This is an experiment and a brief attempt to get the layout into a reasonable template for how it would look on a magazine double page spread, though I admit vast imporvements need to be made
Renaissance, your typical mouthy
, bigoted band? no, after bringing
fans and critics onto the Renaissanc-
e bandwagon with their debut album
‘Alone We Stand’ the band see are
stepping back into the light with their
new album ‘As one Door Closes’
with the potential to take control o
f this music era. We meet with
frontman Liam Lennon in a small
pub in the dark brooding moores
of Leeds where the previous night
saw a triumphant return to music
for Lennon and his and band
Renaissance who set the house
ablaze with a gig at Leeds ’ o2
academy, two nights before the
release of their massively
anticipated follow up to debut
album ‘Alone We Stand’,
‘As One Door Closes’
Interviewer: Right then Liam,
where do I begin, sat here
today you look as relaxed
as you did last night when
you were performing your
heart out to Leeds ’ finest,
how did the gig pan out in
your eyes?
Liam: Haha (Liam smirks) yeah
you know, we erm felt really
good up there (the stage) it
was an electric night, the
crowd were on form, looked
really happy, we came off
stage buzzing so erm bring
on the rest of the dates I
guess.
Interviewer: One of the
most notable things from
the gig, was the crowd
reaction to the new mate-
rial, can you give us an
insight into what we can
expect from your new
tracks…
Liam: Well it’s all sort of a
blur now, but at the time I
remember thinking, wow,
these tunes are rocketing
all round man which you
know is what we wanted.
You know we knew how
important the second al-
bum is for a band like us
it can make or break your
career and when we went
into the studio on our firs
t album we just got the job
done, erm it was almost
like we wanted it to so-
und like we made no effo-
rt, and we were just unle
ashing on our equipment.
So we wanted to carry
this through to the seco-
nd album, you know we
didn’t want to make the
same mistake as other
bands and try to act all
‘grown up’ (Liam lifts
and bends his middle
fingers, with emphasis
on the word) and really
over produce the record
to give it a deeper mean-
ing, hell yeah we still wan
ted to have meaning beh-
four lads who studied at
about what we know, and
on the second album we
want the same guitars riff-
ness and to feel as if we’re
the same four lads off the
street that we were at the
time of Alone We Stand.
You know man we wanted
to create that same vibe
with second album but
spice it up a little and
give it something new,
something extra, but keep
the no fucking nonsense
attitude behind it, give it our
all and keep it fresh if you
get where I’m coming from.
Interviewer: Well Liam,
as you and I have both
gathered, your fellow
bands mates are mis-
sing today. Does this
imply you to be solely
responsible for the dir-
ection and decisions
made within the band?
Liam: Haha (Liam Smirks)
well this could be quite
difficult to answer. If I
am being this honest I
gotta’ say, I write the
lyrics and add on the
music behind it, but th-
is is a running scenario
for most bands, you
know I’m the ‘frontman’
of this band so it was
only natural for me to
be the voice of the ba-
nd on and off stage, wi-
thout sounding too big
headed and obnoxious
. It does feel pretty co-
ol though. Although wit-
hout the rest of the band
along my side I’m not-
hing, so there is no
pragmatic meaning
behind the absence of
the other members today
, when I’m on stage, with-
out em’ I’d be like a guitar
without the strings.
Sadly Liam, we’ve not
had nearly as much time
and I would have liked.
You admit yourself to
being an in depth person
along with having a huge
vision for Renaissance to
become one of the all
time greats in British mus-
ic, Where will Renaissance
be standing in five years
time?
Liam: Hmmm, straight away
the image put in my mind,
us, top of bill playing nume-
rous sold out nights at
Knebworth, my god if we
could pull that off man it
would just be a complete
dream, but you know in my
eyes the dreams are there
for a reason, to make them
happen. So as a band we
want to takes the risks th-
at could potentially take us
beyond everybody’s expe
ctations of Renaissance,
we don’t want to be sitting
here in the years to come
, thinking, if only, if only
we had took a few risks,
not living in the nightmare
of what could have been.
So in answer to your question
, yeah Knebworth would be lovely (Liam smirks)
Straight away after asking
only a few questions, I
could tell Liam Lennon
was a man oozing and drip-
ping in confidence, the cha-
risma and drive in his voice,
just glimmered his attitude
towards making great mus-
ic. His vision for the band
is clear, he wants be at the
forefront of the music scene
setting the trends for all the
other indie/alterative bands to
follow.
We then bought this interview
to a close; Liam gave a firm
handshake and a slight hug
and said ‘Farewell’ before
he dashed off to most probably
check what availabilities what
Knebworth had in store. Though
all that can be said is Liam is
stood firmly on the launch pad,
and knows exactly what is nee-
ded to be done to take
Renaissance into outer
space. So yes or no? Will
‘As One Door Closes’ take
Renaissance to the next level?
Of course it will, if there is one
thing that this interview
has taught us, it’s that Liam
Lennon will not take no
as an answer.
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