It would be easiest to describe Birmingham, UK’s LOVEBREAKERS as a power pop band, but to pigeonhole them into one genre would do them a disservice. Sure, they right catchy, melodic pop songs, but there’s a timeless rock and roll feel to their music too. At any given moment, LOVEBREAKERS will seamlessly shift from pop to rock to ’80s new wave to punk. The true enjoyment as listeners is experiencing how the band masterfully weaves everything together for pure pop perfection.
Later this month, after pandemic-related delays, LOVEBREAKERS releases their debut album on Wiretap Records. Ahead of the release, the band has released several singles to whet everyone’s appetite. The band sat down to answer some questions about recording the album, their music, pandemic life, and some other fun topics.
You’ve just released the final single ahead of your album release later this year. For folks who haven’t gotten a chance to listen to it yet, what can they expect from “Laura”?
Jack: It’s a song written for my fiancé, can you guess her name? We had the riff recorded about a year before the song was written. We called the demo “Stranger Things” because to us, it sounds like a piece of music in one of the episodes. Fast forward to a year later, along with a soppy lovestruck moment and “Laura” was written. The chord pattern doesn’t change much throughout the song but it’s the dynamics and melodies that move the song along. It’s pretty rock n roll but it has this ’80s, groovy swagger to it.
The singles you’ve released so far have a nostalgic feel, but also feel fresh and new. What inspired your overall sound while working on these songs?
Jack: The key ethos of this band is to write timeless, rock n roll music you can sing along with and relate to. In terms of sound, we have lots of different influences on these songs but I think what we always try and do is give everything space. We arrange our songs like they are a separate entity from us. We do what’s best for the song and whatever feels right, we stick with. Nothing ever seems forced and we don’t add unnecessary parts for the sake of being “different.” If it sounds good when we first hear it, we keep it.
The songs I write are simple because all the great timeless songs are. Our general process is I usually write a verse and chorus (and a bridge if they’re lucky!) on an acoustic guitar and I send the band a rough demo to listen to. In most cases, I try and also send a reference track for feel or arrangement. Once we get together in our rehearsal space, we jam out the idea and voila.
You were able to work with Davey Worsop on this album. Sure, he’s produced Green Day, but he’s also the producer for one of my favorite bands – Bad Cop/Bad Cop. What did he bring to the table for you during the recording process?
Jack: Our producer Davey Warsop is an absolute dreamboat to work with. Before we set out to LA he set me some goals to work towards which helped me gather a lot of material to work from. We were so glad we did that because we had plenty of creative options and nothing felt limited. The main core of all the songs were written, it was just about adding the finishing touches and tweaking a few things.
Recording with Davey was so much fun. He’s a very talented producer and also a great human being. Having someone enthusiastically positive and someone who believes in your music, added to this “positive stirring pot” which we were creating around us. He understood our vision straight away and channeled the direction for this record. We were all fans of his music as much as he was a fan of ours, so it fitted perfectly.
The new album is going to be released domestically on Wiretap Records later this year. How excited are you for Primary Colours to finally be out in the wild in full?
Jack: We can’t hardly wait. It’s our debut record and the songs mean a lot to me personally. We have had these songs ready for a long time and we can’t wait to share it with everybody to enjoy them as much as we have. It’s a positive, summer record you will want to listen to with your friends and we hope you have A LOT of them.
What is the overall theme you’re hoping fans will pick up on when getting to finally hear it?
Christian: I’ve described the record as the sort of record that you crank up to 11 in your car with your buddies or your partner. When you’re on a cool drive out along the coast, the suns beating down and you’re all just in a good place. It’s feel-good, positive jams that I believe can stand the test of time.
How have you been coping with pandemic life?
Christian: Lots of walks, lot’s of demoing. Learning to play the drums. Work around the house and my car. I’m lucky enough to own a 1964 Chevy Nova II. My friend had it imported from California and I bought it off him as he’s moved to Australia now. I’ve always been into classic American cars. The aesthetic of them and how they look so much cooler than cars that are made today. As the roads have been quieter, I’ve been taking the car out for long drives a lot, only when the weather is good though. I crank up my t-shirt weather playlist. It’s got Tom Petty, Social Distortion, The Beach Boys, Randy Newman. All feel-good and perfect for driving to. I like to pretend I’m in California when I drive.
If all goes well, there’s a planned tour with Social D over the summer. How excited are you for that?
Christian: I speak for all of us when I say that we are super excited. Social Distortion are a band that we all admire greatly. Their music is timeless. They’ve been going for such a long time and that’s because the music still stands up and I feel that they’re a band that have gotten better with age too. The last two records are really special, Sex, Love & Rock n Roll is easily in my top five albums of all time. Also, we’d be getting to watch them play live every night as well as seeing lots of cool places. What’s not to like?
For the uninitiated, what is a LOVEBREAKERS show like?
Chino: Loud, tight and energetic. We’re incredibly proud of the music we produce so we want to do it total justice on the stage.
What’s a fun fact about each member of the band that folks may not know?
Jack: I once got a biscuit tin stuck on my head when I was a toddler, pretending to be a soldier. It got to the point where my head was swelling around the tin. Luckily with some lard, I was released! Years later at high school (with the “biscuit tin fiasco” in mind) I wrote a song called “Stuck On You” which I performed to my whole year group. My school friends still sing it till this day…timeless.
Christian: I’m basically a professional gamer of Call of Duty. If you want to be the last team standing, I’m usually chilling in a bush somewhere, ready to pounce on you for the win.
Chino: I got my name not from the Californian city, but from wearing terrible, brightly-colored chinos. The days are luckily over for the brightly-colored chinos, but the name still remains.
What’s the best way for folks to support you until the world turns back on completely?
Chino: Primary Colours is available to pre-order with All in Vinyl in the UK and Wiretap Records over the pond in the US. We’re so excited for everybody to hear our music and it would help a bunch if you brought a beautiful physical copy. We also have merch for sale on our website.
And of course, social media. Unfortunately the world runs on social media, and whilst we have vintage roots, we’re very much in the now with our socials. So come and say hello and interact with our pages, it helps a lot.
Any last words?
Chino: As soon as you can, get out of your homes that you’ve been locked up in for so long and come and see us play! Our industry has been one of the hardest hit by this virus, it has taken an absolute battering. Get out, support your next favorite band (LOVEBREAKERS) and get dancing again!