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We are proud to feature Joe Symes and The Loving Kind here on Best Ever You!
September 2018 saw their eagerly anticipated release of the band’s second album: a ten track rock classic that will leave the listener wanting more. The production of this album took place in several locations such as Peter Gabriel’s Solid State Logic Studios, Oxfordshire, the Motor Museum, Liverpool, Parr Street Studios, Liverpool, and Abbey Road, London.
According to the late Early Beatles manager/Merseybeat promoter Sam Leach, R.I.P., "Joe Symes and the Loving Kind from Liverpool, U.K, is one of the most exciting new bands to come out of Liverpool!"
Our interview:
BEY: Tell us about yourself?
JSTLK: Hi, all. Thanks for interviewing us. We're Joe Symes and the Loving Kind, a three piece band from Liverpool, UK, consisting of Joe Symes (vocals/guitar/harmonica), Colin White (drums/percussion/backing vocals), and Andy Cleary (bass/backing vocals), who play their own style of catchy, heavy rock/pop.
BEY:How did you get to be where you are today? JSTLK: Basically from just being ourselves, doing our own thing, and not conforming to anyone's brand of rules and regulations.
BEY: Have you ever been fired? JSTLK: Ha! Ha! No, we can safely say that collectively and individually none of us have been "fired."
BEY: What are your real passions?
JSTLK: Playing and being involved in music, of course would be up at the top. But also we all love creativity of many different varieties. Designing, writing, painting, making videos, watching classic movies/TV, reading. So many things as well as our many objective.
BEY: If you won the lottery, what would you do? JSTLK: Good question. Apart from taking care of family, it would be great to have our own studio built. There would be nothing better musically than have you own facilities at your disposal at anytime.
BEY: What do you do to help others be their best?
JSTLK: Give them the best advice you could give anyone. Believe in yourself, always strive to be better, learn from your mistakes, and never give up.
BEY: How do you help yourself be the best you can be? JSTLK: Tell ourselves the advice we'd give to others. That's all you can do.
BEY: What do you like to do in your personal life?
JSTLK: When we're not doing anything creative together or individually, we like to hang out with friends and loved ones, watch classic films and TV, just enjoy ourselves.
BEY: What do you hope to accomplish in the future? JSTLK: To get ourselves across to even more people. There's nothing better than creating something that masses of people love and are inspired by.
BEY: What is a book or two that you recommend? JSTLK: Hmm, there's so many. We all like a lot of books, and take pride in our literacy. Anything by Edgar Allen Poe, Ian Fleming, Len Deighton, Stephenwolf by Hermann Hesse is a great one. So many to name.
BEY: Please give us one or two shameless plugs.
JSTLK: Shameless plugs. Hmm, OK.
Our new album Phase II is out now, and available to buy from our website, which is in the links with this interview. You can also find out all about us on our social media pages. The links are also with this interview.
joesymesandthelovingkind.co.uk
BEY: What are some of your favorites? (books, websites, etc..)
JSTLK: Well, books we've mentioned. We love classic films and TV such as the Rocky films, Bond films, The Godfather trilogy, The Twilight Zone, Star Trek, Star Wars, Papillon, The Prisoner, so many to name.
BEY: Why do you do what you do?
JSTLK: We enjoy it; simple as that. If we didn't, we wouldn't be doing what we do.
BEY: What are a few of your goals?
JSTLK: To achieve even more, to be respected even more, and to inspire more and more people.
BEY: What do the words "Best Ever You" mean to you? JSTLK: To show yourself, and other people the best qualities of what makes you you. I don't thing you can put it any better.
More about Joe Symes and the Loving Kind:
Joe Symes, along with Colin White, founded the band. It was while attending a local gig that the latter suggested to the former the name the “Loving Kind:” something that had been buried in his subconscious after listening the R.E.M song Get Up. After a sip or two of beer, the two agreed, set to work, and following one line up change discovered the wild and charismatic bass player Andy Cleary. The music world now had a powerful, explosive and foot taping power trio on their hands. An act one spectator described as “sounding like nine people on stage, not a mere three.”
The band’s self-titled debut album, released on their own record label, Truly Independent Records, is a resume of their musical versatility. A record containing songs of the rock, psychedelic, dah-dah, easy listening, country and movie soundtrack variety. One international reviewer called it an indie rock classic and two tracks appeared on the Charity Compilation Shoulder to Shoulder alongside tracks by Paul Weller, Ocean Colour Scene, Roger McGuinn (The Byrds), Robyn Hitchcock, Noel Gallagher, Pete Noone (Herman’s Hermits) and Wishbone Ash. This collection was organised by David Quaife, whose brother Pete was the original bass player of the British rock legends The Kinks. Creation Records’ Alan McGee even praised the album in question, even adding Hollywood stars like Matthew Modine, and Michael Keaton to the fan-base.
This was followed by the energetic rock orientated double A side single Things Get Better/I’m Gonna Find Out Someday: two tracks that show their current heavy pop incarnation, and gives the listener a glimpse of the direction the second album will take them. The single was not only played during half time at Liverpool Football Club’s ground on several occasions,but was a three-week feature on BBC Introducing. Not too bad for the band’s second official release, spurring into more recordings and shows.
Keeping with the desire to show people more of their musical versatility, the next two releases took a detour down the unplugged route with the release of the Acoustic Variations E.P and the Acoustic Variations E.P Volume two: twin extended plays that show a rock band can translate their compositions from heavy electric guitars and pounding drums to acoustic guitars, but with various forms of percussion and other instrumentation.
Shortly after this diversion, a limited edition single entitled You’re No Friends of Mine was released as a treat to their loyal fan base. During the time-scale of these releases the band have not only gained major airplay and radio sessions in their native U.K but all around the world; predominantly in the U.S, Canada, and Australia.
Follow Joe Symes and The Loving Kind
joesymesandthelovingkind.co.uk