After 3 years away, North East soul troubadours The Lights Over Vegas return to the live stage with a new line up and some inspiring new tracks. We caught up with frontman Bryan Watson to find out more about the band and why taking a break can be the perfect way to find inspiration.
What have you been up to in the 3 years away and why was now the right time for a Vegas reunion?
The main reason we stopped performing under the Lights over Vegas title was we started a covers band (Watson and the Elements) so we could perform at weddings and functions. This was mainly brought out due to my passion to not get a “normal” job and thought playing music day to day would be more entertaining at the least.
I have continued to play original music on my own whenever I can and this lead us to call the new line up ‘Bryan Watson and the Lights over Vegas’ meaning we can continue to promote the original music even if it is just me.
The main reason for a return now was more for my own sanity than anything else. I have been focusing on writing a lot more and wanted a better platform to present my music. It is always more fun on stage with your friends around.
You’re returning as a larger band, what’s the make-up of the band now and why did you choose to include more instruments?
We are returning with a percussion section and an extra guitar/keys player on top of what we used to use live (guitar, piano, drums, bass)
This was mainly to incorporate some of the ideas we have always had in rehearsal and in our recordings.
We’ve been watching The Lights Over Vegas acoustic sessions and are loving the new sounds. Can we expect to hear anything new, and if so what’s the sound of the new tracks?
Yeah, we have been working on a lot of new music. We are hoping to show off a lot of new songs, like the track ‘Heart stood still’ which was the first video we recorded for the acoustic sessions. I think. I think the main difference in the music this time round is I am just writing what I feel like writing and if it fits with the band we use it. It really feels like a more rewarding process.
Are we going to see more acoustic sessions before the show?
I think we should have a couple more sessions coming out before the show. These were really fun to film, we went down to the Yamaha music school in Whitley Bay early one Sunday morning to film them. It was a rough day as I had been sick all week but we knew it was the only time we could get them filmed. I think that helped as we knew we only had a limited amount of time before my voice just stopped working. Tom (our bassist) worked really hard to make them look and sound great, we have had some great feedback as well. Thanks to everyone who has watched them.
Are you planning to release new music in time for the show?
Our original plan was to have some music available before the show at the Exchange but we decided we would instead make the show the best we possibly can, with it being our first one back, so we have been focusing our time on that instead. We are filming the entire show, which has some great support acts in Greg Genre and Chloe Chadwick and that will be available to watch at some point throughout the year.
Finally, what would a great year look like for The Lights Over Vegas?
I think just being back on the music scene playing songs that actually mean something to me is more than enough.
The Lights Over Vegas play The Exchange, North Shields, on 3rd March.