LONELY THE BRAVE

Four years and a new singer since their last album, British rockers Lonely The Brave return against the odds with a triumphant album that captures their live sound

Words Jonny Scaramanga Photo Carly Mundy

After two albums that topped the UK rock chart and a European tour with Biffy Clyro, there would always be pressure on a new Lonely The Brave album. Then, in 2018, frontman David Jakes left the band to take care of his mental health, and band took two years to craft an album with new singer Jack Bennett. Last year saw them making the album while two members juggled their responsibilities as frontline workers in the NHS. It would have been understandable if the resulting record sounded like a band struggling to get back on its feet. Happily The Hope List is a massive record that justifies all the struggle it took to make, with guitarists Mark Trotter and Ross Smithwick delivering widescreen, atmospheric riffs.

The band live across the country and put the record together at weekend rehearsals. Despite its long gestation period, it was recorded quickly. “I think this is the first time that we actually sound on record the way that we sound live,” says Mark Trotter. “Normally we put down ridiculous layers of guitars. This time we double-tracked the parts and that’s about it. It doesn’t feel stripped back at all but it does feel rawer. We always have an ear to be able to do this live because we’re a band. That’s the whole point. It’s not karaoke.”