barry, Lalo Schifrin, Ennio Morricone, Bernard Herrmann, it all just got soaked in, and the bug bit us all in a very intense where we just couldn’t shake it off. And now it’s lead us to where we are now.

AMFM: What was the impetus for forming Joe Symes and The Loving Kind? How did you meet your bandmates?

JS&TLK: – Me (Colin White – Drums/Percussion/Backing Vocals), and Joe (Vocals/Lead Guitar/Harmonica) have known each other many years, but were in different bands. When the band I was in folded, he’d been going on acoustic gigs on his own for a short time, and I asked if he needed any percussion live and some drums in the studio. Deep down we’d wanted to work together for a long time, and things gelled very easily. Eventually we decided to expand to a full band, and added Alan Welsh on bass. He and Joe had worked together the past, and he fitted in nicely. Plus, one of the best things about us is – unlike some bands you hear about – we all get on. I don’t understand how people who hate each other can work together. It doesn’t make sense to me.

AMFM: One of the songs on the album “Summer’s Almost Coming” definitely gives the vibe of 60’s psychedelia. What was your influence on this one?

Since Liverpool’s Joe Symes & The Loving Kind have emerged from a two-year tour, they have not allowed lockdown to suppress their creativity, quite the opposite in fact! Prolific in the studio – with two albums under their belt, they have used lockdown to ready themselves for their release of a four-track EP in early 2021.

I caught up with the guys, Joe, Colin and Alan to discuss the bands influences, the impact of lockdown, their recently sold-out album Phase II and more… Here’s what they had to say:

D.G: You have quite the celebrity endorsement including, Michael Shifflett who wrote songs for Barbara Streisand and purchased your 2^nd Album phase II (and long-time friend of Kenny Rodgers)  – Kenny Rodgers himself tweeted about you before he sadly passed away. How do these incredible accolades make you feel?

JS&TLK – It’s just amazing these high profile people have discovered us, love what we do, and have taken the time out to give us great feedback that has reached so many others. Publicity like that definitely gives you the feeling that you’re doing something right.

D.G: I am always interested to hear what inspires artists creativity, with that said, who are your biggest influences and why?

JS&TLK: We love so much music. The main ones would be the likes of The Beatles, The Doors, The Who, The Kinks, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Smiths, Genesis, The Pretenders, R.E.M, Jimi Hendrix, lots of Motown, and Stax. Everything about those acts – the songs, the musicianship… it’s so hard to put into words how inspiring they are when you soak it all in. It just gives you that drive, that reason to get out of bed.

We even love classic film composers like John Barry, Lalo Schifrin, Ennio Morricone, Bernard Herrmann, and John Williams. We all love film, and the scores they put on those films were amazing, and added so much to the feel of them. What’s not to love.

D.G: A couple of your songs were featured on a charity album some time ago – Noel Gallagher also featured on that album. That is huge! (Oasis was the soundtrack to my 90s decade) How did this come about?

JS&TLK – We got to know David Quaife, who put the compilation together. His brother was the late Pete Quaife, who was the original bass player for The Kinks, and he asked us if we wanted to be featured on it, as he is a big fan of the band. Other artists on it were Roger McGuinn from The Byrds, Wishbone Ash, Robyn Hitchcock, Steve Cradock from Ocean Colour Scene, and Paul Weller. Was an honour to be added on a collection with such great talent. As I recall, we were the only act on it who has two songs featured.

D.G: Who would you most like to collaborate with and why?

JS&TLK – I think a lot of the people we’d like to collaborate with are sadly no longer with us. Paul McCartney would likely be one.

D.G: Your album, Phase II was a huge hit and sold out worldwide, congratulations that is some feat! What’s next for the band?

JS&TLK – We’ve been working on a new 4 track EP, which is almost finished. It would’ve been released by now, but has been delayed due to recent world events, that has affected almost everyone in all walks of life. It will be out later in the year, once things settle. Without giving too much away, it’s very uptempo, catchy and jangly. Lots of Rickenbackers and Fender Strats. Better late than never, and you won’t be disappointed.

