Lazy Heart Parade - Old Queen's Head, London, 24/3/2015

  by Gillian Fish

published: 18 / 4 / 2015

intro

Gillian Fish watches indie-folk six-piece Lazy Heart Parade play a celebratory set at the Old Queen's Head in London to launch their new EP 'My Last Goodbye'

Six piece harmonic indie-folk band Lazy Heart Parade choice The Old Queen's Head in Islington to launch their new EP 'My Last Goodbye', which had been released on the same day. Fronted by Liverpool musician Colin Smith, the London-based band's previous EP 'Every Mistake You Ever Made' saw them gain critical acclaim within London’s folk circles and since then they have attracted the attention of Steve Lamacq who has been playing them regularly on Radio 2 and 6Music. They have supported the likes of Slow Club, Wolf Alice and Sophie Jamieson. The upstairs room at the pub was already packed full when I arrived during support band Joe Innes and the Cavalcade, so I just about managed to squeeze in by the bar in time to watch the headliners. Despite it being a Tuesday night, there was a celebratory atmosphere in the room and the addition of giant white balloons being volleyed around by the punters made the launch feel even more like a party. Comparisons have been drawn with Arcade Fire and Lazy Heart Parade’s multi-instrumentalist line-up creates a similar dynamic although they very much have their own sound without being a replica of other alt-folk bands. The eclectic mix of instruments played by the band include trumpets, ukuleles, violins and mandolins, which all come together to create gentle bittersweet melodies that complement the words of vocalist Smith. The lyrics mostly tell tales of love and loss, most notably on tracks such as ‘The Greatest Mistake’ and ‘Haunt Me’, both of which are even more emotive when played to a live audience. Lazy Heart Parade’s folksy melodies are full of nostalgia and, while many of their songs have a melancholy feel to them, they are extremely charming and reflective, delivered beautifully by Smith and the rest of the band.

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