The Tab Meets… Joe Symes and the Loving Kind

Joe Symes and the Loving Kind’s debut album may have been independently released, but the Liverpool five-piece are no amateurs.

With impressive international reviews and an after-party show for Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds already under their belt, they’re set to take the music scene by storm.

The Tab caught up with the band to discuss influences, Liverpool and the state of the music industry.

The Tab: How would you describe your music?

Colin [Drums]:No idea… eclectic.

Joe [Singer/Songwriter]: We’ve got so many different styles.

The Tab: So do you have any particular influences?

Dave [Keys]: I’d say we’re very 60’s influenced but that’s not necessarily what we’re aiming for.

Joe: We’re getting caught up in America saying it’s very Beatles influenced in a White Album type of way, but we just do the music and we enjoy it and whatever people want to tag us to that’s up to them.

The Tab: The album does seem very versatile, there’s trombones, strings, a lot of keyboard sounds and different instrumentation.

Dave: We don’t want to pigeon hole ourselves, like on the album there’s a jazz number and there’s a new one we’ve got now which is quite Motown-ish. We’ll just do what we feel will sound right.

Colin: We’d get bored wouldn’t we?

The Tab: What about being a band from Liverpool? Does that put any influence or spin on how you play?

Dave: I think it does but at the same time people and the media outside of Liverpool will immediately give you that whole ‘Hashtag Liverpool’, Beatles.

Joe: But if people say we’re influenced by the Beatles, who isn’t? You’re always gonna get that being from Liverpool. It’s a big, big name to follow. I love the fact we’re from Liverpool because Liverpool’s a great city.

The Tab: Do you think it’s a shame there hasn’t really been a big guitar band from Liverpool to conquer the charts over the last few years?

Joe: I think we’re overshadowed by reality TV shows at the moment, stuff like the X Factor. I think there is definitely a strong music scene in Liverpool at the moment. You don’t want to go cap in hand to these people who will manipulate you and mould you into something you’re not. I think it’s a shame that there’s no guitar based bands in the charts, but then again, what charts?

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The Tab: So it’s a national thing?

Dave: I think it’s an international thing.

Paul [Guitar]: I remember V Festival about ten years ago and I think Green Day were playing and the other day it was like Beyonce.

Colin: I thought the line-up was disgraceful; there wasn’t one guitar band on the main stage.

Dave: If you’d turned round ten years ago and said Beyonce was gonna become the headline act at Glastonbury, people would’ve laughed in your face. But it happened.

Paul: Years ago if you found a guitar based band you’d go out and buy a CD, now with iTunes you just buy a 79p song. People don’t buy whole albums. Bands still make albums but not in the same way.

The Tab: You’ve mentioned before the album fits together almost like a concept album, not just a collection of songs.

Joe: It’s a story. When you listen to the album there’s little bits in-between the songs; it’s autobiographical. It’s personal as well. We deliberately put it together to show that we do have a humorous side to the band, we can have a laugh. It’s quirky but it’s a serious album as well.

The Tab: So do you take yourselves seriously then?

Joe: We’re deadly serious about it.

The Tab: But you keep a sense of fun and enjoyment about the band?

Joe: You have got to be a bit aloof and have a laugh, otherwise it can turn into a job. We’re all enjoying what we’re doing.

Colin: I think there’s a lot of bands out there, and I’m not gonna mention any names, but you feel like saying to them ‘Come on, just lighten up a bit!’

The Tab: So what are your ambitions as a band, any ideas what direction you want to go in?

Chris [Bass]: To be able to say: ‘this is what I’ve done or we’ve done’.

Dave: Personally I just want us to be well recognised for what we do, and respected.

Joe Symes and the Loving Kind’s self-titled debut album is out now on iTunes and Spotify. Look them up on Facebook and their official website.

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