unZined - The Lockstocks Interview

Music scene fledglings, The Lockstocks, a four piece band from Widnes, Cheshire have been hard at work since their forming trying to find their sound and style, but already have a list of successful gigs and have a Self-Titled EP recorded. Its safe to say they are giving the band their all and their ambition should serve them well as they find their wings.

 

 

I set the band a few questions to further our knowledge including what are their influences, how they formed and what their opinions are about the local music scene. Read more below:



Firstly, a big thank you to The Lockstocks for taking the time to answer our questions. Can you introduce yourselves and what you play?

 

Hey there, Mike McDermott is the lead singer/rhythm guitarist, Dom Eaton - Drums/Backing Vocals, Oliver Wright - Lead Guitarist/Backing Vocals and last but not least Tyler Swindley on Bass Guitar/Harmonica

 

The band formed early in 2015. How did you all meet and how did the band form?

 

We actually formed late 2013, so we've been together for just over a year roughly. We spent the majority of 2014 gigging and writing and honing our sound. It was early this year though that we managed to record our EP, a collection of our stuff that we've been playing live for a year now. Well me (Dom, the drummer) and Mike (the lead singer) were in another band together first. We formed a close friendship and decided that we wanted to start our own band. 

I knew Olly from college because we were doing the same music course and I knew he was a really good guitarist so I recruited him and then he in turn brought Tyler into the mix. me (Dom, the drummer) and Mike (the lead singer) were in another band together first. We formed a close friendship and decided that we wanted to start our own band. I knew Olly from college because we were doing the same music course and I knew he was a really good guitarist so I recruited him and then he in turn brought Tyler into the mix.

Newly formed and with a new EP out already, that’s amazing. What was the recording experience like?

 

The recording experience was great. We had a lot of fun doing it and learned a lot and I think that was the main thing. We did it all ourselves. I have my own home studio in the back room of my house and we just recorded it all in there.

 

What main band/artist influences does each band member bring to band?

 

The whole band have so many influences, there are obviously bands/artists that we all love like The Beatles and The Smiths. Olly is into reggae and really likes Bob Marley but also Jimi Hendrix, so he brings that influence. I'm a big fan of The Clash and Led Zeppelin, especially being a drummer John Bonham influences me a lot. Mike's a big fan of Bob Dylan and takes inspiration from his songwriting. Tyler's biggest influence is a punk band called Against Me! So we all have a lot of our own influences that come together and give us our own sound.

 

Are you looking forward to any gigs later this year?

 

Yeah, we're gigging this weekend in Manchester, on Friday 15th May we're at the Night and Day Cafe and then on Sunday 17th we're playing the Manchester Bierkeller. We have a couple of gigs lined up for June, at the Orford in Warrington on 6th June, and at Bar Java as part of Westfield Street Festival in St. Helens on 7th June. The last one in particular should be really great as we played there last year and got a brilliant reception.

What’s the music scene like, in your opinion, in your hometown, Widnes, and how could it be improved?

 

I just think a lack of venues is the problem. Most bands from Widnes tend to just get straight onto the Liverpool scene, which is understandable Liverpool being a big city with more opportunities and being steeped in a rich musical history. I think the Studio on Lacey Street is the only real venue Widnes has and although they put on some great nights I still think more could be done. I would like a couple more venues that puts on live music and gives young bands and artists in the area a platform to showcase their talents.

 

Finally, what three words would you choose to describe the band?

 

Explosive, Exciting, Energetic

See below for The Lockstock's new release:

From listening to the bands four tracks you can tell the bands takes significant influence from the rock n roll era and blues rock, Overall, the songs are simplistic in nature, no overburdening the rough vocals with effects, the clean guitar cuts through and contrasts with the vocals, as do the backing vocals. The songs on their own are evidence of the bands numerous influences, "Rock n Roll" shows their 60s style of rock style, whereas "The Beast will Break Someday" showcases a style quite like Razorlight. 

 

Verdict: Overall, the songs released show the bands talent gained so far and promises bigger things, as they gain experience from gigging and studio time. With a sound that's increasingly popular around the North West and further afield, the band are on the right track. That being said the band obviously is still searching for their own sound and seem to be emulating many styles which can be heard from the recordings. However, once they have found their trademark sound, whether it be a mix of all of them or something else, they will be set to make waves.
 

Visit these links to discover more about The Lockstocks:

FACEBOOK // TWITTER // SOUNDCLOUD // WEBSITE

 

unZined, an offshoot of Little Indie Night, a night aimed at hosting what is becoming one of the best live music events in the Northwest, has been given free run to find local talent, find out a bit more about what makes them tick and spread the word around to promote local music. If you are interested in being featured or know of any musicians/bands, contact us here or email Mal at mal@littleindienight.com 

 

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