The Sherlocks: New line-up and album for 2021

No live gigs since March and losing their lead guitarist and bassist would have spelled the end for many bands, writes Richad Derbyshire.

But South Yorkshire's indie rock chart stars The Sherlocks are promising to be back with a bang in 2021.

The quartet, Brandon, his brother and frontman Kiaran, new lead guitarist Alex Procter and new bassist Trent Jackson spend three weeks at Rockfield Studios in Monmouthshire last summer recording the band's third studio album with one of the country’s top music producers - hitmaker Dave Eringa, who has worked with some of music's biggest names over the past 30 years.

The yet unnamed album is now mixed, mastered and ready for 2021. The band has also filmed two music videos, including scenes at Sheffield FlyDSA Arena, and promise a new single soon.

The Sherlocks first worked with Eringa as an unsigned band in 2016 on single Will You Be There? However, they collaborated with different producers on their first two Top 20 releases.

“We knew Dave was mint with guitars, but back then we knew deep down we were not good enough yet to work with someone with his experience on an album,” explained Kiaran.

“It also felt right to stick with Gavin Monaghan as he had produced other singles for us and had become a friend. He was one of the reasons we were able to make a debut album in the first place.”

After completing their second record, Under Your Sky, with producer and lead singer of The Coral James Skelly, Brandon said they were ready to join up with Eringa again.

“Skelly taught us how to ruthlessly edit singles, but we also put the brakes on our sound a little. Afterwards, we wanted to go back to the crunchy guitars of our early days, so we thought of Dave straight away.”

The Crook brothers say the four years since they had last seen Eringa has been the “equivalent of a lifetime in music” for them.“Dave is used to working with people like Manic Street Preachers, Roger Daltrey, Idlewild and The Proclaimers who have been in the game a long time and know what to do with song structures,” said Brandon.

“Back in 2016, we literally didn’t have a clue what we were doing in the studio, but this time we were able to bring plenty to the table with two other albums under our belts.

“We also had some of the best fun with him. Some of the conversations were hilarious. I can remember working on a song at 2am one day with tears of laughter rolling down my eyes.”

The Sherlocks have now recorded two albums at Rockfield, the studio on the farm which has seen acts like The Stone Roses, Oasis and Queen make iconic music. This time they were in the Coach House studio.

“Both the Ward family, who own Rockfield, and Dave said our time there was like being back in the 1990s as nowadays not many bands stay for as long as we did and finish a whole album without leaving,” said Brandon.

“Not many acts pack a suitcase for three weeks, leave home and don’t come back,” added Kiaran.

“I love doing it this way. I’d make another record at Rockfield, it’s a special place and my favourite studio. It is rough and ready and that suits our band.

“We work hard, but we are also about having a good time and feeling comfortable. Once, I went in a studio in London and it had white sideboards, white carpet, everything was white. You had to take your shoes off to go in, it was stupid.

“Rockfield is the complete opposite, you walk in through the farmyard and can put your feet on the table. It doesn’t matter if you spill your beer on the carpet, because you wouldn’t see it anyway, and everyone else has been there before.”

The band worked to a routine for each song with Brandon’s drums being recorded first, then bass and guitar parts before Kiaran added vocals.

“We got into a good flow where I was smashing down a song every evening, with a challenge to get it done before dinner,” said Kiaran.

“Later, we’d turn the lights down, light an incense stick and start on bottles of wine and port. The evening was always a fun session laying down guitars parts. It was perfect, so much fun to make.

“We had too many good nights to mention. The number of times I’d sit up with Alex drinking and we’d wake up at 5:30am after both falling to sleep in the living room, before running to our rooms to get a couple of hours sleep before starting again,” he added.

The band toiled through the night on the last evening. “I went to bed at 7:30 the next morning,” said Kiaran. “It was mad, especially as the last thing we taped is the first thing you will hear on the album, a 40 second intro. It is the first time we have done one of those.”

Kiaran said that recording at Rockfield only weeks after joining The Sherlocks was a revelation for new band members Alex and Trent.

“Once we were in the studio everyone stepped up their game. In many ways, this third record feels like our debut all over again. While Brandon and I have the experience now, you also have the innocent of Alex and Trent in a studio like Rockfield for the first time and that enthusiasm rubbed back onto us,” he explained.

“We all feel we have been thrown together, but now they are part of the band and this is their record too,” added Brandon.

The Bolton upon Dearne brothers emphasize a return to their rock roots, but Kiaran says some tunes like grunge-themed Plastic Heart and high-tempo Sorry are “completely different to anything we have done before.” They are also excited about another tune called Falling.

The band hope to tour as soon as possible and give a shot in the arm to grassroots venues that have been hit hard by the Corona Virus.

“We want to help put the live music industry back on its feet,” said Brandon. “Our band was built on playing smaller venues. Without them we would be nothing.”

This year marks 10 years of The Sherlocks. They have stood the test of time and Brandon believes the best is yet to come.

“We’re in this for the long haul. We look to acts like Kings of Leon who sold more copies of their fourth album than their previous three combined. Our ambition is to have another iconic record. Kiaran has written some bangers and we are going to make sure this one is the absolute business. It needs to be.”

The Sherlocks are main support for Kaiser Chiefs at The Piece Hall, Halifax on 3 and 4 July 2021, with Mystery Jets, Big Moon and Leeds’ rising stars Apollo Junction. Tickets at piecehall.co.uk. More at thesherlocksmusic.co.uk