Since bursting onto the British music scene again within the early 2010’s, The Overtones have change into one of many international locations most beloved, and wanted stay acts!
Nonetheless using excessive from the success of their bought out 2023 headline tour, the multi-platinum promoting vocal concord group have introduced they’re hit the highway once more this winter, bringing their Good Occasions Christmas Tour to theatres and live performance halls up and down the nation all through November and December.
Scheduled to kick off in Llandudno, on November sixth, the band will play an additional 23 dates throughout the UK earlier than wrapping up proceedings with an additional festive present in Birmingham on December 14th. Tickets for The Good Occasions Christmas Tour are on sale NOW!
To coincide with the tour announcement, the boys launch their newest single ‘Girls Night time’ – an epic remake of Kool & The Gang’s iconic 1979 hit!
Produced by longtime collaborators Julian Hinton (Marisha Wallace, Stormzy) and Simon Bloor (Il Divo), the one sees Mike, Darren, Mark and Jay put their very own spin on the legendary celebration monitor, including an array of electrifying synths, toe-tapping beats and layered harmonies to create an absolute SMASH that’s positive to go down a storm with followers on the boys upcoming stay reveals.
To rejoice each the discharge of ‘Girls Night time’, in addition to the announcement of The Good Occasions Christmas Tour, we caught up with Mike, Darren and Jay to get the lowdown on all issues Overtones…
Hello lads! How’s 2024 treating you thus far?
Mike: We’re actually good thanks! I’d say we’re gently, easing ourselves into the New 12 months (laughs).
Jay: The top of 2023 was fairly full on for us as we have been on tour proper up till Christmas – which was phenomenal, and a number of enjoyable, but in addition actually demanding, so it’s been good to have slightly little bit of downtime, and recoup after such an epic run of reveals.
Darren: I’d love to have the ability to agree, and say I’m having fun with some quiet, downtime, however there’s so much occurring in my home proper now as we welcomed a brand new child woman into our household 4 weeks in the past! So we’re all very drained right here on the minute, but in addition full of affection, so it’s all good.
Congratulations – that’s such fantastic information!
Darren: Thanks a lot! We’re over the moon and completely besotted along with her. I’ll allow you to into slightly secret although, Jay’s been getting slightly bit jealous as he’s now not the smallest member of The Overtones household! However I’ve reassured him that there’s no have to be upset, and that I’ll nonetheless give him cuddles, I’ll nonetheless decide him up when he falls down, and I’ll nonetheless take him to delicate play!
Jay: I imply yeah… I can’t lie, I’m damage that Darren doesn’t present me the identical type of consideration anymore, however I’m gonna swerve this matter of dialog and revert the main focus again to the band (laughs).
Sure! Again to the band, inform us how, how are you feeling as you now tentatively step again into work mode?
Jay: Personally, I’m feeling nice! We performed our first present a couple of week in the past, which was implausible! All of us actually loved seeing the followers once more. It nonetheless blows our thoughts how they’re keen to journey, from far and large, simply to come back see us carry out at these smaller, extra intimate gigs. We’re so grateful for his or her help, and we hope they’ll be completely satisfied to know we’ve obtained one other massive tour deliberate for later within the yr.
That’s proper, The ‘Good Occasions Christmas Tour’ is coming again in 2024 – inform us every part!
Darren: Touring has at all times been our favorite factor to do as a band, however this tour, and what it represents, is essential to us.
Mike: We really feel just like the idea and the thought of getting a ‘good time’ is form of turning into like our group mantra – it’s a sense, and an expertise we need to give to folks. I do know we’ve every mentioned this previously, so forgive me for repeating myself, however at the present time, life is hard and there’s a number of crap occurring on this planet that results all of us. So our purpose is to provide a present that exudes nothing however happiness and unity, that our followers can come alongside to and neglect all of their troubles, even when only for an hour or two.
Darren: We need to put smiles on peoples faces, and make this Christmas as magical and enjoyable as doable for everybody. You’re at all times going to get that from us, we’re the boys that carry the great instances!
As a band you’re recognized for at all times listening to, and respecting the wants of your viewers. On the subject of devising your stay reveals, how do you handle the stability between ensuring your followers are completely satisfied, but in addition that you simply as artists are creatively happy?
Jay: Actually I believe the 2 go hand in hand. As Mike mentioned, our purpose is to create a contented place for folks to flee away to, and have a very good time. However as a lot as we’re creating that for others, we’re additionally creating it for ourselves as properly, as a result of we crave that feeling of escapism typically too. Through the years, the boys have intrinsically developed an understanding of what folks need, as a result of they’ve taken the time to have interaction with folks, and hearken to their suggestions. We genuinely love the enter we get from our fan base and supporters – we really feel very related and in-tune with them, which is gorgeous.
Mike: Having that understanding and communication with our followers helps us when devising a present or tour, as a result of we all know now that if one thing feels good to us, then it’ll in all probability really feel good to them as properly.
Darren: So as to add to that, I’d say as performers, and artists we at all times need to get higher at what we do; we’re very formidable lads! So anytime we get to carry out or tour, we push ourselves to be higher than earlier than, and if we really feel like we’re (higher), then we’re happy.
At what level do you begin to plan for a brand new tour? And what do these early conversations seem like? Are you all sat spherical a desk collectively brainstorming concepts, or do you may have somebody are available in and take cost of every part?
