Since bursting onto the British music scene again within the early 2010’s, The Overtones have turn into one of many international locations most beloved, and wanted dwell acts!
Nonetheless using excessive from the success of their offered out 2023 headline tour, the multi-platinum promoting vocal concord group have introduced they’re hit the street once more this winter, bringing their Good Instances 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 Instances Christmas Tour are on sale NOW!
To coincide with the tour announcement, the boys launch their newest single ‘Women Evening’ – 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 only sees Mike, Darren, Mark and Jay put their very own spin on the legendary occasion observe, including an array of electrifying synths, toe-tapping beats and layered harmonies to create an absolute SMASH that’s certain to go down a storm with followers on the boys upcoming dwell reveals.
To rejoice each the discharge of ‘Women Evening’, in addition to the announcement of The Good Instances 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 up to now?
Mike: We’re actually good thanks! I’d say we’re gently, easing ourselves into the New 12 months (laughs).
Jay: The tip of 2023 was fairly full on for us as we had been on tour proper up till Christmas – which was phenomenal, and loads of enjoyable, but additionally actually demanding, so it’s been good to have a little bit 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 quite a bit happening in my home proper now as we welcomed a brand new child lady into our household 4 weeks in the past! So we’re all very drained right here on the minute, but additionally full of affection, so it’s all good.
Congratulations – that’s such great information!
Darren: Thanks a lot! We’re over the moon and completely besotted along with her. I’ll allow you to into a little bit secret although, Jay’s been getting a little bit bit jealous as he’s not the smallest member of The Overtones household! However I’ve reassured him that there’s no should 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 tender play!
Jay: I imply yeah… I can’t lie, I’m damage that Darren doesn’t present me the identical form of consideration anymore, however I’m gonna swerve this subject 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 broad, 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 glad to know we’ve obtained one other massive tour deliberate for later within the 12 months.
That’s proper, The ‘Good Instances Christmas Tour’ is coming again in 2024 – inform us every thing!
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 concept of getting a ‘good time’ is kind of changing into like our group mantra – it’s a sense, and an expertise we need to give to folks. I do know we’ve every stated this previously, so forgive me for repeating myself, however this present day, life is hard and there’s loads of crap happening on the earth that results all of us. So our aim is to supply a present that exudes nothing however happiness and unity, that our followers can come alongside to and overlook 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 attainable for everybody. You’re at all times going to get that from us, we’re the boys that convey the great occasions!
As a band you’re identified for at all times listening to, and respecting the wants of your viewers. In terms of devising your dwell reveals, how do you handle the steadiness between ensuring your followers are glad, but additionally that you just as artists are creatively glad?
Jay: Truthfully I believe the 2 go hand in hand. As Mike stated, our aim is to create a cheerful 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 nicely, as a result of we crave that feeling of escapism typically too. Over time, the boys have intrinsically developed an understanding of what folks need, as a result of they’ve taken the time to interact with folks, and take heed to their suggestions. We genuinely love the enter we get from our fan base and supporters – we really feel very linked 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 nicely.
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 bold 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 glad.
At what level do you begin to plan for a brand new tour? And what do these early conversations appear like? Are you all sat spherical a desk collectively brainstorming concepts, or do you could have somebody are available and take cost of every thing?
Darren: We really handle ourselves, and we oversee every thing throughout all elements of our profession, so something to do with The Overtones comes straight from us. However I believe the organisation for this years tour, really began on final years tour (laughs). While you’re on the street, you may’t assist however mirror and take into consideration any adjustments you can also 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 lot 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 12 months away (laughs).
You may have such an enormous, and intensive vary of songs in your catalogue now, so is curating the proper setlist for an Overtones present a complete nightmare, or a course of you fairly get pleasure from?
Mike: Hear, it’s a primary world drawback to have (laughs). We’ve obtained 7 albums value of fabric to drag from now, plus all of our EP’s and one-off single releases, so it’s a little bit of a mammoth process placing collectively our setlist, however it’s a course of all of us really actually get pleasure from, and truly take actually critically, as a result of the general move of our present is essential to us. We’ve got our staple songs that we all know we have now to carry out (and need to carry out), however we additionally wish to by way of within the odd curveball right here and there. So we spent fairly a little bit of time having a little bit dig round The Overtones archive, to revisit tracks we possibly haven’t finished for some time.
Placing the entire wise stuff to 1 aspect, for a minute, what’s the funnest a part of touring?
Mike: I’d say aside from attending to carry out dwell 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 could be fairly intense, since you’ve obtained press to do, conferences to attend, a set-list to determine, rehearsals, costume fittings… there’s quite a bit happening! And so like Darren stated, 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 underneath our belts, and we get into the swing of issues, we simply have the perfect time collectively.
Jay: We’ve obtained to watch out that we don’t give our companions the concept, or impression, that we’re simply off on a jolly vacation, as a result of it definitely isn’t, it’s loads of laborious work… but additionally, loads of enjoyable (laughs).
Darren: We actually do have a good time collectively! I prefer it when issues go fallacious through the present (laughs). The followers usually inform us they like it when issues go a little bit 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 aspect to our personalities, and it makes the present extra memorable. I additionally get pleasure from performing new materials, and songs on tour…
Talking of recent materials, and including songs to your repertoire, you’ve simply launched your model of Kool & The Gangs’ 1979 hit, ‘Women Evening’. Who’s genius thought was it to remake such a traditional observe?
Darren: Erm… nicely, as a bunch we’re at all times enjoying round and taking a look at totally different songs to cowl, however I believe it was possibly my thought to do ‘Women Evening’…
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 once we’re about to go onstage with Alfie Boe, and ‘Women Evening’ was talked about by somebody, however… yeah, I don’t know, I’m not getting concerned (laughs).
Darren: Okay, nicely I suppose it doesn’t matter (laughs). The reality is, typically we simply give you these concepts for songs, and we will’t imagine we’ve by no means considered performing them earlier than as a result of they only really feel like they belong in our catalogue. We doing ‘Women Evening’ dwell, 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 overlaying one other artists music?
Mike: That’s a very attention-grabbing query, as a result of there are such a lot of issues to contemplate when overlaying any individual else’s music. We don’t ever need to simply telephone it in, or produce a carbon copy of an already established, and well-known music – 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 will’t do this, then we received’t proceed any additional. ‘Women Evening’ is sort of an attention-grabbing music to tackle, as a result of it has a lot of totally different verses, and choruses, breakdowns and center 8’s – it doesn’t observe the standard music construction mainly. So we’ve switched up the order, and moved a few components round, simply to provide it that additional little bit of edge. When it got here to the manufacturing, we recorded it interested by it was going to sound in our dwell set. We labored with Julian Hinton and Simon Bloor, who’re two great producers we’ve collaborated with quite a bit previously, so that they have an excellent understanding of who we’re and what we’re making an attempt to attain.
Can we count on to listen to another new music from you within the coming months?
Jay: Yeah, hopefully! We’re feeling actually enthusiastic about doubtlessly 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 12 months trying like for The Overtones?
Darren: Busy! Actually from subsequent week, it’s form of continuous for us till the tip of the 12 months, 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 sort 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 after all, we’ve obtained the massive ‘Good Instances Christmas Tour’ to look ahead to!
Mike: We would like this tour to be an annual factor, and to make it part of model. We are able to’t wait to get again on the market, and rejoice with our followers, it’s going to be implausible!
‘Women Evening’ is out there to obtain / stream right here
Tell us your ideas on The Overtones over on ‘X’ (previously Twitter) @CelebMix now!
