DAVE Hemingway, a founder of the pop rock group 'The Beautiful South', is set to take his new six-piece band 'Sunbirds' on tour next month, and where better place to kick things off than Carlisle's Old Fire Station?

Sunbirds released their first album 'Cool to be Kind' in November 2020 but this tour represents their first opportunity to go out and perform. 

Ahead of their gig in Cumbria on August 31, the News & Star sat down with Dave to discuss the Sunbirds' sound, their upcoming tour, and the ever-changing music industry.

How was Sunbirds created?

"I’d not been in a band for a while and was wondering whether to call it a day. I was maybe waiting for the right songs to come along. Our guitarist, Phil Barton, came to me with the songs we did on the first album and I really liked them, so we did some demos and eventually grew into Sunbirds.

"Now we’re finally able to go out and do some gigs on the back of it all. I’m really looking forward to going out and playing some songs."

Tell us a bit more about 'Cool to be Kind'

"We completed it just before Covid and then everything went haywire. We didn’t have a chance to promote it then, so it’s like we’re doing it for the first time now, even though it’s a few years later.

"We’re also recording our second album [A Life Worth Living] now, so we’re hoping to get that out pretty soon."

How would you describe the Sunbirds' sound?

"I would have said with the first album that we had a few country/western type songs on there, guitar-based harmonies, pop songs and harder-edged guitar. So it was a mixed bag. But with the new album that we’re doing, the band is evolving into something else entirely.

"Laura Wilcockson, our violinist, has now become a singer and is perhaps a bigger part of the band than she was on the first album. Overall, we’re just trying to be musical and do songs that we enjoy.

"It’s not going to be too different from what I’ve done in the past because I sound like I sound, and that’s the way it is. I can’t really change that. We try and do good songs with good stories and make them into good musical pieces."

News and Star:

How will this tour differ from your time with The Beautiful South?

"It’s going to be totally different in terms of the venues we’re playing. Obviously, with The Beautiful South, I was used to playing in big venues which I never thought suited us anyway, to be honest.

"This tour will be much the opposite of that. Small, very intimate venues. It’s going to be interesting and fun. It’s like being in a band for the first time again because we’re all getting in a van together, travelling up and down the country and setting up the gear ourselves, which we didn’t have to do with The Beautiful South. It’s going to be different in lots of ways, but I’m looking forward to it."

Are you looking forward to kicking off your tour in Carlisle?

"We just wanted to find different places to play up and down the country to try and get the band name around and get the songs out there. Hopefully, people will come along and listen to the new songs. We’re doing a couple of old songs too which people will recognise but mainly it’s the new stuff."

How has the music industry changed from when you first started producing records?

"Music has changed astronomically from when we first started making records. Personally, I think it’s a change for the worse.

"I feel sorry for the up-and-coming young writers and groups that are out there. If you can’t sell records then how are they going to make a living? They’ve got to give their music away for free essentially, which I don’t think is very fair.

"I’ve had my time, it’s not about me. It’s about anybody up-and-coming who wants to try and get their music out there. It’s really hard for them to do that without giving it away.

"Even at gigs, you can’t charge too much because people are going through it at the moment. It’s pretty hard out there."

Sunbirds will feature their new single 'Hey!' on their upcoming tour, and tickets for their performance at the Old Fire Station can be bought online for £15.