Former solo artist, Gaz Price, has now been joined by a full band to create Northern Hospitality. As they unleash their new single, Lee Allcock caught up with Gaz to find out more.
Why did you decide that now was the right time to change the name of the band?
The path towards becoming Northern Hospitality has been building for some time now. We have been playing together in other forms (mostly a backing band for my solo stuff) for well over a year and in that time, a new sound was emerging. The songs were more visceral and melodic and felt so colossal that it demanded we evolved with them to become something new. To us, it always felt like it was heading this way. We are a creation of punk-infused themes, heavy guitars and catchy melodies and our ethos reverberates through our music and live shows.
Why Northern Hospitality?
Northern Hospitality was something I had used a while back as an EP name. When it came to picking a band name, it seemed a perfect fit for who we are and what we were about.
How does this new band differ from your work as a solo artist?
The difference is massive to be fair. My solo career was amazing and I loved every minute; however, that was born out of not having a band and simply not allowing that to stop me chasing what dreams I had. Once the band was formed and I had the lads behind me, I was then given the opportunity to create the sound and band I had always wanted to be in. The sound is heavier and our live performance would blow your lugs off compared to the indie stuff I was knocking out previously. We have some huge anthems and we can’t wait to kick this band into the public eye and come out swinging.
Tell me a bit about your new release, ‘To Be Free’, and what listeners can expect both sonically and lyrically…
‘To Be Free’ is our flagship anthem to kick off this era of the band; it is more epic than our other songs. Sound-wise, it’s a pretty big production. This was the song that kicked off this whole thing so we threw every ounce of our creativity at it. Lyrically, it’s a rebel song, I suppose. It’s a reflection of society’s problems and a want for a better life. This is our only real political song but it’s a strong message and seemed the perfect entry point for us.
It’s a song about hoping for a brighter future. Do you always look for the positives?
In general, I’m a positive person in life. And in my music, I always strive to be brutally honest and find a positive outlook in anything. I personally relate to honesty and I hope that does the same for others from our work.
You can listen to ‘To Be Free’ now on all major streaming platforms.
