12 questions with Joe Symes and the Loving Kind.
Joe Symes and the Loving Kind are a three-piece rock band hailing from Liverpool consisting of Joe Symes (vocals/guitar/harmonica/songwriter), Colin White (drums/percussion/backing vocals), and Alan Welsh (bass guitar).
DL: So, Hi guys, thanks for the interview, You decided to enter this crazy wonderful world of music about 5 or 6 years ago now, you got together and formed your band, how come?
JS&TLK: – Me (Colin), and Joe had known each other for many years but were in different bands. By the time my old band had folded, he’d started doing solo acoustic gigs and magazine interviews, and I offered to play percussion and some drums in the studio. After a few months, we decided to expand into a full band. Alan had worked with Joe in a previous band, so getting him on bass was the perfect option, as we all get on well. No point in working with people you don’t like, eh?
DL: So, as mentioned, you are a “3 piece”, you have a big thumping live sound to your music, in other parts I think you have a bit of a 90s feel, Boo Radleys/early Oasis vibe going on. Similar to The Jam, The Police, Nirvana, etc, do you think a “3 piece” can actually make a bigger “live” sound than a band with four or five members, and do you think it makes you guys a bit “tighter” ??
JS&TLK: Not really fans of those first two, but yeah, there’s definitely something special about the “power trio” format. At one gig in Manchester, someone told us we sounded like 9 people on stage. Because there’s more room you can all turn up that extra bit more. The three-piece set up has so many advantages sonically and personally. Like we said, more room, and not too many people to deal with, unlike a four or five-piece. Being in an orchestra must be intense at times.
Joe Symes and the Loving Kind.
DL: What’s your favorite Christmas movie guys?
JS&TLK: Ha! Colin mentioned “Scrooged” once. The classic Alister Sims “A Christmas Carol” would be up there. Can’t beat it.
DL: You get your self-titled debut album out and you decide to release it on your own label, was that a deliberate move, and do you have a bit of a D.I.Y. approach? also, would you look at opening up your label to other local acts, offering support and mentoring, etc ..going forward ??
JS&TLK: Oh, it was definitely our intention to do things for ourselves. I don’t think we’re the type of band who likes getting told what to do. We’re our own bosses, and don’t have to answer to anyone. We’re not looking at taking on any other bands at the moment, but we wouldn’t rule it out in the future, at the right time, and for the right reasons.
DL: Two of your songs were featured on a charity record a couple of years back, an album that Noel Gallagher also features on. That’s really rubbing shoulders with the music gentry, well done fellas, how did that come about?
JS&TLK: Yeah, that was the “Shoulder to Shoulder” box set that also featured Roger McGuinn from The Byrds, Robyn Hitchcock, and Wishbone Ash. We got to know David Quaife who set the whole thing up. His brother was Pete Quaife, who was the original bass player for The Kinks, and he asked us to send some tracks over to go on it. It was a great honour to be part of it, and for our music to go alongside so many great acts. Thinking about it, we’re the only band on it to have 2 tracks, definitely a bonus.
DL: DJ George played one of your songs at Liverpool’s stadium on a match day. George supports a lot of local bands with his playlists, was that a big buzz, like 54,000 people listening to your single all at once in the same space?
JS&TLK: – Oh, absolutely. George Sephton is a big fan and has played us at half time at Anfield on quite a few occasions. To have your music played at such an iconic stadium to that many people made us very proud, and the feedback was amazing.
DL: Now you lads love being on the road it seems, you have a 2-and-a-half-year tour under your belt, I mean WOW !!!, that’s a whopper! Europe and the UK right? How did you feel towards the end of that and did you all end up wearing each other’s socks and stuff ??
JS&TLK: Ha! No, we didn’t go that far. Like we said before, we all get on great, and the relationship between us all was fine from start to finish. We were just completely exhausted by the end because the schedule was so intense, so the break from gigging has allowed us to recharge our batteries. Unfortunately, due to recent world events that break has been a little longer than what we planned, but we fully intend on getting on stage again in the new year.
DL: What’s your favourite show or gig you have done so far? Is it right that you played at Noel Gallagher’s after-show party? He keeps popping up in your story it seems.
JS&TLK: Yeah, we headlined Noel’s aftershow at the main stage of the 02 Academy, here in Liverpool, twice. Both times it was rammed, and they were amazing shows. There are so many other gigs that stick out. Supporting Republica at the main stage of Rock and Roll Marathon in Liverpool and supporting The Christians at the Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury. Headlining the Theatr Brychieniog in Brecon, Wales, all the gigs we did at The Box in Crewe and again headlining Folk on the Dock in Liverpool, so so many.
Joe Symes and the Loving Kind.
DL: Your second album “Phase II”, you recorded at Peter Gabriel’s studio in Oxford and at Abbey Road studios too, nice work fellas. PG is a big hero of mine, how did that come about, and did you get to say hello?
JS&TLK: – A friend of ours Alex, who studied at LIPA, told us he was starting work at Solid State Logic Studios after he graduated, and said he would love to record us there, so we jumped at the chance. The sneaky sessions at Abbey Road came from that too, but we had to keep it quiet until recently. We also recorded some of the albums at the Motor Museum here in Liverpool also, then finished it off at Parr Street. Unfortunately, while we were at Solid State Logic we didn’t get the opportunity to meet Peter. I think the first or second time we were there Alex told us he’d been in earlier that week, so nearly.
DL: Tomorrow you win £100,000, but the condition is that you have to spend it all within 2 weeks, what do you buy and why?
JS&TLK: Spend it on our own studio, which is one of the main things at the top of our wish list. We’d love nothing more than to have our own space where we could go to record/rehearse/write at any time of the day or night, collectively or individually, for as long as we wanted. That definitely would be a dream come true, and it would be all ours.
DL: Elephant in the room question now, It’s almost over thankfully, but how crap was 2020 for you lads? what did you do to stay positive and creative ??
JS&TLK: It’s certainly been a very strange year that’s had a terrible impact on so many people’s lives and in so many ways. In February we started work on the new EP, and we’d planned on doing the second session in March. Just as we’re about to go in, Boris put the whole country on lockdown, which was devastating. The initial few gigs of this year had just been announced too, and they had to be canceled. Posters have gone up and everything, fortunately, during that 9 or so week period, all internet activity was still in full swing. International airplay, magazine and radio interviews/reviews, and such. Another great thing that happened during that period, which really cheered us up, was the celebrity endorsements that came through from the likes of actor Andy Whitaker (Emmerdale), actor John McCardle (Brookside/Emmerdale/And the Beat Goes on), and US actor Michael Shiflett (Lincoln/Killing Kennedy/Evan Almighty). Very proud to have such talented people as fans.
DL: Going forward, what’s your plans for 2021, can you get back gigging in some way and where can we hope to see you, lads? Is album no3 on its way??, and what can we all do to try and get our local scene looking and feeling a bit more normal again ???
JS&TLK: Well, we’re doing more work on our upcoming four-track EP, which is almost finished and that will be released early in the new year, and yeah, we intend on doing at least a handful of gigs at some point. I think the best advice we can give is to just try and stay as positive as we can, and that way we will all come out of it that little bit stronger. We all deserve some good news after this awful year.
DL: Once again thank you for giving us the chance to interview you, anything else you’d like to add?
JS&TLK: – Thanks for having us. Yeah, you can check out the band on our website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Reverbnation all via the links below in pink.
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