I joined Larkins ahead of the penultimate show of their tour, at Nottingham’s Bodega, to chat about their new music, inspiration and how the tour has gone so far. The four-piece indie-pop group last came to Nottingham supporting Cassia last Autumn at Rescue Rooms. Their use of lighting and production had impressed the crowd, and they were set to do the same for their own headline show.
The group explained that they put a lot of thought and effort into their shows to make them as dramatic as the music that they write and to ensure the crowd get a proper show. Speaking about song writing, lead singer Josh Noble explained his rather unique way of creating music. He explained that he usually starts with the song title and then the art work to go with it so he can visualise what he wants his music to sound like using images. He also told us that their latest single “TV Dream” which has already been added to Spotify’s Indie List and exploded with listeners, came about from speaking with his nan about true romance and how he didn’t think it was like that anymore. He said when you turn on the news and see stories about rape culture you can’t deny that romance just isn’t how it used to be. Guitarist Dom Want also said their music has changed as they’ve grown up and different things have become more relevant to them now that they have more experiences to draw on.
Bassist Henry Beach said he’s exceptionally pleased with the response to “TV Dream” so far and Dom said that he also couldn’t believe how well it’s gone down. He also said the other new songs that they’ve been playing on tour have been received really well by crowds. They have staggered the new songs throughout the setlist, so fans get a mixture of what they already know and love, and something new to listen too. Dom also said they put great thought into the order of their setlists and ensure each performance is the best that it can be.
Nottingham was the tour’s penultimate show ahead of the homecoming show at Manchester’s Albert Hall which the boys are all the most excited for and said the tour has been leading up to. Josh did explain that although it’s the biggest venue they’ve played with around 2000 people capacity, the show will be the same as for the other venues with the same set and same performance. He doesn’t believe particular locations should get special treatment as each person has paid to come and see them and deserves their best performance.
Wind on a couple of hours and the Bodega’s doors had opened ready for support band Vega Bay who opened the night. There was already a large crowd for the Nottingham based four-piece who played a variety of indie-alternative pieces which a lot of the crowd knew the lyrics to and were singing along. Lead singer Sam Poyzer is incredibly confident on stage and managed to energise the audience but needs to make sure he doesn’t lose control of his vocals when interacting with the crowd. However, the audience still loved the set and were excited for the next act of the night.
Next up was another Nottingham local- Josh Wheatley accompanied with his backing band. Josh performed a great mix of upbeat pop songs and more moving tracks which captivated the audience. Josh also played his brand new single “Best of Me” which is out next week and got a great reception from the crowd. Josh put on a great performance and is definitely worth keeping an eye out for future performances.
Finally, it was time for Larkins to take the stage and finish the night. Immediately the skill behind their lighting and the way it boosted the drama and performance of their show was very clever. In fact, the guy responsible for the lights has previously worked with the likes of Biffy Clyro, and it has definitely been a while since Bodega has seen that amount of stage production.
Larkins played a mixture of their classic hits including “Sugar Sweet” and “Wasted Years” which saw the whole crowd singing and dancing a long, as well as some new songs which the crowd loved and by the end were also singing along too. They also played a song which Josh admitted meant a lot to the band called “Riverbed” which lowered the pace and took the vibe down and demonstrated the group’s passion for their music.
The set was exactly as promised with ups and downs, incredible dramatic production and obvious time and thought gone into it. Unfortunately, it was over too quickly, and they finished with “Something Beautiful” which they released in October and saw them added to The Indie List and Hot New Bands list on Spotify. The crowd were sad to see the show end, but Larkins promise to return, potentially with a Rescue Rooms headliner in future?
With the Albert Hall tonight marking the end of their tour, Larkins have festivals lined up in summer including their self-confessed favourite Y Not, which they are excited to both play at and attend due to how great the line up is. They want to get back to writing and recording more songs in the future so they can play longer sets and return to touring with new and exciting material. Larkins are definitely a band to watch and overall the night was a great success.
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