If you didn’t get the chance to see their July show at The Cluny then you may have missed one of the finest live performances in the North East in 2022. Made up of two rollicking musicians, guitarist James Walbourne (The Pretenders, The Pogues, The Rails) and Kristoffer Sonne (Chrissie Hynde, Willie Nelson), His Lordship are about as ferociously rock ‘n’ roll as you can hope to get. Damian Robinson caught up with James and Kris ahead of new music releases and some shows in Newcastle and Stockton.
Last year’s show at The Cluny was red hot. How are you feeling about the new tour?
We can’t wait. We love to play live and the type of music we’re playing seems to go down really well. The Cluny show was a really good one and I remember Kris getting lost behind a curtain somewhere, so it’s the usual type of show.
It’s a pretty ferocious pace you play at. How are you able to maintain that energy for every show?
I don’t think we know to be honest. This is just what we do and the second we step on stage I think the adrenaline kicks in and then we get the energy of the crowd, which helps push the energy further. We’ve played live in different forms for so long that it’s hard to describe what happens, but I guess all I can say is that we really love what we’re doing: it’s joyous and it’s the excitement that takes over us.
You’ve got the smart suits and also really strong visuals. Is that a deliberate statement of intent and what you want to achieve?
Absolutely, yes. We’re really clear about where we want to go and what we plan to do. Firstly, we’d like to be one hundred percent independent, and secondly, we’re clear about how we present ourselves. This year, we also want to take our music to the states. So there’s a plan for the band and we’re really committed to that plan and trying to do it all ourselves.
The states are going to love your blend of rock ‘n’ roll…
Thank you. We hope so. But before we get over there, we’ve been in the studio recording two songs, ‘Buzzkill’ and ‘Joyboy’. We’ve recorded them with David Wrench who’s amazing and did the recent Spiritualized album, so we’re excited for those to come out and to get this tour going.
So there’s new music and new shows coming soon…?
Absolutely. There are a few challenges with the backlog in vinyl pressing at the minute, but we’ll have music out soon and we’ll be ready to play in the North East for sure.
For tickets to His Lordship’s upcoming dates in Newcastle and Stockton, head to seetickets.com.