D.G: As a writer myself, I understand how intense the writing process can be. Every artist carves out their own unique way. My daughter tells me, I look like a mad scientist when I emerge from my den after a long writing spell – unkempt hair and so on! What is your process?

JS&TLK – When that initial idea for a song comes, it’s usually recorded on a phone, so I don’t forget it. Songs are never rushed, of course; in our case, it’s left to naturally grow until it can be played in its entirety on an acoustic guitar. It’s then presented to the band, a bit like an artist will do a preliminary sketch, then Colin (drums/percussion/backing vocals), and Alan (bass) will add their shades when it will come out fully formed to play live and/or record. That’s always been the way we do things. Other bands may do things their way, of course, but that process works for us.

D.G: I can’t let the interview pass without the mention of 2020! A difficult year for everyone. How has the lockdown affected your band and how have you adapted?

JS&TLK – Like we mentioned before we’ve been working on a new EP, which would’ve been released by now if it wasn’t for what’s been going on. The entire gigging schedule was completely written off last year, which was devastating, and no doubt many other bands over the world suffered the same. Fortunately all online promotion has been continuing in the meantime. Interviews, reviews, airplay, the celebrity endorsements, and all coming from around the globe.

D.G: What is your vision for the band’s future?

JS&TLK – Simply to continue making music that appeals to a wide audience, and for that audience to grow bigger and bigger. We have a huge backlog of material that we’re very eager to get out. Always good to not be short on material.

D.G: Tell me about your band mates, Colin White (plays the drums) and Alan Welsh (bass player) and how you came together?

JS&TLK – Me (Colin) and Joe have known each other for many years. When the band I was in at the time split, Joe had been doing solo acoustic gigs for a short time, and I initially asked if he needed any percussion live, and drums in the studio. After a while we decided to expand to a full band, and added Alan on bass. Joe had worked with him in the past, so he settled in nicely. It all came together pretty easy really.

D.G: Tell me something that no one knows about you or the band?

JS&TLK – We’ve deduced that chickens that wear wellies eat curry.

D.G: Liverpool produces some amazing and timeless bands. (a blessed city in my humble opinion) including yourselves – why do you think that is?

JS&TLK – Liverpool is a very musical city. I think it dates back to when sailors would bring back music from other places, and it people would soak it all in, which culminated in the whole Merseybeat thing. I know there was stuff that preceded it, but in its modern band context, that’s where it started. Some places are just natural hotspots for creativity.

D.G For the fun if it – do you sing in the shower?

JS&TLK – Ha! Ha! No.

Joe Symes and the Loving Kind are a three-piece rock band hailing from Liverpool consisting of Joe Symes (vocals/guitar/harmonica/songwriter), Colin White (drums/percussion/backing vocals), and Alan Welsh (bass guitar).

DL:  So, Hi guys, thanks for the interview, You decided to enter this crazy wonderful world of music about 5 or 6 years ago now, you got together and formed your band, how come?

JS&TLK:  – Me (Colin), and Joe had known each other for many years but were in different bands. By the time my old band had folded, he’d started doing solo acoustic gigs and magazine interviews, and I offered to play percussion and some drums in the studio. After a few months, we decided to expand into a full band. Alan had worked with Joe in a previous band, so getting him on bass was the perfect option, as we all get on well. No point in working with people you don’t like, eh?

DL: So, as mentioned, you are a “3 piece”, you have a big thumping live sound to your music, in other parts I think you have a bit of a 90s feel, Boo Radleys/early Oasis vibe going on. Similar to The Jam, The Police, Nirvana, etc, do you think a “3 piece” can actually make a bigger “live” sound than a band with four or five members, and do you think it makes you guys a bit “tighter” ??

