Lovejoy interview: On possible first UK Top 10 record Wake Up & Its Over and intimate connection with fans

When it was announced the Lovejoy - the Brighton-based four piece indie-rock band formed of Will Gold, Joe Goldsmith, Ash Kabosu and Mark Boardman - were heading for their first-ever UK Top 10 entry on the Official Albums Chart this week, there seemed to be one sentiment across their fans on social media; their 'little band' wasn't so little anymore.

It speaks to the deep and intimate connection the boys have already managed to form with their fanbase across the span of three EPs - 2021's Are You Alright? and Pebble Brain and this year's Wake Up & It's Over - that has seen them move closer to a mainstream breakthrough with each release.

The signs for a good year were already there, Wake Up & It's Over's lead single, Call Me What You Like, became the band's first-ever Top 40 hit on the Official Singles Chart earlier this year, combining brash, indie-rock tropes with an undeniable hook. It's a formula that certainly seems to be working, and has clearly enamoured an entire army of fans. 

"Of course [we have a special connection with our fans], " Lovejoy's vocalist Will Gold tell us as the band currently travel across the States on a tour. "They give us everything, and it's the least we can do in return [to reward that loyalty].

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Reacting to the news that Lovejoy could very well soon secure their first Top 10 record in the UK, Will tells us that; "We've worked very hard on this project, so it's incredibly validating to see it received well by so many people."

He continues: "[The reception] has been amazing. I hope we can get our foot across the line into the Top 10 with this release, and that our audience will love our future releases just as much."

Speaking of future releases, with a trilogy of EPs now complete, it only seems fair to ask whether work as begun on Lovejoy's debut album proper. But while a full-length LP may be on the horizon, it won't be the next project the band releases.

Will remains tight-lipped about their precise plans, but does share that there's "One more project left to go" until an album appears.

Wake Up & It's Over certainly sounds like a band who finally know what they want to say, and how they want to sound like. It's certainly been a work in progress for the band, who have been growing and evolving as a unit as they go along. 

"We've been doing a balance of really figuring out the components of our sound," Will explains,  "whilst trying not to overthink it. This has been hard but we are a reflection of our inspirations and so that has been second nature."

And what if the boys do go all the way and hit the Top 10? What will the celebrations at Lovejoy HQ look like?

"Live in excess for an hour," Will tells us. "No more, no less. Next question!"

Wake Up & It's Over is out now.