“AND SO IT’S ON TO THE NEXT” LOCK-IN MARK NEW ERA WITH SOPHOMORE RELEASE
INDIE POP OUTFIT SHARE THEIR FINEST EFFORTS YET IN NEW EP
Over two years since the release of their 2021 debut EP Boys Kiss Boys, indie pop quintet LOCK-IN have entered 2024 as they mean to go on with the release much anticipated sophomore EP ON TO THE NEXT.
The collective effort of five former school peers from Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, LOCK-IN have since claimed London their adopted home having made a dent on the cities ever evolving emerging music scene. Turning heads across the industry, the lads have had acclaim from Radio X’s John Kennedy and become a favourite amongst the This Feeling family – including a headline slot at last years Truck Festival.
Still in their infancy, LOCK-IN show no signs of slowing down soon. We caught up with lead singer BENJY LEAK ahead of it’s release to chat about what’s been, what’s happening and what’s still to come.
“When we headlined The Garage (London) last year – our biggest headline show yet – we finished by saying ‘on to the next’. For us, it was like we had hit another chapter and so ‘on to the next’ sort of became like a band motto. When we went into the new EP we just felt it was right to carry this phrase with us”
Benjy – LOCK-IN
The ambient anticipation of the record builds from the opening few bars in Intro – an instrumental 90 second auditory preparation of what’s to come. Intensifying with every note, Intro crescendos to an eerily melodic climax destined to set the pace and tone for the EP. When played in succession to the outro of Boys Kiss Boy’s Your Sincerely, the ‘intro’ serves to link the two EP’s together and mark that metaphorical transition to a new era.
Once Intro reaches it’s peak, a breath of silence is interjected before the distinctive melody of last year’s single Easy takes it’s place. Released back in July 2023, Easy is a post-punk indie inspired guitar driven track characterised by it’s big anthemic themed chorus. The song particularly captures the vocal qualities of lead singer Benjy, who has matured his tone and techniques to a new standard. Exposing the more introspective side of LOCK-IN, Easy projects both feelings of darkness and powerful optimism reflecting the maturity of the band.
How do you feel this new EP is different from your debut? How have you have grown and changed as a band since then?(NE)
So with Boys Kiss Boys it was really just us putting out our favourite tracks and calling it an EP. But with this it feels more of a piece of work. The songs all come from a very similar place. With the first EP we had just finished school, we were like 18 and we went straight into lockdown. Now we’re all in our 20’s, we’ve gained experience and had so many amazing opportunities that it reflects on our writing. We’ve been working so hard because we believe we can make this. Looking back on how far we’ve come is amazing.(Benjy)
Do you see an album at some point in the future?(NE)
Yeah of course, who doesn’t. I think giving this EP time to breathe like we did with the previous one will be good though. We’ll keep writing and definitely bring out some more singles after this, maybe even another EP before an album but so long as we’re having fun and building as a band then we’re happy. I mean, if somebody wants to give us money to do an album then we’d go do an album (Benjy laughs). There’s no rush though.(BENJY)
Focusing back on the EP, Easy is succeeded by another previously released track, Red Stripe Remedy. “Lost in the 9-5, we only work to stay alive” – With funky rhythm and groove-laden riffs, Red Stripe Remedy is the familiar story of being stuck in the mundane of the 9-5. Falling somewhere between the charm of Brett Anderson (Suede) with the flare of Anthony Keidis (Red Hot Chilli Peppers) Rhythm, Benjy’s vocal delivery is on point. Its no surprise that streaming credits have rocketed with this one.
Recorded and produced with Ritual Forms Curtis Elvidge during sessions at the legendary Premises Studio in London last year, ON TO THE NEXT is the bands most dedicated piece of work yet. Still humbled by the whole process, Benjy shares his favourite song on the EP is the records title track On To The Next.
I’ve always played a bit of guitar, but with On To The Next, I felt that was the first time that I really went with it. It was something I had been working on myself and because of the whole momentum behind the notion of ‘on to the next’ it was something special to me. When I brought it to the rest of the guys, it was quickly apparent that we had something good here. We always write as band together, we all bring our ideas into the room, adding bits and pieces as a group but this one kind of started with me and my guitar and it’s something I’m really proud of.
Capturing the high energy that LOCK-IN fans have become accustomed to, the track is reminiscent of the early noughties indie-pop scene. Full of hooks and infectious rhythm, this upbeat gem just oozes with dopamine. Played live will no doubt be an instant fan favourite.
Steady growth has paid off for LOCK-IN. Establishing the band during the Covid-19 lockdown provided the band with the right conditions to sow their seed. By the time they released their debut EP and played their first live shows, they had already had eager listeners ready to jump on the momentum. It’s this buzz which aspires them to aim high.
“We refer to it (our band journey) as the road to Brixton. So each time we play these big headline London gigs they get bigger and bigger. The goal is Brixton Academy. Like we sold out The Garage (London) and this April we are going bigger with The Lafayette which is like 600 capacity so the goal post gets bigger every year. If we get to the point where we can play 4-5K capacity venues like Brixton then we’ve made it. That’s the dream.“
The final song on this five-track EP is the unreleased He Said She Said. Probably the the most guitar driven track of them all, there’s a post-punk ambience here. Full of personality and charm, He Said She Said captures the quintets confident dynamic.
Think Blossoms or Inhaler but grittier with Arctic Monkey/Fontaines DC inspired guitar riffs then you begin to get a flavour of what this band aspire to. They take their collective inspirations to create something which is unique to them and it’s proving popular with new music enthusiasts.
“2023 was just incredible, but the highlight probably has to be headlining (This Feeling stage) at Truck festival. We had played the bill lower down in previous years so to have worked up to a point where we were headlining alongside some of our favourite bands was really special. Being able to speak to and mingle with these people is something else and feels like we’re really going in the right direction.”
2024 is forecasting to be even bigger for these five young lads from Hertfordshire. With the imminent EP release, their biggest headline yet at London’s Lafayette in April (TICKETS), a teased tour and festival bookings already place, its clear from chatting to Benjy that he is excited for what’s to come. Whether LOCK-IN are new to you or if you have been following them for years, there’s no denial that this EP marks their biggest chapter yet.
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