THEY are used to early starts, late nights and long journeys from touring their music around the country, but when The Sherlocks play this year’s Godney Gathering, it will be part of an even bigger weekend than usual.
For the South Yorkshire rock band will be hot footing it to Garslade Farm in Godney from the famous Benicàssim festival in Valencia where they are also appearing.
“It is peak festival season for us, and it is going to be some weekend. We can’t wait,” drummer Brandon Crook told us.
The four-piece, frontman Kiaran Crook, his brother Brandon, lead guitarist Alex Procter and bassist Trent Jackson, are joining Saturday headliners The Zutons and other acts including Gentleman's Dub Club and The K’s after electronic music stars Dub Pistols top the bill on Friday.
It is the festival’s biggest line-up in its 11-year history, this time across six stages.
And music fans can expect to hear not only top ten album hits from The Sherlocks, but also new music from their fourth album called People Like Me and You.
Frontman Kiaran Crook describes the first of these new tracks, Sirens, which has featured on Radio 1 and BBC FA Cup coverage, as “a gritty, compelling rock number which feels like a blueprint for the whole record”.
He said: “This song is towards the darker end of the music spectrum. It has a lot of attitude and energy, and it was the perfect number to come back with.”
The band stayed close to home working on their fourth album. Kiaran says some tracks feature backing vocals and spoken words from friends and family, and even contributions from fans who were asked to send in inserts for the title song.
The songwriter explained: “We’ve involved our neighbourhood and beyond. It has helped show more of our personality; it is the opposite to going to somewhere random like New York to record.”
Fresh from touring with Kaiser Chiefs and more recently playing intimate venues in towns often left off the touring circuit, The Sherlocks are known for electrifying sets where everything is live, whether it is in an arena or what Kiaran calls “a proper boozer.”
“With us, there are no backing tracks, no gimmicks and anything can happen,” said Brandon. “Computers don’t make our music.”
He added: “We’re in this for the long haul. We look up to acts like Kings of Leon who sold more copies of their fourth album than their previous three combined.”
With two top ten albums under their belts, but with no music label or significant industry backing, The Sherlocks have relied upon the support of fans and their own hard work to become one of the most successful independent bands in Britain.
No strangers to Somerset, they have previously played both The Wheatsheaf in Frome and BBC Introducing Stage at Glastonbury Festival in 2017. Their 2023 autumn tour begins at O2 Academy Bristol on Thursday October 5.
Godney Gathering takes place on July 14-15. People Like Me and You is released on August 11. More at thesherlocksmusic.co.uk.
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