Lona

We always have such an amazing laugh on tour. Imagine going on holiday with your best mates for a month or two months, while also playing shows every night. It’s just class

“It sprung from the idea that we were all Loners when all moving to London on our own as teenagers”

It sprung from the idea that we were all Loners when all moving to London on our own as teenagers. We all literally knew no one, and it’s a scary concept moving from the comfort of your parent’s house, into the big city with practically nothing apart from a guitar and phone charger. But we all did, and we all knew that we wanted to be in a band, and in all honesty, it really didn’t take that long to find each other. So I guess it’s just the idea that being a ‘Lona’ isn’t a bad thing. We can all be Lona’s together.

We all moved down to London a few years ago, without knowing each other. We all signed up to band websites, where you can check out other musicians who are also looking to join bands. It’s basically Tinder for bands haha. John met Sam first at the roundhouse in Camden and immediately hit it off, then a few weeks later the other boys joined and we were born!

Could you briefly describe the music-making process?

Our music-making process has changed a lot over the past few years we’ve been together. When we first started, we would all be in a rehearsal room in Camden, jamming along and playing together, working out the parts on our respective instruments. However, as we have developed our sound, we tend to write ‘into’ the computer a lot more. Sat in the studio, with synths and guitars, recording straight into Logic, and building and creating sounds that way. It preferable for us because it means that you can create something much more unique than you ever could in a band room.

Favourite moment as a band?

I think we’d say just being on tour in general. We always have such an amazing laugh on tour. Imagine going on holiday with your best mates for a month or two months, while also playing shows every night. It’s just class. Until you get back and the post-tour blues kick in and you’re back in your bedroom staring at the walls haha.

Funniest moment on stage?

John fell off the stage a couple of times, which is always funny. When we played a show for Halloween once, we all had makeup on, I think we were ‘The Warriors’. Anyway, once we’d finished playing, the next band went up (without any costumes), and after the first song, their singer has black paint all around his lips where John had rubbed it all over the microphone. The other singer didn’t realise until the end of the set. Absolute gold.

Best moment on stage?

Our last headline show at O2 Islington was a pretty good moment for us, it was our first London headline show and it was sold out. It was amazing to have so many fans with us from the start.

What’s your ultimate direction for your band?

Our music is always changing. We have really been enjoying writing more electronic, alternative music lately, rather than the typical indie stuff. We produce all our own stuff as well, so we are constantly learning how to create new sounds, while also developing musicians, The songs we are writing at the moment is some of the best stuff we’ve ever written and we’ll have two new songs out before the years up.