Words - Emma Bowdidge

Guitar pop four-piece Lawson take some time out of their busy touring schedule with The Wanted to talk to Noise Addiction about how they come to name their band, their debut album and how their debut headline tour went in January this year.

It’s quite a unique story how you came up with your band name – Could you explain to people who haven’t heard of you yet the reason behind the name?

RYAN: We wanted a name which meant something to us – and something wasn’t just a word or something random – and so we thought long and hard about it.
ANDY: In the end we decided upon naming ourselves after a Doctor who performed an 18 hour operation on me a few years back after I suffered from brain tumour.
ADAM: So, it’s all down to Dr Lawson!

So you were in LA last year making finishing touches to your debut album with producer John Shanks – How did you find the whole experience?

JOEL: Incredible. We love LA so much – it’s sort of become our second home now. The weather is great, the food … everything about it we love.
ANDY: So much great music comes out of California and we really enjoyed just listening to the radio out there whilst driving in the car.
ADAM: I could definitely see myself living there at some point – but good ‘ol Brighton will always be home.

What can we expect from this debut album of yours?

ANDY: In short; Anthemic guitar pop songs written from true life experiences.
JOEL: Performed by the musical group known as Lawson.
RYAN: There’s some great songs on there which hopefully people of all ages and genders can relate to and enjoy.

What is the song writing process like for Lawson?

ANDY: We write everything ourselves so normally it starts with a conversation about what we want to write about – it has to be something which has happened to one of us otherwise you’ll struggle with lyrics later on.
JOEL: We’ve got so many songs now it’s gonna be a struggle to fit them all in one one CD.
ADAM: We’ll just have to release them on a box set!

Do you prefer being in the studio recording or playing live?

JOEL: We absolutely love being in the studio and enjoy that whole creative process, but there really is no better feeling than playing live in front of an audience – no matter how big or small. The buzz you feel when you’re on stage is like no other and it truly is the best thing about being in the band.
ANDY: I agree with Joel. Writing songs is amazing but actually hearing people singing them back to you and enjoying them is the best.

You accomplished your debut headline tour in January – How do you think the tour went as a whole?

RYAN: I think the headline shows in January exceeded all of our expectations. We sold out over half the dates and we’ve not even had a record out yet.
ADAM: We’ve got great fans – some of which have been following us for years before we even had a deal. It’s great that they’ve stuck with us and are buying tickets to see us play.

What was the most stand out date on the tour?

ANDY: Brighton was a standout one as it was the first night of the tour and it was rammed. We were all on cloud 9 after that one.
RYAN: We even had a stage invasion! That was mental. First 1 person jumped up, then a second and then next thing you know half the audience is on stage with us jamming along to Standing In The Dark. It was a great laugh.
JOEL: Andrew Lloyd Webber even rocked up to our London show. That was pretty random.

You’re on the road again in February and March with The Wanted who you also supported last year – What’s it like touring with those guys?

ANDY: They’re a great laugh. I’ve been mates with Max from The Wanted for a long time and it’s always nice to spend time with him on tour. I’m so proud with everything the boys have achieved and it’s looking like they’ll crack America now too. Unbelievable.

What can fans expect from you on this upcoming tour?

ADAM: We’re playing some new tunes, a new cover of a song by someone who we’re all big fans of and maybe some other surprises.
ANDY: We’re gonna be picking some fans out of the audience and take them backstage each night too which will be fun.

You’ve also supported other top acts such as Will Young and Avril Lavigne – Who’s been your favourite to play with so far and why?

JOEL: All of them have been amazing. I think Avril’s audience really enjoyed our set – Will’s did too, I think but they were more of a listening audience as opposed to screaming and shouting.
ANDY: The Wanted shows are always great. Some people have seen us support them twice now so we usually get a great response.

What’s the strangest thing a fan has ever said / given you?

ADAM: Our fan gifts are usually pretty tame actually. We got a teddy the other day with a custom made lawson t.shirt. I could probably fit into that t.shirt actually!

And lastly do you have a message you’d like to leave to your fans and our readers?

ANDY: Make sure you check out the various corners of the inter web for your Lawson updates – www.lawsonofficial.com and all that other good stuff!
RYAN: And come and check us out on tour – we’re all over the place this year and you’ll love our gigs fingers crossed – we always throw free stuff into the audience so that’s a bonus!

For a free download of Lawson’s track ‘Red Sky’ visit: www.lawsonofficial.com or www.facebook.com/lawsonofficial