Darren: We really handle ourselves, and we oversee every part throughout all facets of our profession, so something to do with The Overtones comes immediately from us. However I believe the organisation for this years tour, really began on final years tour (laughs). Whenever you’re on the highway, you possibly can’t assist however replicate and take into consideration any adjustments you may make to your present to make it even higher. So I’d say conversations for our 2024 tour have already begun, we have now a number of concepts about staging and the setlist, so we’re all actually excited… it’s a bit loopy to be speaking about Christmas in March although? It’s nearly like we’re wishing the yr away (laughs).
You may have such an unlimited, and in depth vary of songs in your catalogue now, so is curating the right setlist for an Overtones present a complete nightmare, or a course of you fairly get pleasure from?
Mike: Pay attention, it’s a primary world downside to have (laughs). We’ve obtained 7 albums price of fabric to tug from now, plus all of our EP’s and one-off single releases, so it’s a little bit of a mammoth activity placing collectively our setlist, but it surely’s a course of all of us really actually get pleasure from, and really take actually severely, as a result of the general stream of our present is vital to us. We now have our staple songs that we all know we have now to carry out (and need to carry out), however we additionally wish to by means of within the odd curveball right here and there. So we spent fairly a little bit of time having slightly dig round The Overtones archive, to revisit tracks we possibly haven’t achieved for some time.
Placing all the smart stuff to at least one facet, for a minute, what’s the funnest a part of touring?
Mike: I’d say aside from attending to carry out stay onstage each evening, it’s the moments offstage, when the 4 of us are collectively, simply hanging out that I get pleasure from probably the most. The construct as much as a tour may be fairly intense, since you’ve obtained press to do, conferences to attend, a set-list to determine, rehearsals, costume fittings… there’s so much occurring! And so like Darren mentioned, as a result of we handle ourselves, our plates are very full within the run as much as opening evening. However as soon as we’ve obtained that first present below our belts, and we get into the swing of issues, we simply have the very best time collectively.
Jay: We’ve obtained to watch out that we don’t give our companions the thought, or impression, that we’re simply off on a jolly vacation, as a result of it definitely isn’t, it’s a number of laborious work… but in addition, a number of enjoyable (laughs).
Darren: We actually do have a good time collectively! I prefer it when issues go improper through the present (laughs). The followers usually inform us they find it irresistible when issues go slightly awry, and we go off script! Generally we possibly push issues a bit too far in these moments, however I believe they (the followers) like that cheeky facet to our personalities, and it makes the present extra memorable. I additionally get pleasure from performing new materials, and songs on tour…
Talking of latest materials, and including songs to your repertoire, you’ve simply launched your model of Kool & The Gangs’ 1979 hit, ‘Girls Night time’. Who’s genius concept was it to remake such a basic monitor?
Darren: Erm… properly, as a bunch we’re at all times enjoying round and totally different songs to cowl, however I believe it was possibly my concept to do ‘Girls Night time’…
Jay: IT WAS NOT! IT WAS MY IDEA! (Laughs).
Darren: (Laughing) No I believe I performed it to you all… Mike?
Mike: I’m staying out of this one boys (laughs). I do keep in mind an enormous debate occurring one evening after we’re about to go onstage with Alfie Boe, and ‘Girls Night time’ was talked about by somebody, however… yeah, I don’t know, I’m not getting concerned (laughs).
Darren: Okay, properly I assume it doesn’t matter (laughs). The reality is, typically we simply provide you with these concepts for songs, and we are able to’t consider we’ve by no means considered performing them earlier than as a result of they simply really feel like they belong in our catalogue. We doing ‘Girls Night time’ stay, there’s a little bit of a horny, vibey dance routine that goes with it, and we simply have a blast anytime we sing it.
At this stage in your profession, how do you method protecting one other artists tune?
Mike: That’s a very fascinating query, as a result of there are such a lot of issues to think about when protecting someone else’s tune. We don’t ever need to simply cellphone it in, or produce a carbon copy of an already established, and well-known tune – we’re not a covers band, that’s not what we do. Our intention is to at all times attempt to create a model that enriches the unique. And if we are able to’t do this, then we received’t proceed any additional. ‘Girls Night time’ is kind of an fascinating tune to tackle, as a result of it has a number of totally different verses, and choruses, breakdowns and center 8’s – it doesn’t comply with the normal tune construction mainly. So we’ve switched up the order, and moved a few components round, simply to present it that additional little bit of edge. When it got here to the manufacturing, we recorded it fascinated by it was going to sound in our stay set. We labored with Julian Hinton and Simon Bloor, who’re two fantastic producers we’ve collaborated with so much previously, so that they have an amazing understanding of who we’re and what we’re attempting to realize.
Can we count on to listen to every other new music from you within the coming months?
Jay: Yeah, hopefully! We’re feeling actually enthusiastic about probably getting again into the studio and writing some new songs. We’re simply taking issues someday at a time in the mean time and seeing what occurs.
What’s the remainder of the yr wanting like for The Overtones?
Darren: Busy! Actually from subsequent week, it’s type of continuous for us till the tip of the yr, which is gorgeous! Clearly we’ve obtained the odd few days off right here and there, however on the entire, our schedule as much as Christmas is kind of relentless. We’ve obtained some one evening solely reveals throughout the nation, and we’ll even be doing numerous worldwide promotion which is nice, after which in fact, we’ve obtained the large ‘Good Occasions Christmas Tour’ to stay up for!
Mike: We would like this tour to be an annual factor, and to make it part of model. We will’t wait to get again on the market, and rejoice with our followers, it’s going to be implausible!
‘Girls Night time’ is obtainable to obtain / stream right here