On The Comeback Trail – The Lounge Society Mean Business

[This article comprises a review of The Lounge Society’s gig at The Castle in Manchester in June 2024 plus a selection of quotes from our in-depth interview with the band before their Golden Lion show in March.]

Still in the fledgling years of their musical career, The Lounge Society have already tasted the two ends of the music business.

Signed to Dan Carey’s cult label Speedy Underground at the age of just 15, the band were catapulted into the spotlight. Their 2022 debut album, Tired of Liberty, was lauded by the music press. A series of high-profile live shows followed and their fanbase grew exponentially. And then… nothing.

They have been itching to unleash a second album ever since, but as yet there’s no outlet. They’ve been left frustrated on the sidelines.

Cam, bass & vocals: “The industry and the audience think you purposefully don’t want to release a second album. We haven’t been able to release a second album. We have a second album. We haven’t been able to get that ball moving.”

Herbie, guitar: “We’ve wanted to be out on the road. It’s been frustrating. It’s been hard.”

It’s a story that’s becoming increasingly common in the music industry, with schedules and marketing strategies prevailing over creative intent. Album releases and tours operate in cycles. Once a band has been round the block, there’s no guarantee they’ll be given £200 and another roll of the dice as they pass ‘Go’. More likely, having dabbled with success and built a following, they’ll be kept waiting in the wings while record label bosses take a punt elsewhere.

Archie, drums: “We’ve spoken to people who’ve had much bigger hits than us and it’s the same. It doesn’t matter how big you get, you’ll always return to that place of ‘what now?’”

While the enforced hiatus clearly hurt, it has helped them reconnect with their early passions for music. Ultimately, it may turn out to be a blessing.

Hani, guitar: “A lot has changed in the last year. Our relationships have got even stronger. We’ve got to know each other on a different level, which has had a really positive effect on the songwriting.”

Herbie: “A lot of people disappear because their motivation was the buzz. Our motivation isn’t the buzz. We like the buzz, but it’s not the motivation. It’s almost enough just to write a song. Almost. What’s rare about us is that we know we’ll carry on because it’s not based around success, it’s based around ideology. We love having our pictures on posters but that’s not the reason, that’s a byproduct.”

Archie: “We’ve stopped separating music and life. Out of maturity, the two have just naturally started to combine. We’re all more sober in a lot of ways – not particularly in a physical sense. It’s for us. We’re not afraid of who we want to be. We don’t care what’s cool.”

Cam: “And the music we’re now writing is more classically satisfying.”

That next album is all but written and their set at The Castle in Manchester was dominated by new, unreleased material. It was an uproarious performance, the band baring its teeth and laying down the law. This time they mean business.

The new songs are rich in technique and varied in flavour. There’s searing hard rock. There’s primal punk. There’s funk ’n’ soul swagger. At one point they nosedive into a Teen Spirit-esque chord flurry. At another they transform into a razor-sharp jam band, full of nods, inflections and showbiz stagecraft. There’s the thunderous crunch of Neil Young & Crazy Horse in there, the smouldering epic-doom of Joy Division and, briefly, a slice of Teenage Fan Club indie pop.

With The Lounge Society 2.0, you get the feeling there’s no holding back. They’re wringing the neck out of all they’ve got. It’s earnest, sincere. But it’s taken some time to get there – or, rather, to get back there. Herbie, speaking in March, was particularly philosophical about the rollercoaster ride the band have enjoyed and endured – and intend to enjoy again with their new sound.

Herbie: “You set off as a band, 15 years old, on this journey, and you go all round the houses thinking ‘This is the way to do it’. Then you make so many mistakes and find yourself back where you started, yet completely different. I feel closer again now to the real reason, the original reason, I picked up a guitar. But that wasn’t the case in the middle of that cycle. Around the time of the album, other things got in the way. We became remotely successful because of our honesty. But that little bit of success made me dishonest. It makes you realise that we were right in the first place. It has taken a lot of learning to understand that.”

Returning to their intrinsic values has garnered a somewhat retro approach to their songwriting too.

Hani: “The new songs were more fully formed from the start. We used to develop small ideas into songs and just keep playing it and rehearsing.”

Herbie: “We’re decorating the time, rather than the sound. It’s more of a Sixties thing, maybe. People like The Kinks certainly played a part. People like Talking Heads. It’s not so much about the method of delivery. We’ve always been good at the sauce, now we’re good at the meal. And that comes from listening to older styles of music.”

At the start of the year, the band decided to do something very different. They performed a semi-acoustic set for a charity gig at The Lion. It seems to have been a catalyst for change in more ways than one. As well as nudging the band in a fresh musical direction, it brought them back to an environment that epitomised the raw beginnings of the band – The Golden Lion – where they rehearsed solidly for months.

Cam: “Coming into the space at The Lion, as a rehearsal space, feels similar to when we were first rehearsing in the living room. It’s come full circle in that respect. It’s like it doesn’t matter if the music we play here never makes it outside this room.”

Archie: “While we’re here, this is our house.”

Hani: “The next album really should be recorded in this room.”

In the context of the journey they’ve been on, the title of their debut album – Tired Of Liberty – holds a significance far greater than its initial intention. But as the wheel turns, The Lounge Society appear remarkably erudite and phlegmatic – rejuvenated even. Above all else, they are still here, tighter than ever, confident, buoyant and brimming with ideas.

Archie: “We’ve completely made peace with it. It is what it is. People write songs about how callous the industry is, but I don’t think we feel a need. It’s so hard to change it. But whatever we can control, we are doing now.”