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Do you remember life when you were younger? Nothing mattered. Well either way, Lorna are here to help you, ‘When your nine years old’ says Mark, ‘there is nothing to worry about. The sun is always out and everything is beautiful. Lorna are a polaroid.’
‘At the risk of sounding very “Brady bunch” here, I’d have to say absolutely everything.’ Lorna’s female vocalist Sharon is talking about the best thing about being in Lorna, ‘I feel self fulfilled with everything we do musically. The people are also very supportive and cool about everything, but I’ve been told one of the coolest things is going to the Social and getting treated like stars! I guess I’ll see when I get there!’
Mark formed Lorna after the demise of his former band with school friend Andy Sugar And Lust. ‘We were playing kinda power pop I guess, early Beach Boys, Guided By Voices, Pavement that sorta thing’ explains Mark. Through begging, stealing and borrowing the money from the bank Mark was able to set up his own small recording studio at home which enabled him to start Lorna with the aim of exploring sound and emotion a little deeper without provoking the usual pretension that accompanies the music. ‘The breakthrough really came late 1998’ Mark continues, ‘when I met Chris. I was playing bass to keep my live fix going, for his main project Element. We came together musically and personally as friends, sharing a really hard working attitude; the only other person I had met with such a desire to make music at this level. Meeting Chris was a turning point, I think the band would never have continued if it wasn’t for his constant hard work, support and organisation.’ The ‘ever faithful’ Andy was added to the line up along with Pete and Helen. Sharon, Mark’s girlfriend began contributing to the recording (and is soon to join the live outfit as soon as she completes her National Service in Israel) which Mark clarifies, ’her sweetness just added the final touch to the music I’d dreamed about for a long time. I was making the music I’d heard in my head five years earlier’
The first two albums Lorna released were over the Internet without a live band even existing, yet a small following was built up, ‘I’d recommend it to anyone as a promotional tool’ ponders Mark, ‘but it’s not the be all and end all of music.’ ‘You see how it’s helped Lorna’ Chris continues, ‘It’s just another medium for bands to get their music across and make a little cash. MP3s have also helped immensely; we have people from all over the world downloading our songs. People find you instead of you having to find them if you know what I mean. You can market yourself on the Internet as well as any record company could’. So being in favour of the Internet, the dreaded topic of Napster’s going to have to be addressed. ‘I love it’ exclaims Mark, ‘I’m such a geek collector, I’ve got many rare tunes I’ve been after for years.’ ‘I wouldn’t mind my music being on Napster if it meant more people hearing us’ adds Sharon. ‘Of course it’s a bummer we don’t get paid as we are all skint’ continues Mark, ‘but if they are enjoying the music so be it.’ ‘Having said this’ Chris muses, ‘it could change in the future when people have 128k modems or asdl or whatever. It IS scary to think that a 10 track album can be downloaded within twenty minutes.’
Listen to any Lorna track and by the close an explosion of influences will have exploded around you, although not all of them will be instantly recognisable, ‘Mine personally’ outlines Chris, ‘are bands like Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine, The Cure, Marion, Mogwai. Depressing bands.’ Mark continues, ’Friends, family and beauty. Teenage Fanclub, Neil Young, Will Oldham, Brian Wilson, Spiritualized, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Low, Aretha Franklin, Queen, Rachmaninov, Gorecki, Aphex Twin, Mouse on Mars…All ends of the slow guitar/experimental dance spectrum except twee pop and heavy metal.’ Sharon adds, ‘Moby, Blur, St Etienne, The Beach Boys, Nick Cave, Nick Drake, Belle & Sebastian and Air.’ ‘Though it varies all the time, Neil Young’s always there as an inspirational lyricist.' expands Mark. 'I love the way he can write about the past and nostalgia yet offer so much hope and reality at the same time. The way the past touches a raw nerve with him and makes this huge explosion into sound and music always amazes me.’
Alongside Lorna, many side projects exist from Sharon’s Callisto to Chris’ Element. ‘I think we’ll always do music as well as Lorna’ muses Chris, ‘I think we are all just really passionate about music so it’s nice to be able to do separate things without one person getting stroppy about it’ Sharon continues, ‘It’s always fun to mess around with music and do different kinds of things without asking “permission” or running your ideas through any other band members and that’s something you can only do in your own project. I wouldn’t say they detract from Lorna.’ ‘Not at all’ says Mark, ‘we are all very focused on Lorna and work hard at it. At the same time, we are all into so much other music. I’ve had a few dance project and even a classical one in the make…I have a project with Sharon which is more groove orientated, I’m about to do a mini alum with Dooge my ex Sugar and Lust buddie which will be more summery pop. I’ve written film scores and stuff for plays and always will. They’ll probably be more as they go along – I think it’s cool.’
Over the past year the response to Lorna has been pretty immense (you only have to look at the website to see their famous admirers). ‘I am deeply sad I wasn’t there to experience it all, we’ve had a very successful and flourishing year!’ expresses Sharon. ‘It’s going too fast for me’ continues Chris, ‘never enough time to practice record and play gigs.’ ‘Obviously I’m thankful of the luck we’ve had,’ muses Mark, ‘any bands out there deserve it as well and hopefully we can use our mild success to help out our buddies. In my opinion, we can and WILL do even more. I want to release two albums every year for the rest of my living life.’ But were they gutted on missing out on the support slot to Dodgy at the Astoria gig, ‘Very much so, but Toby is an inspiring human being, couldn’t have gone to a nicer guy’ say Mark. ‘I know our time will come’ Chris diplomatically interjects, ‘patience is everything especially in music.’
Having been heavily involved in the Nottingham music scene, Lorna appear to be part of a revival occurring in the city’s music scene, ‘There’s always been bands in Nottingham, but they are all in the same position; nowhere to progress too’ explains Chris. ‘Even with Six By Seven and when the Hybirds were signed there was no scene.’ ‘Obviously’ continues Mark, ‘the Six By Seven guys have been really helpful to us and opened a lot of doors. Echoboy have been really good too. Everyone’s helping; it can be a bit like a social club at times. Matthew Jay and Bent are making names for themselves at the moment. Though Nottingham has never really been away.’ ‘Maybe it’s because there are a few more venues that house signed bands from other cities who allow local bands to play with them’ concludes Chris.
‘We’re just writing and exchanging demos really at the minute’ says Chris. ‘Mark and myself have been exchanging little ideas, concentrating mainly on practicing.’ ‘How an album will surface we are not sure’ continues Mark. ‘We’ve already got a double album of unreleased material to be released somehow. We’ve got a lot of singles coming out this year, one in June, one later in summer. We’ve got some new songs ready to record in May that are very summery but still very Lorna We’ll go on a mini tour to promote the single and after that is anyone’s guess!’
Lorna play the Maze in Nottingham Monday 7th May 2001
The ‘We Will Never Grow Old’ EP is currently available
