Up and Coming Pop Punk Bands | We Were Lions

Today for our up and coming UK pop punk bands we'd like to introduce to you We Were Lions. The band, who hail from Essex, have recently released a new EP entitled Horizons which you can listen to below. Taking influence from A Day to Remember, 36 Crazyfists and Brand New, Horizons combines big choruses and powerful hooks. We Were Lions answered some questions for us about how they formed, how they came up with their band name and told us all we need to know about the new EP...

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

Lloyd (Vocals): Essex, land of fake tans and low cut men’s shirts.

James (Guitar): We own a fair number of those t-shirts though.  We have the market cornered really.  That’s our schtick – He-vage! Every band needs a USP and that’s ours!

HOW DID WE WERE LIONS FORM?

Dan (Drums): About 4 years ago Lloyd started the band with Dean (our old guitarist), and they found myself and Marc on a site called “joinmyband”. After a year Phil came on-board to replace the original bass player.  All was going well for 2 years and we released our first EP ‘Rebirth’. Unfortunately Dean and Marc (Guitars), had to leave and we picked James and Rob after a number of auditions. Since then we've gone from strength to strength. 

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH YOUR BAND NAME?

Dan: We all came up with a name each and voted. Unfortunately the voting process lasted quite a few weeks due to some small differences in opinions! But then we all decided We Were Lions was best and that was that. 

Rob: I believe Lloyd has an interesting story for this.

Lloyd: Nicked it from a Charlie Simpson EP.

James: Short and sweet story…

YOUR MAIN GOAL AS A BAND IS?

James: Our long-term plan is to be as successful as we can be, but short term we are trying to build a local and nation fan-base so we can plan a UK tour for our next release.  We already have some awesome fans on twitter and enjoy interacting with the people who listen to our music.

Dan: Our main aim is to build up a big fan-base. We all love jamming in the studio but there's nothing better than playing live gigs and getting a great response from the audience. 

Rob (Guitar): I want to be creative with music, perform it to millions, tour the planet, global domination and own more guitars than my mansion can hold. 

YOUR TOP 3 INFLUENCES ARE?

James: A Day To Remember, Architects and Tom Waits.

Lloyd: A Day To Remember, Four Year Strong….aaand Taylor Swift

James: Lloyd and Taylor sitting in a tree…

Dan: Tool, Arch Enemy and 36 Crazy Fists 

Rob: As an individual guitarist I have too many influences to narrow down to just three. Names like Mark Tremonti, Anthony Armstrong and Syn Gates come to mind, although since joining this band I have discovered the Pop Punk genre, so bands such as A Day To Remember, Sum 41, Amity Affliction among others have influenced me when writing for WWL.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW EP HORIZONS...

James: I was really excited about this EP.  I have never been in a band before that’s got to that stage.  I trained as a sound engineer so I am familiar with being in a studio but it was exciting to track the parts we had all written and be there for the process.  We recorded at ARU as Phil was studying there at the time so the whole EP was recorded and produced by Phil and myself.  I am very proud of it!

Lloyd: Four vastly different tracks to show off each element of WWL. If you haven’t listened to us before, its a great intro into what we do.

Rob: I really have nothing to compare this with as I wasn't a part of the 'Rebirth' EP. ‘Horizons’ is, in my opinion, merely a warm up for our release. The tracks are great, but the songs we have written for the next release have surpassed every song from Horizons in terms of quality and song-writing. With ‘Horizons’ I think you can tell that we were a 'new' line up, but with the new material we have, it sounds so much bolder and I think we've definitely found our 'sound'. 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TRACK FROM HORIZONS AND WHY?

Dan: All 4 songs have elements that I love to hear, as well as play, so that's a tricky one! I do like a good guitar solo.  I'm Not Angry has an epic solo so if I have to pick it's that one, but the others aren't far behind!

Lloyd: “Health” is incredibly personal to me, and is the last track written. Going forward you’ll hear a lot more of that honesty in the lyrics.

James: “Guadalajara” is mine.  It has everything I love in a song; riffs, lots of changes and energy.