JS&TLK: Not really fans of those first two, but yeah, there’s definitely something special about the “power trio” format.  At one gig in Manchester, someone told us we sounded like 9 people on stage. Because there’s more room you can all turn up that extra bit more. The three-piece set up has so many advantages sonically and personally. Like we said, more room, and not too many people to deal with, unlike a four or five-piece. Being in an orchestra must be intense at times.

DL: What’s your favorite Christmas movie guys?

JS&TLK: Ha! Colin mentioned “Scrooged” once. The classic Alister Sims “A Christmas Carol” would be up there. Can’t beat it.

DL: You get your self-titled debut album out and you decide to release it on your own label, was that a deliberate move, and do you have a bit of a D.I.Y. approach? also, would you look at opening up your label to other local acts, offering support and mentoring, etc ..going forward ??

JS&TLK:  Oh, it was definitely our intention to do things for ourselves. I don’t think we’re the type of band who likes getting told what to do. We’re our own bosses, and don’t have to answer to anyone. We’re not looking at taking on any other bands at the moment, but we wouldn’t rule it out in the future, at the right time, and for the right reasons.

DL: Two of your songs were featured on a charity record a couple of years back, an album that Noel Gallagher also features on. That’s really rubbing shoulders with the music gentry, well done fellas, how did that come about?

JS&TLK: Yeah, that was the “Shoulder to Shoulder” box set that also featured Roger McGuinn from The Byrds, Robyn Hitchcock, and Wishbone Ash. We got to know David Quaife who set the whole thing up.  His brother was Pete Quaife, who was the original bass player for The Kinks, and he asked us to send some tracks over to go on it.  It was a great honour to be part of it, and for our music to go alongside so many great acts. Thinking about it, we’re the only band on it to have 2 tracks, definitely a bonus.

DL: DJ George played one of your songs at Liverpool’s stadium on a match day. George supports a lot of local bands with his playlists, was that a big buzz, like 54,000 people listening to your single all at once in the same space?

JS&TLK: – Oh, absolutely. George Sephton is a big fan and has played us at half time at Anfield on quite a few occasions. To have your music played at such an iconic stadium to that many people made us very proud, and the feedback was amazing.

DL: Now you lads love being on the road it seems, you have a 2-and-a-half-year tour under your belt,  I mean WOW !!!,  that’s a whopper! Europe and the UK right? How did you feel towards the end of that and did you all end up wearing each other’s socks and stuff ??

JS&TLK: Ha! No, we didn’t go that far.  Like we said before, we all get on great, and the relationship between us all was fine from start to finish. We were just completely exhausted by the end because the schedule was so intense, so the break from gigging has allowed us to recharge our batteries.  Unfortunately, due to recent world events that break has been a little longer than what we planned, but we fully intend on getting on stage again in the new year.

DL: What’s your favourite show or gig you have done so far? Is it right that you played at Noel Gallagher’s after-show party? He keeps popping up in your story it seems.

JS&TLK: Yeah, we headlined Noel’s aftershow at the main stage of the 02 Academy, here in Liverpool, twice.  Both times it was rammed, and they were amazing shows. There are so many other gigs that stick out.  Supporting Republica at the main stage of  Rock and Roll Marathon in Liverpool and supporting The Christians at the Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury.  Headlining the Theatr Brychieniog in Brecon, Wales,  all the gigs we did at The Box in Crewe and again headlining Folk on the Dock in Liverpool, so so many.

DL: Your second album “Phase II”, you recorded at Peter Gabriel’s studio in Oxford and at Abbey Road studios too, nice work fellas. PG is a big hero of mine, how did that come about, and did you get to say hello?

JS&TLK: – A friend of ours Alex, who studied at LIPA,  told us he was starting work at Solid State Logic Studios after he graduated, and said he would love to record us there, so we jumped at the chance.  The sneaky sessions at Abbey Road came from that too, but we had to keep it quiet until recently. We also recorded some of the albums at the Motor Museum here in Liverpool also, then finished it off at Parr Street. Unfortunately, while we were at Solid State Logic we didn’t get the opportunity to meet Peter. I think the first or second time we were there Alex told us he’d been in earlier that week, so nearly.

