Lawson - Interview
Posted by Guest Writer on Tue, 02 Oct 2012.
Joel Peat – Guitarist
Adam Pitts – Drummer
Ryan Fletcher – Bass
Andy Brown – Vocals
It's been terrific watching Lawson's fanbase grow. They've done some huge support slots for the likes of Will Young, The Saturdays and Avril Lavigne, as well as doing their own headline tours. Bradley spoke to the band on their last tour.
You've obviously got connections and friendships formed with The Wanted - but whom would you say are your main musical inspirations and influences?
Andy Brown: I think we all have different influences, mine personally would be The Beatles, I'm a Beatles and 60s music fan, nowadays I like bands like The Script and Kings of Leon, I love Ed Sheeran and I'm a big fan of John Mayer.
Joel Peat: My biggest one, as you say Andy, is John Mayer. Then I'm quite into the pop-punk scene; Fall Out Boy, Paramore - we went through those years!
Ryan Fletcher: I was raised on Motown and as I was growing up I got into Bon Jovi and Guns 'n' Roses. As you say, John Mayer is a massive influence on all of us. I'm a big reggae fan and ska music too - like Madness.
Adam Pitts: I was into the big stadium bands, bands like Coldplay, The Killers.
Ryan Fletcher: Gary Numan [who was playing that evening] and David Bowie.
Andy Brown: David Bowie is a main influence when it comes to writing - I just love his music!
It's well documented that you have a friendship with Max George, of The Wanted fame, who also appeared on 'The X Factor'. How do you feel when people snub 'The X Factor' and claim, "it's not real music"?
Andy Brown: I think that some amazing acts have come out of 'The X Factor' - Olly Murs, JLS.
Joel Peat: Matt Cardle!
Adam Pitts: It was never going to work for us as we're a [instruments] playing band but if you're a singer or in a band their no greater stoning stone than 'The X Factor'.
Andy Brown: 'The X Factor', to be honest, fines some hidden gems like Leona Lewis. I would say 'The Voice' does this too.
Ryan Fletcher: Obviously, you go through the funny stages first - but then, as you say, it really does unearth some hidden gems.
Andy Brown: I think some people go on there though, wanting you to laugh at them! Oh, and we're massive fans of Gary Barlow.
Adam Pitts: I do, actually, think that it is so much better since Gary has joined the panel - he's definitely a hero to us…
Andy Brown: Definitely!
You've covered Lady Gaga's "Marry the Night" - are there any other songs that you'd like to cover?
Adam Pitts: We want to cover Bon Jovi 'Always' and, just a little exclusive for you, we've just a cover of Rita Ora's 'RIP' for The Sun.
Andy Brown: We're always looking to cover new music whether we're on tour or just jamming - I mean anything that's out there in the charts these days, and there are some real crackers out there right now…
Adam Pitts: We always sound check with John Mayer - and we always say, on our next tour that we are going to maybe cover a John Mayer song.
Andy Brown: Speaking of YouTube, YouTube's been amazing for us really - we basically got signed off of that! Yeah, and people like Bieber and Conor Maynard.
Joel Peat: People give Bieber some stick - but he is amazing!
Andy Brown: Conor Maynard's such a lovely, sweet guy - he's got an amazing song ['Can't Say No', 'Vegas Girl'] and he is an amazing songwriter too. I sound like such a little fangirl!
You've supported both The Saturdays and The Wanted - is there anybody else - dead or alive - that you would love to support?
All: John Mayer!
Joel Peat: We'd like to go on tour with The Script - The Script would be so good!
Adam Pitts: To be honest, I'm a bit gutted that we're not on the Gary Numan tour really [playing that same evening at the HMV Temple in Birmingham].
Joel Peat: Taylor Swift - just purely because I fancy her so much! I mean, that's clearly the reason that we went on tour with The Saturdays. That's the whole reason that we went on tour with The Wanted boys too!
[Lawson laugh together]
Andy Brown: Take That - we love Gary! Oh, and Robbie! Train?
You've been asked to support Westlife on their last ever tour - how does something like that come about?
Andy Brown: They're so incredible - they've like, 14 number ones? You can't deny that they are amazing group - they're incredible singers and also they are unbelievable guys! They are the most rock star people actually.
Adam Pitts: We went to a festival with Mark and Shane last year and, well, we thought that we could drink…
Ryan Fletcher: You've never seen somebody drink as much as those boys!
Andy Brown: Irish though, aren't they? It's like a duck to water.
[Lawson laugh together]
All: They were just such nice, amazing guys - it's such an honour and it really was such a pleasure.
At last check, you have 41,737 followers on Twitter - how does that make you feel, considering your first single isn't even released until May 27th [interview taken in May 2012]
Joel Peat: It's crazy - so surreal. It's weird to think that all those people care about what four idiots have got to say.
Ryan Fletcher: The people that are on there are so incredibly active - they want to help so much. It's because of the people on Twitter that we've done so well with everything up until now.
Joel Peat: The fact that we have instant access to that many people is dangerous!
That's all our questions - good luck for tonight!
Andy Brown: Superb guys! Thank you very much.
Joel Peats: Thank you - nice to meet you.
Ryan Fletcher: Nice to meet you - see you later.
You can find out more about Lawson here: http://www.lawsonofficial.com/
Interview by Bradley