Interview with Ollie Lawn

With Bradford named the UK City of Culture 2025 and it being a thriving hub of musical activity, it’s only fitting that we catch up with more artists from the area. Cue Ollie Lawn…

Hello hello, how’s it going?

I’m doing okay thank you; just bloody grateful that spring is springing.

I couldn’t agree more! How’s 2025 been treating you so far?

2025 is going alright — up and down as always is the case, but, musically, there’s a lot of things that have been going on. I’m excited about where things are going, and just trying to take things one step at a time — much easier said than done.

Aw for sure. So, tell us a bit about how you got into music. When did it all come about? And who were your biggest inspirations?

Some of my earliest memories involve music and, growing up, it was always a way for me to explore challenging feelings and emotions. There were times in school when I really struggled, and the only kind of outlet I had was music.

After a few years of guitar lessons, in my late teens, I started messing around with writing music and was heavily influenced by the acoustic movement at the time. At uni was when things really stepped up as I got a MacBook, Logic Pro and a little interface, and I started producing music in my room. That was when I realised music is what I wanted to do and I’ve been pursuing it ever since.

I have countless inspirations from all genres but the consistent ones that bear relevance to my music have been artists like Ben Howard, Hans Zimmer, Bon Iver and Bonobo.

Two of my faves nestled in there! What’s your local area like for gigs?

I have a big issue in that I don’t gig nearly enough! I definitely need to do it more, and we’re finally getting into the spirit of preparing for gigs (though, admittedly, I have been saying that for years).

Bradford doesn’t have loads of venues but the ones it does have are run by dedicated individuals committed to supporting local artists. At the moment, I think the Leeds circuit is still the more diverse of the two, BUT that will soon change — I have much hope for our beautiful city.

Which venues you’ve played already have been your favourites? And which one would be your dream in future?

I haven’t really gigged as a solo artist yet, but with my old band, Kilnsey Green, we loved The Underground, and The Exchange in Keighley (RIP). The Exchange was a venue we particularly enjoyed playing and we shared some of our favourite memories there. It was a bit rough around the edges but that’s what really gave it its charm.

I’d say my dream venue would definitely be the new Bradford Live venue; a home gig, a beautiful space and an iconic building in the centre of town.

You rehearse and record at Prospect Studios in Bradford, which just won an award with Bradford Music Scene. Did that make you feel proud to be part of that community?

I’ve been going to Prospect Studios for years and Luke has been an incredible support for me and my musical ventures. Ste, his right-hand man, has also been there every step of the way. I’m definitely proud of them and what Prospect has achieved. Watching it grow over the years has been a pleasure, and I feel lucky to have been able to witness it and be a part of that growth over the years.

I still rehearse there every week and love bumping into other bands and musicians there (shout-out to Wolforna!). I’m hugely proud to be a part of the music community in Bradford.

In fact, I want to also make a huge shout-out to the amazing work being done by local organisations like the Bradford Producing Hub and Bradford Music Scene. Going to the awards night lately and seeing, for the first time, a room full of musicians from across Bradford was really inspiring. It feels like we’re at the birth of something special and it’s an exciting time to be a musician here. It may be in its infancy, but the future looks bright.

Oh, absolutely! If you could throw your own festival, who would your three headliners be?

Bonobo, Jungle, Fleetwood Mac.

What have you got planned for 2025 already that you can share?

So, I recently got onto a development programme with Bradford Producing Hub (again, a shout-out to them). Having secured a mentor, we decided that it would be best to start a new project that aligns with my desire to create something unique. I might have a name, but I’m not settled on it yet. The musical direction is getting clearer as I write more and produce more songs, and the visual identity is becoming clearer as well.

I also have songs recorded from while I was in Australia that I plan to release under my self-titled project, and I’ll be releasing those in the coming weeks or months. The main focus, though, is this new project. Once I have more of an idea, and when the songs and visual identity are sorted, I’ll have more news on that. Watch this space…