So, the long-awaited Glastonbury 2013 line up has been released last week. It’s been a long time in waiting, and during that time Justin Lockey went and joined Editors. I was lucky enough to see Justin play at XFM last year with Editors and it was truly amazing so I cannot wait to see them taking up the Other Stage at Glastonbury. If you weren’t lucky enough to get tickets for this year, remember the re-sale on the 21st April!
The brooding rockers from Birmingham, fronted by Tom Smith – alongside newest member Justin Lockey have stopped work on their highly-anticpated fourth album just to headline XFM‘s Winter Wonderland with Rocksmith in support of War Child. The band – who are currently working on their fourth album – will perform their only scheduled date until next summer as part of the incredible line-up.
Although a duo, made up of Justin Lockey and studio boffin bandmate Craig Pilbin, White Belt Yellow Tag have managed to conjure up a grand, sweeping, sound reminiscent, in part, of Doves or Editors, which has been winning them glowing endorsements from critics and DJs alike.
The EP was recently branded “the hottest record in the world” by Radio One‘s Zane Lowe – not that singer Lockey is getting carried away by all the positive feedback. He’s been here before.
Lockey is determined to keep his feet on the floor about his latest project. The band came about when he met Pilbin (a Chris Lowe to Lockey’s Neil Tennant) while working on a British Expeditionary Force album in the North East last year. As Lockey puts it, the pair have “both been around the block a bit” and this are determined to do it their own way.
“It’s great actually,” says the singer. “We don’t have to make lots of other people happy any more. This time is just us making the music we want to make. We got together by accident really. Craig happened to be working in the same studio where I was and we clicked. We started writing songs and it turned out they were really good. A couple of months later and here we are. We’re just winging it really, seeing what turns up.”
Having gone through the mill with YCNI:M, Lockey reckons he’s better prepared now to deal with the pitfalls of pop stardom and is looking forward to releasing a new album later this year with little pressure for it to perform.
“We’re not signed to a major label, which helps,” he says. “We’ve got more time to develop at our own pace now. We’re not 17-year-old kids any more desperate to be rock stars. Now we can take the more relaxed route. As long as I can pay the rent and feed my kids at the end of the day, I’m happy.”