So far this year, Perth's The Little Lord Street Band have released a couple of singles as well as an EP, and won Best Country Song at the Western Australian Music Awards (WAM).
Now they're headed east to showcase at BIGSOUND. “It was pretty cool finding out [we were playing BIGSOUND], we weren’t expecting it. The looks on our faces were of joy and puzzlement, genuine shock,” band member James Rogers says.
“The year has been really cool so far and has been unreal as of late.
"We’ve always had friends go over [to BIGSOUND] in the past and have loved it, coming back raving about the festival, and now we get to go and see it for ourselves. We’re pinching ourselves that in two weeks time we're getting on a plane to go to Brisbane," he says.
James says that finding out about playing the festival came while driving to a gig. “We were on our way to Geraldton; we had bad reception and not much internet. But at a stop, Tash got an email from BIGSOUND, which we thought was probably just junk,” he says.
“When she opened it she really quietly said ‘Oh My God’, which progressively got louder and louder until she was shouting it saying ‘We got it!’.”
This year keeps getting better for the Perth band after recently winning the 2018 WAM Country Song of the Year. “It’s been a big one, with 'Heartache Moon' being released as well as 'Waking Up Next To You' EP,” James says.
“And then in-between that, we got the [WAM] Award and have been in Melbourne and Sydney playing some shows.”
As the band expands their touring reach, James says the group has been heartened by the response they have received so far.
“It’s been really positive,” he says.
“The first time a WA band goes over east it can be a bit daunting; not a lot of people knew about us but everyone we have played to have been super-encouraging.”
Their latest EP 'Waking Up Next To You', released in April, has been welcomed by fans and has seen the band's popularity grow from where they started in a little bedroom in Perth.
“This EP has been really great. I think it’s just good. The good thing about it is we’re all friends and we hang out together all the time,” James says. “I’ve known Alex [Megaw] since high school where we dreamed of touring the country, and now it’s become real.”
James believes that a lot of the band's success from their live shows comes from the on-stage banter and stage presence of Natasha Shanks. “Tash and I bring a bit of our relationship onto the stage; she’s a really good MC and a great bandleader”, he says.
“We’ve got a great rhythm section: Alex our drummer is just amazing, Michael [Savage] our bass player has a great vibe, Belle [Harvey] who’s on harmonica is awesome and when it all comes together it’s just a great show”.
The future is looking even brighter for The Little Lord Street Band, with plans for a another tour in October and November in New South Wales. “Come 2019, we’re hoping to play some music festivals as well as release an album”, James says.
“Hopefully we will start recording by the end of this year, if it all goes according to plan. We have plenty of songs and we’d love to make an album.”
The Little Lord Street Band Tour 2018
4-5 Sep - Empire Hotel - BIGSOUND (Brisbane)Sat 29 Sep - Badlands Bar (Perth)
Fri 12 Oct - Drunken Poet (Melbourne)
Sun 14 Oct - Union Hotel (Melbourne)
Fri 19 Oct - Amazing Grace (Melbourne)
Sat 20 Oct - Colbinabbin Festival (Goulburn Valley)
Thu 25 Oct - God's Kitchen (Mornington)
Fri 26 Oct - Baha Taco (Rye)
Sat 27 Oct - Red Lion Brewery (Kilmore)
Sun 28 Oct - Rezza House Concerts (Melbourne)
Thu 1 Nov - Rambling Nights (Sydney)
Fri 2 Nov - Flow Bar (Sydney)
Sat 3 Nov - Servo Food Truck Bar (Wollongong)
Wed 7 Nov - The Retreat (Melbourne)
Thu 8 Nov - Pistol Pete's (Geelong)
