Introducing… Jim Lockey & The Solemn Sun

The Tab talks Backstreet Boys, baggy jeans and Mission Burrito


You may not know it, but you’ve seen Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun before.

Since backing Frank Turner at the Olympics Opening Ceremony to a worldwide audience of 25 million the Cheltenham-based band have barely stopped, with the release of their second album ‘Death,’ and a gig at the Jericho Tavern in Oxford last Friday.

Centre stage at the Opening Ceremony

The Tab caught five minutes with them backstage before their set:

First things first, for new listeners: what do you sound like?

They’re folk songs, but for rock fans. It’s not sit-around-and-stroke-a-beer type music – it’s more ‘get involved and shout along’.

The gang hit Mission Burrito

Your last visit to Oxford was November, with Frank Turner. Excited to be back?

Yeah, definitely. Our favourite show was Wolves because we’d really settled into the tour by then… to get an opportunity to work at that level is always amazing anyway, and to do it with your friends is better. I’ve known Frank Turner for about six years now – we met at a festival completely by accident.

It’s been a hectic year – after Oxford you’re set to take the US by storm…

Yeah, it’s crazy. We just got an e-mail through 2 weeks ago offering us the shows: this manager picked up on us after the Frank Turner tour. It’s crazy: it’s a big surprise.

Death isn’t the most cheerful album title what sort of tone you were aiming for? Can you pick a song that sums it up?

Home/Hospitals is pretty good. It’s about dying in a hospital…which is pretty depressing I guess. But it’s not just about the bad stuff. It’s also about not giving up.

How has your sound matured from your first album? Are there any new influences? And are you looking to change direction?

We’re very much more a band now. Before, it was just Jim Lockey’s solo thing with a band, but we do it all together now. We create it together. Our sound is definitely getting heavier, but I think that’s just because we like that sort of music.

Any song you wish you’d written?

Famous musical crushes?

Bright Eyes and Manchester Orchestra – so if any of those guys want to, you know, give us a ring…

Taking Jericho Tavern by storm

First song that inspired you as a musician?

Jim: Mine, embarrassingly, was Supersonic by Oasis. First single I bought with my own money. I suppose it made me dance around a lot… in baggy jeans.

Phil: That’s better than mine; first single I bought with my own money was the Backstreet Boys…

Chris: Mine was the 5ive single…

Glazed post-gig expressions all round

Where are Jim Lockey and TSS headed? Where do you see yourself this time next year?

We want to do a lot more in the US later this year – there are some other things in the pipeline for later this year…like start work on the next record! It’s exciting to go somewhere new. It’s crazy.

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