Introducing: The Lokeys

From leaky pergolas to festival stages, Rutland’s indie-folk-rock outfit The Lokeys have turned heartfelt storytelling into their signature sound. With influences ranging from Van Morrison to The Waterboys, the band-made up of five middle-aged men and one twenty-something woman-crafts raw, lived-in songs about real life.

Their debut single, "At Terminal Velocity" (out March 7, 2025), dives deep into themes of addiction and self-destruction, yet carries an uplifting brit-pop edge reminiscent of Pale Fountains and Cherry Ghost. With a debut album on the horizon, The Lokeys are proving that honest songwriting never goes out of style.

1. Your debut single "At Terminal Velocity" tackles themes of addiction and self-destruction, yet there's an uplifting tone to the music. How did you strike that balance between heavy subject matter and an uplifting sound?

It was one of those unusual occasions when everything came together - music and lyrics - at the same time, and very quickly.   My original demo, just me and an acoustic guitar, is much more downbeat, I guess in part just from being unadorned.  As my bandmates brought in their own elements and ideas it took on this elevated, uplifting aspect, which seemed to go up a notch every time we demoed the song.  Chris our lead guitarist added these joyful little flourishes, as did Nino our keyboard player.  The last element - Ellie's harmonies, which she performed on the spot in the studio - really lifted into 'sad indie banger' territory.  

2. The band’s influences, like Van Morrison and The Waterboys, are clear in your music. How do you blend these classic sounds with your own unique approach to create something fresh and modern?

It's interesting because as a band we have such diverse tastes in music.  While there is some commonalities there's a massive range going on from folk to shoegaze, lo-fi Indie to prog rock, mid 70s Italian pop to Steely Dan and all points in between.  I think because we aren't concerned with projecting a musical 'image' in the same way as bands I was in during my teens and 20s the songs are allowed to develop in a way that isn't genre specific.  I guess we are always trying to do the best by the song?  That they end up with a discernible sound is largely down to our individual playing styles.

3. You describe your music as "songs of the reality of life." What life experiences or moments are most present in the songwriting for "At Terminal Velocity"

I wrote the title track in one sitting a couple of days after hearing that an ex of mine had died from alcohol poisoning, having struggled with addiction and her mental health since her teens.  Our relationship had been pretty dysfunctional and its ending acrimonious, and I think the song came in part as I tried to navigate the inevitable complexity of the emotions I felt.  

Tom our bassist lost his mum while we were writing the album, and 'A Mercy For You' is the outcome of that, and the emotional wrench we all feel when we know that letting go is the right thing, but the pain is no less because of that knowledge.  There's a song called 'In Terrible Times' which is a love song that doesn't really talk about love at all, and another called 'Splendid Isolation', and I imagine you can guess what that's about.  'Just Before Sunrise' captures a time I think we can all relate to, the moment of half awake, half asleep before the reality of another day kicks in, whether good or bad, mundane or thrilling.

4. The band consists of both middle-aged men and a twenty-something woman. How does this dynamic influence your songwriting and sound, and do you find the generational mix brings different perspectives to the music?

We started doing this for fun, with no great ambition.  Every step that has taken us beyond those early days of sitting in each others front rooms playing 'Into The Mystic' and 'Fisherman's Blues' has been an unplanned pleasure.  We want our music to be found by as many people want to find it, of course, but when we write we're not striving towards a goal beyond the song itself.  And I think we all enjoy the contributions we each bring, no matter who has originated the song it immediately becomes 'ours'.  And having Ellie in the band is incredible, because she's the only one of us with actual musical training - as a classical singer.  The first time I heard her harmonies on 'A Mercy For You' I almost cried.  She brings this ethereal, 'marine girl' sound to the songs that to me is reminiscent of Harriett Wheeler of The Sundays.

5. "At Terminal Velocity" is the first release in a series of singles leading to your debut album. Can you give us a sneak peek into what listeners can expect from the full album coming later this year?

The second single, The Lights Go Down on the Town, is a more edgy, dystopian affair, but as a whole I would say the album has quite a classic indie/folk/rock vibe, and its definitely from an English rock tradition that goes back to bands like the Small Faces and the Kinks.  As we have all originated songs on the album - aside from Thomas, our drummer (the in-band joke being that when he does it will make a Rush concept album seem like a nursery rhyme) there's no real theme to the album, aside from the fact that all but two of the songs were written during the pandemic, although if that's manifested itself at all it is in a sense of hope rather than doom. So maybe that's the theme - they are all songs of hope I think.