DL: Tomorrow you win £100,000, but the condition is that you have to spend it all within 2 weeks, what do you buy and why? 

JS&TLK: Spend it on our own studio, which is one of the main things at the top of our wish list. We’d love nothing more than to have our own space where we could go to record/rehearse/write at any time of the day or night, collectively or individually, for as long as we wanted. That definitely would be a dream come true, and it would be all ours. 

DL: Elephant in the room question now, It’s almost over thankfully, but how crap was 2020 for you lads? what did you do to stay positive and creative ??

JS&TLK: It’s certainly been a very strange year that’s had a terrible impact on so many people’s lives and in so many ways. In February we started work on the new EP, and we’d planned on doing the second session in March. Just as we’re about to go in, Boris put the whole country on lockdown, which was devastating. The initial few gigs of this year had just been announced too, and they had to be canceled. Posters have gone up and everything, fortunately, during that 9 or so week period, all internet activity was still in full swing. International airplay, magazine and radio interviews/reviews, and such. Another great thing that happened during that period, which really cheered us up, was the celebrity endorsements that came through from the likes of actor Andy Whitaker (Emmerdale), actor John McCardle (Brookside/Emmerdale/And the Beat Goes on), and US actor Michael Shiflett (Lincoln/Killing Kennedy/Evan Almighty). Very proud to have such talented people as fans.

DL: Going forward, what’s your plans for 2021, can you get back gigging in some way and where can we hope to see you, lads? Is album no3 on its way??, and what can we all do to try and get our local scene looking and feeling a bit more normal again ???

JS&TLK:  Well, we’re doing more work on our upcoming four-track EP, which is almost finished and that will be released early in the new year, and yeah, we intend on doing at least a handful of gigs at some point. I think the best advice we can give is to just try and stay as positive as we can, and that way we will all come out of it that little bit stronger. We all deserve some good news after this awful year.

DL: Once again thank you for giving us the chance to interview you, anything else you’d like to add?

JS&TLK: – Thanks for having us. Yeah, you can check out the band on our website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Reverbnation all via the links below in pink.

Reverbnation

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Website

Youtube

This four piece band from Liverpool who own a record label called Truly Independent completed a 2 1/2 year tour across the UK and parts of Europe to promote their critically acclaimed second album Phase II before the Coronavirus pandemic spread across the world. It’s gained airplay on radio stations in the UK and across the world as well as reviews, interviews and has been endorsed by celebrities in the UK and elsewhere.

The band are currently working on a four track EP which is the follow up to Phase II and it will be released early next year. They are back in rehearsals at Pirate Studios and are working on their new EP at Crosstown Studios.

I caught up with the band to see how things have been going for them.

Interview

1 How did your recent lengthy tour promoting your last album go?

JS&TLK – Intense, but very enjoyable. Yeah, intensely enjoyable; that’s the best way to describe it. Months would go by when we didn’t even need to rehearse, because we were constantly on the road. We went to so many places, met so many people, and went down amazing everywhere.

Plus, at the same time we were recording the album (Phase II) all over the country. Unlike the first album, it was produced, mixed and mastered in four different studios. Peter Gabriel’s Solid State Logic in Oxfordshire, The Motor Museum in Liverpool, Abbey Road in London, and finally all finished back in Liverpool at Parr Street Studios. So, combine that, four to six gigs a month, then to continue that when the album was released, it was a pretty hardcore schedule. Two and a half years it lasted all together. By the end of it we were totally exhausted. But was it worth it? Hell, yes! We produced another album we’re extremely proud that is loved by so many. The celebrity endorsement videos that went out earlier this year were a nice addition too. The UK actors Andy Whitaker (Emmerdale), and John McCardle (Brookside/Emmerdale/And the Beat Goes On), plus US actor Michael Shiflett (Lincoln/Killing Kennedy/Evan Almighty) said some wonderful things, which only added to how proud we are of what we do. Can’t complain at all.

