The ShortListen: The Lapelles (no. 368)
After the tragic death of frontman Gary Watson, a chance to enjoy their music
Who? The Lapelles
What’s the story? The tragic deaths of the promising young indie band Viola Beach earlier this year brought with it a surge of sympathy from the whole music community but, sadly, 2016 continues to be a terrible year for music with news of the death of Gary Watson, aged just 22, on the day before his birthday. He was the frontman and guitarist for The Lapelles, an effervescent, hotly-tipped young band from East Kilbride in Scotland who - like Viola Beach - were just starting out on their musical journey, with a whole load of potential and a world waiting to be discovered. As terrible as the deaths of the Viola Beach members were, the one good thing that came out of it was that the music that they had made was given a new exposure, culminating in their posthumous album hitting number one a couple of weeks ago. We can at least hope that the same will now happen with The Lapelles - and it would be deserved, as this brilliant slice of fizzy, energetic indie pop, which was released just two months ago, shows perfectly. Listen, enjoy it, and support your local new bands when they come around.
For fans of: The View, Arctic Monkeys
In three words: Youthful indie blast
