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INTRODUCING LEEDS BASED ALT ROCK BAND LOST IN OLYMPUS….

Lost in Olympus are a Leeds based Alt Rock band consisting of 5 members;

Andy Twigg (vocals) | Rob Kewley (guitar, backing vocals) | Mark “Sparks” Bray (guitar) | Danny Pollard (drums) | Jonny Ridout (bass).

They formed in late 2011 and in-between sipping Baileys and listening to Savage Garden, they play some cool as f*ck music to anyone that will listen. 

We kidnapped all of them at one of their band meeting, tied them up, drove them to a forest and posed some questions to them at gunpoint, here's what they admitted to us…..

 

Introduce yourself and your music in one sentence….  “Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen, we are Lost in Olympus an Alternative Rock band from Leeds, England !!! “

 

Last time you used public transport and where did you go?  

Today ….The peasant wagon to work & back ….Please someone sign the band –Sparks

I can’t remember exactly when it was but I went to York on the train a while ago - Danny

Hahahahahaha public transport. - Jonny

 

Last time you felt proud?  

Yesterday when we were announced as a confirmed act at the Summer jam Festival for 2014. –Sparks

Listening back to the completed EP for the first time – Rob

When I saw the video for our single “Free”. It summed up all the hard work we put into the EP in the studio- Danny

I wrote lyrics for the first time ever for a new LIO song today! Well… I wrote lyrics for the intro then my brain went into meltdown… I’m still counting it as an achievement though, SO PROUD! - Jonny

 

What classic song do you wish you recorded and why?  

Hey Joe by Jimi Hendrix, because it’s an epic classic song, nothing more, nothing less. – Sparks

Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode because it’s the song that inspired me to learn guitar  - Andy

Decadence Dance – Extreme – Sums up Nuno when he reached the peak of his guitar mastery! – Rob

We Will Rock You- Queen- One of the most iconic drum beats ever and an amazing song - Danny

Black Dog by Led Zeppelin because it was my favourite song when I was learning to play guitar as a kid and believe it still to this day this song and Led Zeppelin influence and inspire the music I write.  - Jonny

 

Last movie you saw?  

In to the wild – Epic movie and Eddie Vedder does the sound track which is brilliant. - Sparks

Wolf of Wall Street – what a film! Jonah Hill played his part so well and De Caprio is just a boss. – Andy

Dark Storm – horrendous. I’ll never get those 2 hours back. – Rob

Wolf of Wall Street- easily one of the best films of the 2014 - Danny

Honestly can’t remember! I don’t think I have the attention span to watch movies. - Jonny

 

Last book you read?  

Haynes Volvo V40 workshop manual 1996–2004 – Sparks

Noami Nokiv – blood of tyrants – Andy

Book? Work related I’m afraid…. ‘Applying Behavioural Economics’… sigh. - Rob

The Remaining- D.J. Molles - Danny

Live sound reinforcement by Hunter Stark… Getting my nerd on. - Jonny

 

What did you dream about last night?

I can’t remember the last time I had a dream haha :D - Andy

I dreamt my dog and I was walking in a field when she spotted a herd of deer and she began to chase them across a busy road and all I could say was “ Fenton !!!! Fenton!!!! Oh Jesus Christ Fenton!!!!” which is bizarre because my dog is called Megan …. – Sparks

I never remember what I dream. Ever. – Rob

The Russians invading the UK… You heard it here first, I’m predicting the future! - Danny

Escaping from prison… (I was watching prison break before bed…) -Jonny

 

Last time you cried?  

I personally cried at band practice on Sunday cos Andy thought an egg was a vegetable haha – Sparks

That’s a lie! He made that up :/ at least I think he did I can’t be 100%. Last time I cried was when free Willy was on tv, that damn whale gets me every time – Andy

Similar to Sparks… at practice we were rehearsing a gig ready performance… so Andy is really giving it some… doesn’t see the set-list on the floor… right as his opening line for a song starts we see the papers fly into the air and Andy on the floor. Brilliant – Rob

When I watched Andre about a year ago - Danny

I’m going to leave this question out before I make this interview get all depressing! - Jonny

 

Biggest musical influence?  

The biggest musical influence for us can be broken down into albums but this really does depend on which member of LIO you ask. This is a very trimmed list:

Blackbird - Alter Bridge (Andy & Sparks) 

Folklore and Superstition - Black Stone Cherry (Sparks, Rob, Danny and Andy)

Ground Dweller - Hands Like Houses (Andy)

Avenged sevenfold – City of evil (Andy)

Piece Of Mind - Iron Maiden (Sparks)

Pornograffitti - Extreme (Rob) 

Extreme Behaviour - Hinder (Danny)

American Idiot - Green Day (Danny)

Spiral Shadow - Kylesa (Jonny) 

The Action Is Go - Fu Manchu (Jonny)

Adrenaline - Deftones (Jonny)

 

Best gig you ever played?  

360 Club in Leeds for our Single Launch, the vibe was electric and we packed the venue out with Friends, family and fans. We had a bet on that if we sold all the tickets (which we did) our drummer Danny would wear a dress for the gig ….. photo’s can be found on our facebook page – Sparks

Honestly, it has to be the first gig we ever played. Purely because it was the first gig I had played with a band since I was 15 and to be back, with such an awesome bunch of lads having such a great time on stage was an indescribable thrill - Jonny

 

Best band/artist of 2013?  