2 The band are currently in studios rehearsing and writing new material. How are things going, what impact has the pandemic had on this?

JS&TLK – Like most people around the world, we have had delays due to recent events.

We started recording the upcoming EP back in February with an initial release date set for Summer 2020. Just as we were about to go back in to do the second session the country was put into lockdown. To add to that, the first few gigs of this year had just been announced too, which unfortunately had to be cancelled. To say it was devastating would be an understatement. This year has really hit a lot of people hard especially in the music world, and sadly some venues have suffered, which has been very sad to see.

But fortunately, all online promotion did continue though that period including international airplay, magazine/radio interviews/reviews, and we’ve been back in the studio over the Autumn to continue work on the EP, plus rehearsals to get ourselves ready to do live shows in the new year. Better late than never.

3 Your new 4 track EP which is a follow up to Phase II is out early next year. What can people expect from it and is there a release date?

JS&TLK – Not as heavy as the last album, so to speak, but still very up up-tempo and catchy. Lots of Rickenbackers and Fender Stratocasters. Can’t give too much away; that would spoil it. At the latest, we’re looking at early Spring to release it. It sounds amazing already, and you won’t be disappointed.

4 Finally what’s next for Joe Symes and The Loving Kind?

JS&TLK – Getting the new EP finally released, and being able to get on stage again. We’re nicely rested now after the last tour, and the batteries are fully charged again. Obviously due what’s been happening the break from gigging has been a little longer than what was planned, but like everyone else out there, we’re now just itching have an audience in front of us. New songs have been written too, and we’ve been thinking over ideas for the next few releases after the EP. Always good to plan ahead.

Thanks for the interview to Joe Symes and The Loving Kind. Good luck with the new EP! Below are links to their social media and a song Summer’s Almost Coming from their Phase II album.

Shona

December 2020

Sheltering from a horrible Saturday afternoon wash-out, we caught up with Colin White of  Joe Symes & The Loving Kind to talk albums, EPs and everything in between. The band, formulated of Joe Symes on guitar/lead vocals/harmonica, Colin White as drummer/percussion/backing vocals and Alan Welsh on bass, have been on the scene since 2015 (or, in Colin’s words, “Yeh around then, maybe earlier or later, sounds about right!”) and have since recorded an impressive back catalogue of songs for their ever-growing global fanbase.

More recently, and fresh off the back of their 2nd full album Phase II, they prepare to reassemble where they left off pre-lockdown in the midst of the release of their newest, and yet untitled, E.P. to continue their mission to bring their heavy pop rock blend to the masses.

Liverpool Noise: So for some of our readers, just quickly give us an idea of how the band started out and how you’re currently doing! 

Colin White: Well as you know it’s a three-piece and I think, even right from the beginning, we just gelled. Obviously when Alan came on board he and Joe had been friends and worked in previous bands together, so it wasn’t like getting to know this person from the start because it was already there. I felt like I knew him anyway so, yeh, everything really gelled.

As for now, even during lockdown we still had radio play around the world, USA & Canada, along with some really nice reviews from the last album Phase II with loads of good feedback. We’ve been lucky aswell, in that we had a few celebrity endorsements of people saying check this band out. For example you had Andy Whittaker (Emmerdale), raving about how even during this lockdown period it was still upbeat music so that was good. The second one by a guy called Michael Shiflett (Killing Kennedy, Evan Almighty, Lincoln) who’s a musician too. I believe he wrote a song for Barbara Streisand. Also, we had great words from John McArdle who played Jimmy Corkhill’s brother, and has been in a load of Liverpool-related dramas. So it’s great to have that for the latest album, and in the future aswell for the upcoming EP which we started recording too.

Again, going back to before, we started the 4 track EP in March because we finished touring Phase II in the middle of last year as we’d had the second half of last year out because we were absolutely exhausted! We’d been on the road for basically non-stop, with a few exceptions here and there, for 2 and a half years. You know! We were burnt out.