TOP FIVE FAVOURITE POP PUNK ALBUMS?

James: Common Courtesy by ADTR and I really like Dogs Eating Dogs by Blink 182

Lloyd: The Story So Far - What You Don’t See and Four Year Strong - Enemy Of The World

Dan: I love a lot of pop punk songs and it’s a fun genre to play, but I'm more of a rock/metal fan.

Rob:  Rebel Revive by Jamie's Elsewhere


Listen to Horizons below:


We Were Lion's Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp | Soundcloud

Neck Deep To Play Taco Bell Opening In Sheffield

Neck Deep are playing an acoustic set at Taco Bell's opening party in Sheffield on September 25th. However, the only way to catch this magical moment is to enter Taco Bell's Competition which is something of a 'game of firsts'. Basically, you have to take a picture of something you've never done before and bonus points will be awarded if it includes the Taco Bell logo or their products. Like this guy who shaved the Taco Bell label in his hair:

If you want to enter The Game of Firsts take a picture and use the hash tag #TacoBellSheffield. Competition Ends Friday and good luck to anyone that enters! read the terms and conditions here. 

Trophy Eyes Release Song From New Album

Trophy Eyes have released a new song from their upcoming album Mend, Move On. The new album will be released November 4th via Hopeless Records and anyone who pre-orders will get an instant download of the new song which is titled 'In Return'.

Trophy Eyes are also on tour with Neck Deep, Knuckle Puck and Seaway next January. Check out the dates here. 

Up and Coming Pop Punk Bands | Forever After

Today for our up and coming UK pop punk bands feature, we present to you Essex natives Forever After who recently released their new EP 'Just Another Year'. Filled with inviting riffs and choruses that you wont be able to stop yourself from singing, Forever After's new EP is a spectacular creation. Singer and guitarist Dom answered some questions for us so we could find out some more about their new EP... 

WHERE ARE YOU FROM? 

Sunny boring Essex!

DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND IN 3 WORDS...

Punk Rock Grunge.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW EP 'JUST ANOTHER YEAR'...

It's been a year since we recorded our last EP. This EP is about everything that has happened in the last 12months of our lives. People leaving to go travelling, relationships breaking up, starting new jobs etc.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TRACK FROM JUST ANOTHER YEAR AND WHY?

For me (Dom) it's 'twenty two' as it is very personal to me and it is also so bloody catchy.

RECORDING OR PLAYING LIVE?

Playing live!

IF YOU COULD PLAY WITH ANY BAND IT WOULD BE? 

Blind Melon, one of the best bands ever!

WHAT IS ONE REASON WHY EVERYONE SHOULD STOP WHAT THEY'RE DOING RIGHT NOW AND GO LISTEN TO JUST ANOTHER YEAR?

If your into grungy punky tunes and songs about everyone leaving then this is 5 banging tracks for you! 


Forever After's new EP 'Just Another Year' is out now! Watch the new video for She's Leaving below:



Forever After's Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp | Youtube 

Man Overboard Release New Song 'For Vince'

Man Overboard have released a new song entitled 'For Vince'. The song is from their upcoming EP 'Passing Ends' which is being released via Lost Tape Collective. The EP will include five songs and will be available from October 8th. Anyone who pre-orders will get a free download of For Vince and an invitation to an online show. 

The EP will be released ahead of Man Overboard's European Heart Attack tour which has recently been postponed until April 2015 due to Nik tearing his ACL. The band released this statement regarding the postponement:

"It is with a heavy heart that we are forced to postpone our November European tour until April and May 2015 due a medical emergency. Nik tore his ACL and had to get surgery yesterday. His doctor made it clear to us that putting off the surgery could put Nik and his ACL in worse condition which will lead to an even longer recovery time. The good news is his surgery went well and he is now recovering at home. We are extremely sorry to disappoint anyone but taking care of this now will pave the way for an amazing and busy 2015. We love you and thank you for your everlasting support in our lives. See you April, complete details are on the way"

