There’s some controversy around your song 'Loughborough Suicide'. This Thursday in the Loughborough Echo you reassured locals that you didn't think the town was dodgy, but the next day in The Times you said that you think it is! So where do you really stand on Loughborough?Henry: (Laughing) The song's not about Loughborough really, it's just the place where we grew up - so it is a good a place as any. We thought of the name first and thought it sounded good. | "At something like this [Summer Sundae] you can play to five or six thousand people and not even noticing it" | | Henry, The Young Knives |
But it's more about a character who is threatening to commit suicide and is basically thinking about himself too much and being a bit pathetic. A town is what you make of it isn't it. So it's his opinion of Loughborough that makes him want to kill himself. That's not our opinion – we don't try to put opinions across in songs. Plenty of people in Loughborough have a good time, and it’s not that bad a place. As is pretty much any other market town in the UK. We live in Oxford – it's not that dissimilar, apart from the architecture. Why did you hang out in Loughborough and not Ashby?Henry: I didn't really hang out in Loughborough that much. It was where I went shopping with my mum, it was that kind of town. We went to school in Ashby, we used to go out in both. It was mainly Ashby, but it's not got such a good name. Ashby-de-la-Zouch suicide doesn't have quite the same ring to it. Do you think Leicestershire is a hotbed for music at the moment? | | The Young Knives |
House of Lords: I don't really know we're always in Oxford, so we don't really hear it. Henry: We've played a lot of gigs here – like at The Shed in front of four people with some rubbish metal band. There's a lot of metal bands in Leicestershire. I've enjoyed the gigs we've played in The Charlotte – it's kind of a dive but that's quite good. It's part of the charm. Is it annoying that people still keep referring to Leicestershire all the time when you now live in Oxford?Henry: No it's alright – Leicestershire is where we grew up. Oxford is just closer to London, where we have to be all the time. I feel there is a part of me in Leicestershire. All our folks still live here. What's the best gig you've done – anywhere, at any time?Oliver: Recently Electric Gardens has been great, we've had a really good time on all the festivals. Henry: Just because you get to play to so many people. I mean the little gigs you perhaps get to play to maybe 1000 people if you're very lucky.  | | The House of Lords at Summer Sundae |
But at something like this you can play to five or six thousand people and not even notice it. I quite like that. But they've all got their charm, haven't they? And any that were really bad?Oliver: Well we've played a few bad gigs haven't we? Henry: Just things where the crowd can't see you because the stage is at floor height. People are putting up more and more venues round the country – people make venues out of places that aren't really designed for it, and only the first three rows can see you. You get no vibe from a gig like that because people can't get into it. Annoying question, but as it's Summer Sundae – what's your favourite ice cream flavour?Henry: Toffee - with chunks. House Of Lords: I'd go Pistachio. Oliver: Oh, I was gonna say that! Okay, vanilla. You can have the same!Oliver: Vanilla pistachio mix with hundreds and thousands… I'm so hungry! You could nip out and get a burger…Henry: Excellent just what I needed another festival burger! Oliver: We've got this rule that you can't eat before a gig. I see... so are there any questions you would love to be asked in an interview? | | Oliver onstage |
Henry: Why are you so brilliant? How come your genius has been so untapped for so long? What would your answer to that be then?Henry: I don't know you tell me… I'm not going to tell you about my own genius in any kind of detail - it just happens, it's just natural. (Laughing) What about you?House of Lord: Would you like a pint? Or a-a- Oliver: You were going to be rude then weren't you? Yeah, mine's probably too rude to ask... | 