The last gig we did was in the Shipping Forecast and obviously we’d sold tickets and loads of people came to it, and for the first time we all sat there after soundcheck and just reality hit. We were all done in. But we said, ‘Right, we’ve gotta do it. Come on let’s do the gig’. After that we took the rest of the year out to write and plan a release, ready to pick up the next year. So we started the new EP after that time off.

We started it in March, and there was going to be a few more sessions after that, first session went brilliantly everything going to plan we’ll get in and then lockdown happened! It was horrible timing. We’d planned all our initial gigs for April/May, so we had a load of posters done and printed, one in particular for IPO Festival organised by a guy called David Bash.

We’d designed the posters for it and it was all planned and ready to go and it obviously had to be cancelled! We weren’t going to be doing a load of gigs anyway, as we were really looking ahead to when the new EP was going to be out.

The good thing about lockdown is that we were all still in communication, and we were able to get all the promo and artwork boxed off and ready to go. So then it was just a case of waiting for the studio to open again. Now it’s all open again, or studios at least, we were able to get in last Thursday and track some drums and bass guitars. With another session in 4 weeks we’ll get the vocals, backing vocals and all the extra bits of top so already it’s starting to sound fantastic! Considering we take pride in doing catchy, uptempo songs that appeal to a wide audience, the last album was a very heavy album. Still catchy, but heavy. The thing is the new EP is taking shape, and it’s feeling like, against all this heaviness that it’s came from, it’s still got that pop element which adds something extra. It’s kind of like a companion piece to the previous album in a way.

2020’s been a mess! To quote comic book guy from The Simspons; “Worst year ever”.

Once it goes out I’m confident people are going to really enjoy it and we’ll use it as a springboard to start again!

Liverpool Noise: So with the new E.P, do you find having this extra time with the delay that lockdown has caused has given you time to listen back with fresh ears and change anything, or are you set and confident in the final package?

Colin White: To be honest, the songs we written the way that Joe writes them, he comes in with the song pretty much finished. Or at least 95% if not all. He’ll come in and play the song beginning to end, and if there’s any suggestions we’ll say something. But for the most part we’ve been like ‘This is brilliant, let’s get stuck in‘. Me and Alan will almost shade in the drawings that Joe brings in, so to speak, to create the full painting. That’s the way we work. We’ve all got full input even though Joe is the main songwriter, so if there’s anything we’re not happy with we’ll work it out and make a trade deal!

We’ve always been happy with the way we work. But going back to the main question, there’s always been things we’d want to try or add in maybe a bit of backing vocals, but if anything, it’s only very little things. A good 90% of the original way we had it is usually how it ends up. Very subtle things but pretty much it’s been there and so far it’s working out wonderfully!

Liverpool Noise: Again for our readers who might not be aware, I want to talk about your discography that you have got, you had your first self-titled album, two acoustic variations albums and your second full album.

Colin White: Yeh, there was also the double A-side single too. After we finished the first album which was all recorded in Crosstown Studios with Jon Lawton, we decided to release the single which was almost a precursor to the Phase II. That was Things Get Better/I’m Gonna Find Out Someday which for me, if Phase II was a book, that would be the prologue to it. We could have put those on the album but we like to do things a bit old school!

Some 60s/70s band would do a single and then not put that on the album because they didn’t want to cheat the audience. The Beatles and many other bands did it on numerous occasions! So we thought we’d do the single and that’s a thing in itself even if it’s related to the second album. But with our busy tour schedule we started to record the album and took some time around it to release the acoustic variations!

They’re just previously released songs that have been turned down to show that they don’t lose quality as alternate, and equally good, versions!

With the non-stop aspect of the tours, we needed to create space to finish the album!

For the second album, a friend of ours worked with Solid State Studio (Peter Gabriel) and invited us down to Oxford to track some parts, our friend Alex who co-engineered the album made some provisions to get us in there. Then up in Liverpool we worked in the Motor Museum, and also, we had to keep it under wraps at the time, but we managed to do a sneaky Abbey Road session for the album too! Out of hours wink wink. Get in, record and get out! Finally it was mixed in Parr Street!

