Big indie tunes with a hint of ’90s nostalgia? That’s the dish of the day served up by Leeds locals, Apollo Junction. They’re tipped for big things, so it’s really exciting to feature them on Record Weekly.

RECORD WEEKLY’S INTERVIEW WITH APOLLO JUNCTION

Hey guys, how are you?

We’re great, thanks. Busy but all good. How are you?

I’m very well, thanks for asking. Buzzing to meet you (virtually). First and foremost, how has lockdown been treating you? Have you been getting out and about more recently or aren’t you too keen to hit pubs and restaurants just yet?

Lockdown has been a really creative time for us. Our first reaction was one of horror as we watched the world crumble and all our gigs become cancelled, but then we got our heads down and wrote song after song. Going-out-wise, we’re doing it as much as possible when it’s safe. Venues, bars, cafés, etc, all need everyone’s support to help them survive.

Let’s talk about Apollo Junction. Introduce yourselves, where you’re from and how you met.

We’re a five-piece, in short. We’ve been mates for years, in bands together, at gigs together, nights out together, etc. We’ve grown up together, too.

We started the band about five years ago, just to write a few songs, and we then spent a couple of years hidden away writing tracks. Then suddenly, we started getting played on the radio and a pretty big label came along that wanted the debut album. We said no, haha! We wanted to write more songs and record the album ourselves exactly the way we liked. So we then took another year recording the debut and rehearsing. Now we have everything in place, and here we are.

That’s commendable stuff! Where does the name choice derive?

We can’t possibly tell you that in writing. Come to a gig and ask, and we’ll explain…

Well, that sounds ominous! But it’s a deal. Have you been able to use this time to concentrate on writing and producing more material?

We’ve written and recorded a lot. We have singles lined up for a release every eight weeks for at least a year.

You released ‘Sometimes’ on 19th June — how well received has that been?

Really, really well. Radio X’s John Kennedy, Steve Lamacq at BBC 6 Music and Janice Long have all been playing it and saying nice things. The video went down incredibly well, too.

This year — let alone the summer festival season — has been heavily impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. You were due to support Kaiser Chiefs at The Piece Hall and play Bingley Weekender, to name just two massive but rescheduled events. How did the postponement of those feel? Have you cancelled or reorganised any other events?

2020 went from being our biggest, busiest year of gigs to our quietest. We’ve had festivals moved and cancelled; we had a set of announcements all get shelved, and we’ve also had a tour disappear. It’s been awful, but that’s life, and we’re just one small piece of a bigger picture. Everyone’s had it tough, but yeah, we can’t complain.

2021 is going to be amazing! We have the Big Top at the Isle of Wight Festival on the cards, plus we’ll be ready to support Kaiser Chiefs and play Bingley Weekender. What’s more, we’ve announced a massive hometown Leeds date at The Warehouse on 20th March, which is our biggest show yet, with a 600-plus person capacity! There’s loads more to come, too.

That’s so exciting! If you had to put your own festival on, who’d be the headliners? Which up-and-coming artists would you give a big break to?

We adore so many bands. We’d love to do a ‘Best of Yorkshire’. Get Kaiser Chiefs, The Pigeon Detectives, Reverend and The Makers, Skylights, The Sheratons, Backspace and us all in a field together, with nothing to drink but Yorkshire Tea.

Haha, I’m sold! And while you’re here, Jamie, can you tease any new music or upcoming announcements, without giving the game away too much?

We’ve just announced that gig at The Warehouse in Leeds, as tickets are going on sale this week. We’re also going to announce a new single called ‘Borderlines’ very soon. Plus, we’ve filmed a new video this week for an absolutely storming single…

Eager to know more? You can follow Apollo Junction on Instagram and pop a like on their Facebook page. Their hits are all yours to enjoy here, too.