We chatted with London based band Longfellow this week. The Mumford and Sons sounding Joni Mitchell inspired six-piece are under the same PR management of the likes of Elbow and Editors and with their debut EP now released on iTunes, many are greeting Longfellow in a welcoming manner. So, with their future looking bright, we felt that we should get in touch with the fellows behind Longfellow for a short introducing interview.
1. Who are Longfellow?
Longfellow are Owen Lloyd (lead vocal), James Thomas (guitar), Ali Hetherington (keyboard), Lewis Fowler (bass) and Tom Warhurst (drum kit). We're an alt.pop quintet hailing from South-East London recently Playlisted on Radio 2 and fresh off tour with Hall & Oates.
2. Who are your biggest musical inspirations?
Between us all, we draw on a wide range of influences old and new. Personally, I'm a sucker for anything with distinctive lyrics and a strong sense of melody. Joni Mitchell, Tom Petty and Jeff Buckley have all played a huge part in our songwriting but so have more current artists such as Manchester Orchestra, Regina Spektor and Death Cab for Cutie.
3. You're releasing your new single in January, can you tell us a little about this?
We can't wait to put 'Medic' out into the world. We've spent the last 6 months working on a new EP called 'Remedy' and this will be the first single off it. We've had one hell of a year, it's been a real journey and I think 'Medic' is representative of that. It’s a song about perseverance; about being there for the people you love and overcoming whatever life throws at you.
4. Your new single has been premiered by Steve Lamacq and has been earning itself and yourselves a lot of plaudits, how happy are you with all of this?
Over the moon but we owe it all to our fans and team around us. Steve has been a fervent supporter of ours from the get-go but we're still taken aback each time he's at show or spins a record. I remember the first time I tried to tell him just how much he's helped us and he replied, "you're the one who writes the songs mate, thank you". That scenario pretty much sums Lammo up, entirely selfless and willing to push music he believes in to the end of earth.
5. What's next for Longfellow?
We're eagerly awaiting the animated video to 'Medic' and have just announced our biggest headline show to date; the Borderline on the 27th February. We're determined to hit 2015 head on and make as many waves as possible.
Huge thanks to Longfellow for the interview.
Listen to Longfellow via SoundCloud and purchase their debut EP, via their website: www.longfellow-music.com
Follow Longfellow on Twitter: @LongfellowMusic
Like Longfellow on Facebook: /LongfellowMusic
Posted by Charlie Ireland.
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