22 April 2024
Every Monday I will be bringing you an interview with an independent band, duo or music artist. This week, I caught up with Belfast based band Lord Jane to find out more…
Who is in the band, how did you meet and where are you from?
Collectively, the band consists of members from all corners of Ulster. We formed back in summer of 22, when it began with Sam Foote (Guitar) and Dylan Norton (Drums). Two childhood friends who grew in the North Coast together. The duo played in various projects over the years but shared a musical shorthand when they played together that they wanted to explore. Shortly after this, Carl Small (bass) joined the duo, and his collaboration further solidified the rhythm that would shape the band’s vibes as a more dancier, pulsing sonic experience. Aidan Reynolds was the fourth welcome addition, bringing with him his soaring guitar grooves, creating a very unique blend of two guitars in a mutual partnership in a band, rather than one taking the lead and the other taking the rhythm. Adding a second guitar meant there was more scope for exploring a wider and more complex harmonic sound. The final addition of vocalist Clodágh May solidified the line-up and set the mood at the heart of the band’s songs, expressing themes of deeper consequence and delving into hard-to-talk-about subjects, which juxtapose the up-beat explosion of music.
Who were your musical influences when you were growing up and who are your influences now?
Our musical influences are spread all across the board. Growing up, bands like Biffy Clyro, Queens of the Stone Age, Radiohead, Queen and Paramore inspired us to pick up our instruments and invest our time into making music. Our love only grew as we discovered artists like Foals, Delta Sleep, Frightened Rabbit and Pinegrove. We feel this diversity in the music we listen to can really be heard in the music that we create. Of course we couldn’t not mention And So I Watch You From Afar, a band from the north coast that has heavily influenced everything we do, from the nuanced soft melodies to massive anthemic choruses.
How would you describe your sound?
It was always intentional to step away from heavier music from our other bands to express a more soft and mature style of writing, that was driven by groove at its core as it explores more funk and pop, while lyrically exploring self-examination. We take concepts like open tunings from artists like Ben Howard or Bon Iver, which plays a major influence on the sound of the songs we write, then when you add the atmospheric styles of Delta Sleep and Radiohead and you get the feeling of the sound of Lord Jane.
What is your latest release called and what was the influence behind it?
Our debut single is called ‘I Did it to Myself’. It was probably the 2nd or 3rd song we wrote together, and the first time we played it together as a 5-some it just clicked. We have other songs that are more poppy, and even some that tail the other direction of experimentality, but this is the song that everyone needs to hear first in our opinion. A real statement of what the band does best, crying at a disco, dancing at a funeral.
What’s your local music scene like?
Many of the band members live and work within the city, mostly within the music industry adjacent jobs. We love going to local gigs each week. Belfast is bubbling and overflowing with so many amazing, ultra-talented bands and artists at the moment. It’s a real privilege to share the scene with so many of our friends, so many of which have helped us get to the point of release. Photographer Billy Woods, master of mastering Joel Harkin, digital artist Emily McClements, for all the behind-the-scenes magic, our good friend and song writing genius, Moonlanding, for having us support him for our first ever live show, Problem Patterns for trusting us to support them in the Derry leg of their upcoming tour. The list goes on, and we’re so grateful to be a part of a scene like this. It is a great time to be a part of it all.
What do you have planned for the next 12 months?
We have more music that we’re excited to share, which will be part of our first EP release, followed by a list of Irish tour dates. As we release music, you can expect videos and live performances. We would love to expand on this to the UK and beyond, including festivals in 2025, and of course, hit the studio once again to record the new music that we’re working on.
Is there anyone you’d love to collaborate with?
Music collaborations of course would be amazing with the fantastic local artists available, and we’re always up for getting in touch with musicians that are a bit more unconventional – such as cellists or even brass players. Visually we believe the art is very important to the overall feeling created, so on that note we would love to work with more local artists and give them a platform to further express our music.
Any funny stories surrounding your live performances?
Well at the time of writing we have played only two shows, but of course we all come from different projects, so live performances are second nature. The stories we could tell you at this stage are quite boring in all fairness, but we like to have fun live – the one thing people have noticed is how much we love our music and how you can see it on our faces.
What is the one thing that you want readers to know about you?
We’ve only been a band for a little while, and out in public eye everything is very serious – but honestly, we just like to have a laugh when we’re together. Our music delves into pretty heavy concepts, so escaping from that with jokes and pranks is almost essential to the band’s maintenance. When you meet us in person, you’ll understand.
Upcoming live dates and performances
Saturday 15th June – supporting Problem Patterns in Derry
You can find out more about Lord Jane via Bandcamp, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, TikTok, X (Twitter) or YouTube.
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