New Tour Dates:
24.04 - London, UK @ Islington Academy
25.04 - Cardiff, UK @ Clwb Ifor Bach
26.04 - Bristol, UK @ Exchange
28.04 - Leicester, UK @ Scholar Bar
29.04 - Wolverhampton, UK @ Slade Rooms
30.04 - Newcastle, UK @ Think Tank
01.05 - Glasgow, UK @ Audio
02.05 - Manchester, UK @ Soundcontrol. (Pinky Swear Fest)
03.05 - Liverpool, UK @ Fury Fest
04.05 - Leeds, UK @ The Key Club.
05.05 - Belfast, UK @ Sub Bar
06.05 - Dublin, IR @ Fibber Magees

Me vs Hero Release New Video

Me vs Hero have released a new video for Heisenberg, a song from their new album I'm Completely Fine. The video features live footage of the band from the past two years in Europe, the US, Japan and at festivals such as Slam Dunk and Hevy. 

Up and Coming Pop Punk Bands | The Way Away

Today for our up and coming US pop punk bands we bring you The Way Away, who's new EP, Carry On, is out today! If you're a fan of New Found Glory, State Champs or Yellowcard then Carry On is definitely something you should pick up. The Way Away answered some questions for us so we could get to know them a bit better...

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

Minneapolis, Minnesota

HOW DID THE WAY AWAY FORM?

We’ve gone through a bunch of member changes, so instead of getting messy, we’ll simplify it as much as possible. The band currently consists of Matt, Troy, Jeff, and Peter. Troy and Matt met through a craigslist ad, Jeff came into the band because he and Troy were friends from high school, and Peter came into the band because he and Matt were friends in college. We actually haven’t announced that Peter is our new drummer yet, so that’s a little bit of exclusive info.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH YOUR BAND NAME?

Our band name comes from the Yellowcard song "Way Away". The meaning of that song embodied what we were doing at the time, and music is our way (to get) away from the difficulties of life.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW EP...

Our new EP is called Carry On and consists of seven songs. The songs are about failed relationships (family, friends, break-ups), happy relationships, pulling through tough times, and losing people who are close to you. Every song has a real story to it. We’re four guys who go through the same things everyone else does; we just write songs about them. The overall theme is loss, and though loss can be difficult to deal with, we find ways to carry on.

DESCRIBE YOUR NEW EP IN FOUR WORDS...

Catchy honest pop punk

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SONG FROM THE EP?

Our favorite song is probably Retrospect. I think it captures the sound we are going for well. Plus, it's really catchy.

IF YOU COULD PLAY A SHOW WITH ANY BAND IT WOULD BE?

This is a hard question to answer, because all of us come from different musical backgrounds, and we all have different bands that we love, and different bands that have influenced us. We’re going to go with Bayside, because we all agree that band is awesome.

TOP FIVE FAVOURITE POP PUNK ALBUMS?

Sticks and Stones – New Found Glory
Self Titled - Bayside

Paper Walls – Yellowcard

The Greatest Generation – The Wonder Years

From Here to Infirmary – Alkaline Trio

 
THE BAND THAT INSPIRES YOU THE MOST IS?

There really isn’t one specific band that inspires us most, but the bands we’ve seen come up and do things the right way are the ones that stick out. We’ve played with bands that have a real passion for this kind of music; they work hard, and are great people. Seeing that is encouraging, especially in this day and age when some bands seem to be doing everything they can to avoid doing paying their dues. To loosely quote H20, we’re down with the “passion before fashion” mentality.

ONE REASON EVERYONE SHOULD GO LISTEN TO YOUR NEW EP RIGHT NOW IS..

In our opinion, this EP sounds different than a lot of pop punk music coming out right now. Not to say there’s anything wrong with the current state of pop punk. We like a lot of those bands, and we definitely incorporate some of that into our music, but we also have a lot of the more melody-driven pop punk sound of the early-to-mid 2000’s, as well as some influences from outside the genre. We wouldn’t say we’re reinventing the wheel here, but we do think we are putting our own unique spin on the pop punk sound. 

Listen to Carry On here:

The Way Away's Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp |