Standing In The Dark

Lawson talk about their amazing year, and the release of Chapman Square

Congratulations on the release of Chapman Square..How does it feel to have it out?

“Feels awesome..it’s so surreal to finally have it out since we’ve been working on it for the past four years..it’s a dream come true for us all…four years in the making and it’s incredible to have it out.”

For people who know nothing about Lawson, how would you describe yourself?

Andy – I’d say our music is guitar led, acoustic based rock/pop, meaningful, athemic songs that people will be able to relate to.

Joel – And jump around to at a festival with several beers in your belly.

Ryan – – Guitar lead pop/rock

Adam –  We are a guitar lead pop/rock band with meaningful lyrics, songs we hope everyone can relate too. And personality wise we are just 4    idiots who could only ever make music.

How did Lawson get together?  Story behind it….

Andy: Adam contacted me through myspace  after hearing my page on there. I told him I wanted to start a band and knew a great bass player already (Ryan)….Ryan then introduced us to Joel who he had known from a young age and had gone  o     music
college with.

We here there’s an interesting story behind the name of the band..do tell?

Andy: The name comes from the surgeon who saved my life.

A few years ago I had a serious operation after  a doctor discovered I had a tumour,.

I owe everything to my surgeon, David Lawson.

“The tumour was wrapped around my optic nerve that controls your sight.”

“If the surgeon hadn’t found it and removed it I’d be blind and completely deaf.”

“There were complications in the operation and there was a 40 per cent chance of facial paralysis.

“I lost hearing in my right ear, which is a blow, but I have to make sure I protect my left ear. It’s super sensitive and I protect it at live gigs with earplugs.

But if it wasn’t for the surgeon I wouldn’t be here now. I can’t thank him enough. I owe absolutely everything to him.”

Lawson showed their comedic side while I spoke to them, claiming that had it not been for that twist of fate, the band could’ve been named Talati—after Ryan’s doctor who removed his tonsils—not quite sure that has the same ring to it boys!

Continuing with the jokes, Adam proved himself quite the salesman, plugging their debut album at every turn—we hear QVC are recruiting should you ever need a change from the music business .

You have written most of the songs on the  album yourself..Why is that important to you as a band?

Joel: “We’ve been together so long that some of songs had been written for years U didn’t tell me is one of the first songs we ever wrote as a band”

Andy: “As the singer I write a lot of the melodys, which is something that comes quite naturally to me. I also write down some lyrics and bring it to the guys and then we just ‘Lawsonfy’ it— Adam’s description of the process.

“There are also guitar solos which Joel has written and that’s nice because it’s different from other bands that are out there. We’re bringing back the guitar solo..that’s what we’re about!

“We’ve evolved a lot as a band. A lot of the songs we wrote when we first got together we don’t play anymore. We’ve written lots of new stuff for this and the second album—which we’ve already stared working on—it’s a great process.”

Our favourite thing to do is write songs and      perform them to fans, see how they respond to it. We knew instantly that Standing in the Dark (out now) needed to be a single because of fan response.

Ryan: Writing our own stuff is important because whe you sing live, if you haven’t written it or had a part in writing it/understand the meaning of it, it doesn’t come across as ‘live’ as you believe in it.

Andy: Writing our own stuff is the reason we’re a band. When you look at Coldplay, The Killers, Maroon 5—they all write their own songs – it’s the whole point of being in a band, otherwise there’s no point in doing it. For a band like us anyway.

Who/where do you get your inspiration from when you go into the studio? 

Andy: “Girls! All about love, relationships and heartbreak. Its the best way as everyone has been through it!”

Joel: “Oh yeah, we know all about the heartbreak in this band!”

You’ve said that you’re not an average ‘boyband’ how would you describe yourself?

Adam: Just like a band, in the same way of The Script, Coldplay etc..I can see why people        assume we’re a boyband, we understand that but I think as soon as someone sees us play live, something licks and it all sort of becomes clear.
Who/what are your personal musical influences?  Who do you listen to?
Andy: “I listen to a lot of various types. John Mayer, The Script, Ed Sheeran,  Lady Antebellum. I grew up listening to the beatles, and I think that 60’s style music is my main inspiration.”

