As Teesside outfit We Tibetans prepare to unveil their new single, Lee Allcock caught up with frontman Luke Evans to speak about mental health, playing The Globe in Stockton and more.
Tell me a bit about how you became the frontman of We Tibetans, because you weren’t the original frontman…
We Tibetans was a project which proceeded Young Rebel Set. It was the brainchild of Jimmy Beck, Danny Spooner and Matty Chipchase. I was the drummer in one of the many line-ups back in 2018. We played a few shows and it never really went anywhere. The band was out in the wilderness and myself and Danny were talking a few years after about how good it could have been. Danny suggested I give it a shot as the frontman and we reformed. We haven’t really looked back since.
What can gig-goers expect at a We Tibetans live show?
I give it my all on the stage, as do the rest of the lads in the band. We are loud, ballsy and energetic. It’s a proper old-school Rock ‘n’ Roll show with a hint of Brit-pop in there for good measure.
You recently played The Globe in Stockton as part of Globefest. That must have been a bit special…
Absolutely. This venue has been talked about all the way through my life: my grandparents would speak of it – as would my parents. You always hear about the time The Stones came to Stockton or the famous story of the day JFK was assassinated, on the same day The Beatles played the Globe. It was a real honour to play on that stage and I tried to cherish every second of being there. When you start an original band there is never any guarantee of where you will end up, so it’s vital you take pleasure in the highlights, and playing the globe was certainly one of them.
You’re releasing a new single this week. What can listeners expect both sonically and lyrically?
Our second single ‘White Knuckle Ride’ is a perfect follow-up to ‘Running Away’ (released March 2022). I don’t know how it is possible, but the second single sounds a lot more mature than the first. I am starting to find my feet when it comes to singing and the lads have played amazing on the record. It reminds me of early U2, which isn’t a bad thing in my eyes or ‘ears’, I should say. The song lyrically touches upon men’s mental health which, let’s face it, is huge and isn’t going away. It’s all about Danny’s journey to recovery over the last two years and how we can find positives even in the darkest of situations.
And finally, you’re launching your new single at Base Camp in Middlesbrough this week. Tell me more…
We are playing a very special show at Base Camp on October 28th with our good friends Abel Raise the Cain and the legend that is Patrick Jordan. We did this last time around with ‘Running Away’ at KU in Stockton and I think it is a good way to celebrate what we are doing. A lot of hard work goes into recording and writing songs so why not get in a room with your friends and family and celebrate?
Tickets, priced at £4.00 in advance, are available from fatsoma.com.
