Friends and fans keeping White Lies in the spotlight

Post-punk rockers White Lies may have been around for a decade '“ but show no sign of slowing up.

The trio of singer and guitarist Harry McVeigh, bassist Charles Cave and drummer Jack Lawrence-Brown enjoyed almost instant success as their 2009 debut album, To Lose My Life, shot to the top of the charts.

But, Jack says, the band have had to work hard to ensure they did not just “disappear”.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The 28-year-old, from Ealing, West London, says: “From the outside, It looks like we had it quite easy and maybe we did.

“I know bands who’ve spent years and years trying to find the level we achieved in the first album.

“That was a combination of timing, luck and the songs I think.

“We had that rare thing in our first album went straight to number one in the charts.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“However, when you’ve had a number one so early, there’s a concern you have peaked straight away and you can only achieve less.”

“We worked very hard in the early days, just touring. Before the first album, we played all over London.

“We also invested a lot of time and energy in making sure we got out to Europe, so we had a fanbase and something to fall back on.

“One of the things that pleases me most is we have got a fanbase in Europe and the US.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We are still a big name in Belgium, the Netherlands. If it was just the UK, I’d be worred it was precarious, but we have people all over the world wanting to see us and that’s important and gives us more belief.”

But it is the British fanbase which has helped keep White Lies riding high in the UK charts over the years.

Their second album, 2011’s Ritual, reached number three, while Big TV, reached number four in 2013.

And the band are now hitting the road to promote their fourth long-player, Friends, which reached number 11 on its release in October, including a show at Sheffield’s O2 Academy tomorrow – for tickets, priced from £23, see sheffieldacademy.co.uk

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The reaction to Friends has been really positive,” says Jack, admitting the band have no plans to slow down just yet.

“We feel we have built up some new momentum and it would be silly of us to lose that.

“We are at a good stage in our lives and careers and don’t need to take too much time off.

“We’re pushing 30 now, we’re feeling more confident about songwriting and recording etc.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The music industry is notoriously fickle, we’re quite lucky to have a career that’s already been 10 years.

“While we have the energy for the project, we’ll keep doing it. I like to think that we’ll know when it’s the right time to stop.”