Liverpool Noise: So going through all these channels for Phase II, I know your sound in general is very eclectic and has a great mix of sounds, would you say having been able to work with all these incredible studios with different sound engineers and equipment assisted in giving you that completely different feel and sound?

Colin White: You know what, that’s a good one that. I don’t think so. The ingredients were already there so it’s great the fact that we can say we did it, and you know, maybe some positive vibes rubbed off but i’d say that the framework for the music was already there. If anything, it might have maybe added a little bit of icing on the cake. Nothing was missing from what we were doing but perhaps it added a little extra so I suppose that was it in a way.

It was certainly the most ambitious recording schedule, very heavy duty going, but none of us regret it at all!

It’s an interesting story to tell putting the miles in a travelling around, but in the end you think, ‘Was it worth it? You bet your arse it was worth it!’

But i’m proud of everything we’ve done. For me, it’s like the first album was great, after that was great, second album great and it’s like this new one is that but better! This new EP is really something we’re proud of. Everything’s working and all in the right place, let’s carry on!

Joe Symes & The Loving Kind Summer’s Almost Coming – Official Video

Liverpool Noise: So I know the band has had a lot of radio play and success over the pond in Canada and USA, do you find it’s easy to ride the two horses at the same time or do you foresee the band leaning towards UK/North America based endeavours?

Colin White: You know, for me, I think it doesn’t matter where anyone’s from if it’s local, London, Birmingham, Ireland or South Africa whatever! I don’t care where anyone’s from. If they like the band that’s all that matters to us. I’d say we’re a Liverpool based band who has gained exposure globally. If that’s the right way to say it! Joe would probably have worded that better haha! But yeah, a Liverpool based band who appeal to people worldwide. Sometimes I think it depends who you are. I can see it happening to some people and it going to their heads a bit. I’ve witnessed that first-hand and you look at it and go…’hm let’s slow down and keep your feet on the ground!’ you know!

You can be confident in what you do and you can speak to someone like we’re doing now, and speak to you about what we’re doing, going to do, intending to do etc, with 100% conviction. But at the same time i’m not going to race ahead of myself and i’m not here trying to impress anybody, we’re just saying what we’re doing and what we’re about in the most natural way possible. We’ve been brought up to take pride in what we do, not to belittle people which some people would do, you know! It sickens me and all of us to see it, and it’s not nice.

If someone came up to me and said ‘I thought your last album was amazing’ I’d say oh thanks what’s your name, what do you do and that. I’d probably ask them more about themselves than about me! Chatting about them and what they’re doing you know what I mean!

It’s just nice to be liked, you know i’ve said with that, that’s the way it is. You can’t please everybody but whoever those people are everyone is entitled to their own opinion and we can get on with our things and make our music that appeals to people who do like us and make them feel good about themselves. I’d like to think that’s what our music is about anyway! In this current climate we need upbeat songs haha!

We’ve got our goal anyway. EP to finish off, there’s still things to do so focus on that and keep on track with the positives. Hopefully that’ll occupy us up until March.

Liverpool Noise: Amazing, thanks, Colin! So to leave on a high, what’s the vision of success for the following weeks and months for Joe Symes & The Loving Kind and your new EP?

Colin White: People enjoying it, buying it, telling their friends. Positive feedback off fans and reviewers and generally getting people talking about it would be amazing. When people discover us it’s great to see that they can have this amazing back catalogue of songs that they can listen to and get to know us and our music, along with getting excited about the new stuff too. Hopefully it all just grows!

We do things our way, and so far it’s worked so it’s just a case of ‘carry on!’ 

Even after the EP we’ve got plans for what we’re going to do next, I won’t give anything away too much just yet but we’ve got things in the pipeline.

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To keep up to date with the guys and get yourselves ready for their newest EP which will be out around January, head over to their website www.joesymesandthelovingkind.co.uk 

Michael Fell