Alterbridge / Black Stone Cherry – Sparks

Sleeping with sirens – Andy

Heavens Basement – Rob

Black Stone Cherry - Danny

Kylesa/ The bronx - Jonny

 

Biggest act you have ever played with (supported or on the same bill as)?

The biggest act I have gigged with is probably Jon Gomm from Leeds – Sparks.

 

The last album/record you bought?

Alterbridge – Fortress Album – Sparks

Naughty Boy – Hotel Cabana – Andy

The 2nd Law – Muse – Rob

It’s really sad but I was craving some old school so I bought Chocolate Star Fish and the Hotdog Flavoured Water by Limp Bizkit. In fact it’s not sad it’s a brilliant album!!! - Danny

Gentleman’s Dub Club – FourtyFour - Jonny

 

Last time you had a fight?

I’m a lover not a fighter - Sparks 

Ha I was in high school, I’m normally waaay too relaxed for fighting – Andy

I try not to abuse this pretty face – Rob

I tried to punch a bee in the face when we were having our photo shoot the other day - Danny

Oh lord. Let’s not get into that. I’m all about peace and love.  - Jonny

 

 

Tell me one of your guilty pleasures?

I like drinking Baileys – Sparks

Dime bar cake, I think I’d eat myself to death if I was locked in a room full of Dime Bar cake – Andy

I like Savage Garden - Danny

I often find myself jamming out to SOS by ABBA - Jonny

 

Best advice you ever received and who was it from?  

“Take your PRS down to the basement and give it a ding, then you will play it without a care in the world, I make these guitars to be played not to be hung on a wall – Paul Reed Smith” –Sparks

“play the best song in the world or I’ll eat your soul” – a shiny demon – Andy

Try and get signed up with MAS records – Rob

“Listen, smile, agree, and then do whatever the fuck you were gonna do anyway”- Robert Downey Jr - Danny

Not sure really… I tend to make life up as comes along and learn from my own mistakes. My mum often tells me to stop spending all my money on toys though. She’s probably right… - Jonny

 

Largest amount spent in a single purchase? (excluding houses)

£6995 on the Volvo V40 Band Wagon –Sparks

£1100 on 2 acoustic guitars – Andy

Excluding the car; £3000 on my Mesa Dual Rectifier. BEEEEF. – Rob

Excluding the car; £800 on my PDP X7 drum kit - Danny

£2800 – The pimp mobile aka Cliopatra aka Renault clio - Jonny

 

We explained to the guys that we hadn't really kidnapped them, it's just that we find it hard to get bands to talk to us and this strong-arm tactic was the only way of achieving results. They relaxed a little after we removed their hoods and handcuffs, enough so to rattle through our quick fire questions…. 

 

Coffee or Tea?  

Tea – Sparks,  Rob,  Jonny (two sugars no milk, ta)

Coffee  - Andy, Danny

 

Coke or Pepsi?  

Coke –Sparks, Rob, Danny

Lilt – Andy

Fantoke mate. (coke and fanta) – Jonny

 

Mac or PC?  

PC –Sparks, Rob, Danny

Mac – Andy, Jonny

 

Holidays/Vacations – Beach or Snow?  

Beach - Rob

A beach with snow - Sparks

Snow – Andy

Beach- Danny Tempted to say beach but I bloody love skiing…

Hmm… Can I not have both? – Jonny

 

Carnivore or Vegetarian?  

Carnivore –Sparks, Andy, Rob, Danny, Jonny

 

CD or Vinyl?  

CD  -Sparks, Andy, Rob, Danny.

I would rather have vinyl over CD but Im not sure I would use either. IF I had Dopethrone by Electric Wizard on vinyl  I would listen to it all day though- Jonny

 

Car or Motorbike?  

I drive a car but would love a motor bike – Both –Sparks, Danny.

Motorbike – Andy.

Car – Rob.

Always loved motorbikes but Im going to say Car – Jonny

 

Cat or Dog?  

Dog every time - Sparks

Both – Andy

Cat – Rob

Dog- Danny

Dog for sure! - Jonny

 

Acoustic or Electric?

Electric –Sparks, Rob, Danny

Acoustic – Andy

BASS! – Jonny

 

Angelina or Jennifer?

Holly Willoughby –Sparks

Kate beckinsale – Andy

Jennifer – Rob

Angelina- Danny

Jennifer aniston? Yeah definitely jennifer aniston. Or jennifer lopez or Jennifer lawrence. They would all get it. – Jonny

 

Fry Up (bacon/sausage/mushrooms/egg/toast etc) or Cereal?

Fry up – Hold the mushrooms –Sparks

Fry up – Andy, Rob

Bacon and Sausage sandwich- Danny

Bang it all in son. - Jonny

 

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 So there you have it folks, everything you could possibly want to know about the band and more! You've come a long way, please spend a few more minutes exploring the band's social media pages to learn even more about these wonderful people….

 

Social Media 

Facebook

Twitter

Soundcloud

Bandcamp

Flickr

YouTube

 

Musicmuso would like to thank the band for taking part in our interview, for legal reasons we would like to add that after the interrogation had ended, each member was untied and delivered safely back to their original meeting place to continue their practise session.

 

Interview by Steve Muscutt