What inspired the name of the band? What are your influences and are they the same as when you started out?

We had an old band called “Emergency”, but we decided we needed something more memorable that might actually come up when you Google us…We spent months arguing about what to call it. We oscillated between rhymes, double entendres and dramatic metaphors before settling on The Lilac Hour…which is totally random, made up and meaningless. 

How do you approach songwriting?

Our singer, Jake, is the main songwriter. That said, when we get together and play the songs as a band, they never turn out as they were originally conceived. Jake has written slow, acoustic songs which have turned into heavy rock tracks, and vice versa. In this sense, the rest of the band make a huge impact on how the songs ultimately turn out. 

Why do you write the sort of music that you do?

We never start a song with a specific narrative, idea or image. I have no idea how people write lyrics first and put music to them afterwards. The chords, the riff or the melody always come first. The feel of the track is simply determined by my mood. If I’m angry, I’ll crank up the gain on my amp and thrash a riff out. If I’m feeling relaxed, I’ll strum some chords on the acoustic. The words will write themselves.
 
Our new track, “Call Me” (out Friday 22nd July), started off with a chilled chords progression and grew from there. The story it tells is totally made up and driven entirely by the music, but we think the lyrics fit really well. 

How do you decide what to perform live?

Although we’re sat on a big pile of songs ready to record, we’ve not got that many songs out yet, so that makes the set list pretty easy to choose…We always like to throw a couple of covers in to reward people for sitting through our stuff, but we always want to put our own spin on it. We’ve done rock versions of Wise Me by James Blunt and Rasputin by Boney M which have gone down a storm. 

What plans do you have for the future?

This year, we will release our debut EP. The first single, “Call Me”, is out Friday 22nd July. It’s a sort of soft rock ballad with a strong tune, but the guitar solo in the middle is the highlight. Listen using the link! https://linktr.ee/thelilachour

 

We already have one other track recorded and ready to go and will be heading into the studio very soon to complete the others. This EP marks a significant departure from our previous works in terms of style and quality and we’re really looking forward to its release.

We also have plans to play several gigs this summer, starting with a show at The Waiting Room in Stoke Newington on the day “Call Me” releases. Follow our Instagram to stay tuned for more dates: https://www.instagram.com/the_lilac_hour/