The Subways

Introduction

The subways is a relatively new british rock band that started back in 2003, and have released a successful album called "Young for eternity". They are about to release their second one on 2008. The band is as simple as rock can get: lead guitar/singer, a bassist and a drummer, this trio comes from the English town of Welwyn Garden City.

Members

Billy Lunn - guitar/vocals
Charlotte Cooper - bass/vocals
Josh Morgan - drums

History

The band started when they were just teenagers. Josh and Billy are brothers, but Billy took his mother's maiden name while Josh kept the family name. Josh started practicing on his dad's old acoustic guitar, and Josh decided to try the drums. At the same time Lunn met Charlotte, who was also an avid music listener that shared the same taste: they all loved Nirvana, Ramones, AC/DC, the Pixies, Sex Pistols and Oasis.

With Josh learning the drums Charlotte decided to take the bass guitar, and the trio started making versions of their favourite groups, specially Nirvana and punk groups. By then the band was called "Mustardseed".

The Subways

They started to play gigs at local pubs in the area, changing their name to Platypus, and recorded a live CD themselves. As they became more famous in the area Billy decided to change their name once more, and they finally became "The subways". He chose that name because he used to spend his time out in the streets hanging out in the Welwyn's subway, it was his "scape" from the daily routine and stress.

The band continued to play local gigs and Billy started a relatioship with Charlotte. The band released a few demo EPs, recorded in their own cheap studio at home. They sent those EPs to promoters in London, hoping to sign with some label. Billy also put up a website for the band, which still is The Subways Homepage today, and there he would update news concerning their LOndon tour, new songs and information regarding the band.

Not only did they record their own stuff at their home studio, but they also started to record EPs and demos for local bands in their area. One day while recording a demo for one of these local bands they heard about a Michael Eavis, who was the founder of the Glastonbury Festival, and decided to give that a try. It so happenned that that year Eavies was running a competition for new bands who had no label, and the recording he received from "The Subways" was the winner. The band was to play in front of thousands of people at Glastonbury Festival as a result.

After Glastonbury their lives changed forever. They went from playing at local pubs around London area to play gigs in front of thousands of people in no time. They even started their own UK tour consisting of 35 concerts. They became popular playing in festivals, attending four consecutive years at Reading, but playing also at Leeds & Glastonbury again. They even went abroad giving concerts in USA, Japan, France and Australia.

The band signed with label City Pavement in 2004, and released their first album "Young for eternity" the following year. Their first single was "Oh Yeah" and it went straight to nº25 in the UK charts. The Subways were oficially famous now.

Charlotte Cooper

Their songs became so popular that they were used in TV commercials, movies and TV series such as The O.C. where they actually perform live for a whiled during the episode, with songs such as "Oh Yeah", "Rock and Roll Queen", and the awesome "I want to hear what you have to say" closing the episode.

But the future wasn't going to be easy for the band. Come 2006 Billy was diagnosed with nodules in his throat, and that led to a period of inactivity for the band. Tour had to be cancelled, and Charlotte and Josh felt shattered. In Billy's own words: "I was told that if there was any trouble with the recovery, it wasn't that I wouldn't sing again, I might not be able to speak again.".

After a period of roughly four months Lunn recovered, and the band was back. They went to USA and played along with Taking Back Sunday and appeared on several TV shows promoting their album.

Present and future

The band is about to release their new album "All or nothing" on 2008, this time produced by Butch Vig (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Sonic Youth). The producer has helped them make the best possible album at his studios in Los Angeles.

During recording of the new album Lunn and Charlotte split, but Billy soon announced that it won't affect the band.

There's already a new single out, "This is the Club", and the band ran a competition with their fans to make the best video, that will feature in their new album. Here is what the album cover will look like:

The Subways are currently inmersed in a new tour that will take them across Europe and Japan until the end of summer 2008.

The first track of the album, called "Girls and Boys", is freely available at their Homepage. It's one of their hardest songs so far, raw and pure, making an excellent start point.

Billy Lunn

Young For Eternity

The Subways debut album "Young for eternity" consists of 13 awesome tracks, four of which were released as singles.

The album delivers all the band's explosive energy on stage, teenage rock and roll at its best: a guy takes his brother and his girlfriend, win the battle of the bands and become famous worldwide. And it's not PS2 "Guitar Hero", it's actually the truth. That's The Subways, a dream come true for them, and all their fans.

The whole album feels like a live gig, with straight forward "get to the chorus" tracks no bigger than 2 or three minutes, reminding of the good old punk classics mixed with a brit pop/indie flavour and no artificial additives, The Subways are a blow of fresh air in the scene.

The scent of Nirvana and White Stripes is all over the album, on tracks such as the incredible "I want to hear what you have to say", that wasn't released as a single although its regarded as one of the best all-around tracks of the album. Juicy riffs and 3 chords playing, you can feel them bouncing all over the stage when you listen to "Rock 'n Roll Queen", and almost see Charlotte shaking her head while she follows the drums wielding the bass.

"Young for eternity", "Oh Yeah" and "City Pavement" are the rocking core of the album, with Billy's breaking voice leading the way over his growling SG, while Charlotte shouts the lyrics in the back.

Time for calm songs "Lines of light" and "She Sun", a soothing acoustic ballad with chorus by Charlotte feels like a modern lullaby that takes the listener straight into "Somewhere at 1 a.m.", a perfect ending hymn in which Lunn builds in intensity till the track reaches a breathtaking end.

An amazing debut for a bunch of kids that sure have rock and roll flowing through their veins.

Young For eternity (2005)

1. I Want to Hear What you Have Got to Say
2. Holiday
3. Rock & Roll Queen
4. Mary
5. Young For Eternity
6. Lines of Light
7. Oh Yeah
8. City Pavement
9. No Goodbyes
10. With You
11. She Sun
12. Somewhere at 1AM

Albums

Young For Eternity (2005)
All Or Nothing (Not released yet, coming in 2008)

EPs

"The Platypus EP"
"I Lost You To The City EP"
"Summertime EP"
"Rock & Roll Queen EP"
"No Heart No Soul EP"
"Young For Eternity EP"
"At 1am EP"
"Milk EP"
"Mary EP"
"Live at Birmingham Academy EP