Detroit Tourist Board (DTB) did not set out to become a full band. For a long time, it was simply Patrick Lawrence, a notebook of songs, and a commitment to showing up every week and making them a little better. ‘The Here & The Now’ captures the moment when that quiet persistence turns into something shared.
“When DTB started, it was mainly a singer-songwriter project,” Patrick says. “I was developing ideas with my friend Kate Edwards and recording them at my friend Guy Bainbridge’s flat. The two of us would meet every Sunday night for years and just try to make the songs a bit better every time.” It was informal, homegrown, and deliberately small. “We’d invite other musicians occasionally, but it really wasn’t a band.”
That changed naturally rather than by design: “This last album was truly a group effort,” Lawrence explains. “Our guitarist Dom wrote four of the eleven tracks, which really widens our palette and offers a welcome new perspective.” For Patrick, it also meant a shift in how he performs. “It frees me up to play violin solos, which I really enjoy.”
The band itself came together through the local scene, specifically The Globe open mic in Newcastle. “I was performing solo, and Dom and Nicola were playing as a duet,” he recalls. “They asked me to play fiddle for them, but only if they’d learn a few of my songs.” Before long, they were writing and performing together. “We became one act with two songwriters. They brought lovely harmonies and a lot of positive energy.”
Playing songs live early helped keep things honest. “It helped us decide which ones to develop and which ones to disown.” Lyrically, ‘The Here & The Now’ is less about looking back and more about sitting with where you are. Patrick contrasts it with their previous album, ‘1985’. “That record was very autobiographical and full of nostalgia, like a life lived long ago.”
The new album reflects adult realities: “Dom’s songs are inspired by therapy and relationships, about leaving the past behind.” Lawrence’s own writing sits comfortably alongside that honesty. “‘Keep Walking On’ and ‘Pity Me’ deal with similar struggles, while ‘Lawn Song’ came from real arguments with my wife about not wanting to mow the lawn,” he laughs.
Despite the growing band, the heart of the songs remains simple: “Most start with my ukulele or Dom’s guitar,” Lawrence says. “They work stripped back, then we build them live. ‘Who Were We’ goes from intimacy to catharsis very quickly. That’s the goal.”
With an album launch at Cluny 2 alongside Holiday In Tokyo and Lost Lot, Detroit Tourist Board remain rooted in their local scene. “Nothing beats someone telling you how much your songs mean to them,” Lawrence says. “As long as that keeps happening, I’ll keep going.”
To find out more about the band, head to detroittouristboard.bandcamp.com.