Ryan: “I love my rock music. Guns n roses we’re a big influence growing up and bands like Aerosmith. I also love a lot of R&B like jay z and kanyes new album, and more muso stuff like john mayer, hes one of my idols! Big range of music in my life!”

Adam: “I listen to a lot of John Mayer, Coldplay, Foo Fighters, Parachute, Paramore and Maroon 5.”

You guys recently came off your own tour and are heading out to do your Hometown Tour—how does that compared to touring with someone else?  
Andy: “I think doing your own headline tour is the best feeling ever. Although the venues were a lot smaller! Just to know everyone had paid to come and see us was a special feeling. The reaction every night was incredible. We even had a stage invasion one night!!”

Adam: “That was amazing as we knew that people had brought tickets just for us! it was crazy, there were queues down the street.

Joel – A lot of our fans have been with us for over 2 years – right before we ever even had a deal so it’s cool to see them still following and enjoying what we’re doing!

What’s your favourite song off the album?

Joel: “Everywhere you go because of this    guitar part that we’ve had for ages – I like that

Adam: “My favourite is ‘Who you Gona Call’ – it’s off the deluxe album.

Joel: (also off  the deluxe) – Touch

 
How have you coped with the fame?

Joel: The fame has been gradual. We’ve notice more people waiting outside, coming to our gigs..we love it and if they go crazy for us, that makes us play better.

Adam: After each show it just keeps getting better and wonder how we can top that, and then you do .. So it just keeps getting better and better.

Andy: “It has been everything and more, we never thought it would blow up like it has, but it’s been great.”

Ryan The night before our album came out we all sat up and watched the first video we ever  uploaded to You Tube (2008) and Andy said ‘did you ever think we’d be sat here now, releasing an album and having three Top 10 singles’..it’s unreal.

Joel: “For us it’s like we’re just starting.  Now that the album is out we can take album and tour it all over the world.”

What’s your earliest music memory? What made you decide this was the career for you?
Andy: “My dad playing old Beatles songs on  guitar. I used to be mesmerised by him playing and singing them to me. I then learnt them all myself. And got an old 60’s busker book which had the chords to loads of old classics!”

Ryan: “Seeing my brother playing Johnny B Good on electric guitar when I was like 7 made me want to start playing! I was a guitarist for about 4 years before I even touched a bass!”

Adam: “I saw a Robbie Williams Live DVD, the drummer looked so cool and I knew then, that  was what I wanted to do.”

Joel: “My mum bought me a John Mayer CD when I was a kid and I was hooked. Plus, she’s a music teacher so that probably helped!”

Is there anyone you’d like to perform/tour with?
Andy: “After seeing Bruno Mars perform at the Brits I would love to work with him. His vocal and songwriting ability is out of this world.”

Joel – We heard John Mayer was going on tour later this year and was literally on the phone to our manager asking if we could support.

Adam: “Then we found out it was an internet hoax! Doh!”

Everyone seems to be doing collaborations nowadays – Is there anyone you would like to collaborate with? 
Andy: “I’d love to write a song with Danny from The Script, that would be pretty epic!”

Ryan: “Someone like Kelly Clarkson or Taylor Swift I think would work great with our music, an American female singer would go down a treat on one of our tracks.”

Adam: “We would love to maybe have a song with a cheeky Mayer guitar solo.”
Joel: “That would be AMAZING!”

With Halloween  coming up, what’s you’re must see scary movie?

Joel: “Incideous – not been that scared at a movie ever.”

Andy + Ryan: “Paranormal Activity  I (Andy)   literally watched it hiding in the hood of  my sweater.  We watched Paranormal 1 at Chapman Square and we were so scared I actually cried (Ryan) we actually held each other.”

Ryan: “Signs is actually my favourite Halloween film though even though it’s more psychological – but still scary.”

Andy: “Perfect Getaway”

Adam: “We used to have a movie night at Chapman Square and the criteria had to be thriller with a twist, i.e. Fear Island, Perfect Getaway.    Movie night has now moved to van and our next one is Being John Malkovich.

Just finally, do you have a message for your fans?
Lawson: “Just want to say thanks for everyone who has supported us from day 1. And we hope we can repay the favour by hitting the charts in a couple of months.”