Interview with Lockyer Boys
Lockyer Boys (Will and Charlie Lockyer) are brothers born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Entertaining crowds with stage presence far beyond their years made them an immediate show-stopper at festivals, concerts, and event openings.
The pop artists are currently completing their DEBUT ALBUM which features their poignant songwriting as well as songs co-written with Jeff Dawson, Shawn Hook, Scott Helman, Daniel Powter, Brian Howes, Steve Bays, Alan Poettcker, and Akylla.
What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?
We grew up in a musical house where we became attached to music and always wanted to sing and play. That has never changed. As we grew older we started taking lessons and performing in public. Eventually it became time to give up our sports careers and focus on what we loved most - writing and performing. We don’t know where we’d be without music!
What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?
We just recently graduated from school so we are finally able to pursue music full time - which is awesome! However when we’re not doing anything related to music or the business, we’re usually sleeping. However we still manage to squeeze in some time to watch the Formula 1 race… We also like spending time with friends whenever we get the chance. But even then, music is still on our minds.
How long has music been your career?
We’re only 18 and 20 so we’re relatively young but we wouldn’t say we’re new to the industry! We’ve been performing in public as a duo since 8 and 10, but in those days, we were mainly performing covers. It wasn’t until high school when we started writing our own material, working with producers and managers and getting our career as artists (and as the Lockyer Boys) up and running. Now it has become our life and we don’t plan on stopping!
Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?
We grew up in a small town in Northern Ontario Canada called Thunder Bay. It was great for our childhood but a lot of kids like us dreamt of moving away to the big cities to pursue a more impactful career. In 2020, we wrote and released a song called “Surfing in L.A.” To us, it represents leaving that small town and living out your dream. The song was written during the Covid Lockdown which definitely was a driver for the song, since we were literally forced to postpone all our plans — including an actual trip to LA — for what seemed like forever.
Tell me about the best and worst shows you have played.
When it comes to performing, we’ve seen the worst of the worst. We’ve played at completely empty bars. We’ve done shows in the pouring rain. We’ve even done a show where the sound system just simply blew out. However, we believe these moments have a purpose because it allows us to enjoy and appreciate the successful shows way more. Nowadays, when we play at festivals and our own headlining shows, the crowd can feel our excitement and that’s because we are genuinely enjoying the moment and having the most fun ever.
Tell me about your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?
We have our favourite places to perform around our hometown but we are always shooting for bigger and bigger things. This summer we got to play at the big outdoor stage by Thunder Bay’s waterfront (where artists like Steve Aoki, Bryan Adams, and Metric have played before). It was the perfect day with a couple thousand in attendance and we were thrilled to say the least. It was a dream come true for us but we aren’t stopping there. One day, we want to play in sold out arenas and more.
If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?
If we could perform with any lineup, we would want to include our idols. Harry Styles, Shawn Mendes, and the Jonas Brothers. That would be nuts.
What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into music?
The best advice someone could receive when starting anything is to just get started. You never know your capabilities until you get out there and try.
Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?
Our first song, “Surfing in L.A.” is special to us because it’s very personal and we still feel the message is relevant to our lives.
Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?
We always incorporate new covers that we love into our set, right now we open with “As It Was”. We love the energy and it always seems to get the crowd hyped for the show. Right from the start, we’ve learned to make covers our own and that’s what we love doing when preparing the production of our covers. Another favourite is our own song “Surfing in L.A.” We often get requests throughout the show for this one and we love seeing everyone’s reaction when we finally play it.
What is the creative process for you, and what inspires you to write your music?
We’re always listening to music and it rarely sounds the same as the music we put out. In fact, we never listen to pop music. But we love writing and performing it and we often find ourselves taking ideas from other artists and genres and finding a place for it in the pop world. Even if it’s very subtle.
What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?
Have fun and always look on the brightside. We prioritize the fun in what we do and I think that translates in our music and our shows.
Do you ever have disagreements when collaborating and how do you get past them?
As brothers, we often disagree but most times, we are able to set our emotions to the side, point out the main objective, and work towards it.
What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?
We plan on releasing more and more music, and hope to play at bigger and bigger venues. We love what we do and we want to grow with it. That’s all we can say for now!
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