19 May 2025
Every Monday I will be bringing you an interview with an independent band, duo or music artist. This week, I caught up with Liverpool band Joe Symes and the Loving Kind to find out more…
Who is in the band, how did you meet, where are you from and how did you come up with the name?
We’re Joe Symes and the Loving Kind from Liverpool, UK. The band consists of Joe Symes (vocals/guitar/harmonica), Colin White (drums/percussion/backing vocals), and Alan Welsh (bass guitar). Me (Colin), and Joe have know each other for a long time, and after he started doing solo acoustic shows – after both of our previous bands split – I offered to play drums in the studio, and some percussion live. After a short time, we decided to expand into a full band, and we asked Alan if he wanted to come on board, which he did. Joe and Alan had worked together in the past, so the three of us gelled together very easily. The “Loving Kind” was taken from a line in the R.E.M song Get Up, and when you say the whole name, it just flows. Simple and classic.
Who were your musical influences when you were growing up and who are your influences now?
Our influences are so wide we’d be here forever listing them, but the main ones are bands such as The Beatles, The Doors, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Kinks, The Smiths, Buzzcocks, Burt Bacharach, XTC, The Who, Motown, Stax, even classic film composers like John Barry, Lalo Schifrin, Ennio Morricone, and Bernard Herrmann.
How would you describe your sound?
Someone once said to us we sounded like 9 people on stage, considering there’s only three of us, but when it comes down to it, we play up-tempo, catchy Rock/Pop songs, with the added bonus that we can colour them in with all kinds of different instruments when needed. If you listen to our albums, you’ll see exactly what we mean.
What is your latest release called and what was the influence behind it?
Our latest album (third) is called Portmanteau. The meaning behind the title comes from an old Victorian travelling case, which contained many compartments, and draws, which can relate to the amount of different styles and influences in the songs which appear. The influences are quite a lot of what we’ve just mentioned before.
What’s your local music scene like?
Liverpool has had a very rich musical history for over half a century, so there’s always bands springing up on a regular basis, which will continue for a long time to come.
What do you have planned for the next 12 months?
We’ve started work on the fourth album already, so that’s our aim to get it out in 2026.
Is there anyone you’d love to collaborate with?
I think a lot of the ones we would like to are no longer with us sadly.
Any funny stories surrounding your live performances?
I think we’re lucky in the fact that most of our live shows have gone very smoothly.
Do you have any upcoming live dates and performances?
Cavern Pub, Liverpool 29th May, Cavern Club, Liverpool 30th May (both for International Pop Overthrow Festival 2025).
What is the one thing that you want readers to know about you?
I think we take pride in the fact that we see ourselves as a real band who play real music. Nothing fake or contrived, real and pure.
You can find out more about Joe Symes and the Loving Kind on their website or via Apple Music, Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud, Spotify, X (Twitter) or YouTube, and you can find their upcoming gig information here.
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