Sometimes patience brings about the best rewards. In the case of Nashville-natives, Dane Allen, Andrew Gomez and Evan Thon, better known as Loyals, their four-year wait to release their debut self-titled LP, Loyals, was worth the wait. And fortunately for us, we had a chance to sit down with the Tennesseans to talk about their album and its creation!
We are so proud and honored to introduce you to Loyals!
Lemonade Magazine: Congratulations on the release of your self-titled LP! Could you tell us a little bit about the band’s history?
Loyals: We’ve all three grown up friends since we were kids and played in a few bands together over the years. We started Loyals around four years ago and signed with Tooth and Nail Records a year later. We’ve been working toward the record release ever since.
LM: As a band, how did the songwriting process evolve from the start until the release of LOYALS?
Loyals: Typically, I will write a song and demo it out. If [Andrew] Gomez and Evan [Thon] like it, then we eventually get together at Gomez’s studio and put all three of our brains on the song to flesh out musical parts and ideas. I wrote around a hundred songs leading up to production on this, so once we all sifted through and found the best ones, we sat down with the label and producer, Matt Arcaini, and sifted again.
I think every song I wrote sounded like a Loyals song—even the bad ones. I think as I kept writing and getting natural feedback from Gomez and Evan, we kind of found our groove and settled into what this first record was going to be.
LM: That sounds like a grueling process. So with 12 tracks to choose from, I am smitten by your latest single, “Hold On”. What is your favorite song on the album and why?
Loyals: My favorite song from the record changes, I think. I’ve been listening to some of these songs for a few years now, but if I had to pick one, it’d be “Hold On”. I wrote it in a pretty dark time, and it carries a lot of baggage with it.
LM: I think that’s why I connect to it as well. I love those dark, brooding tracks. The trend lately has been to release EPs, but you guys decided to go with a full album. What went into that decision?
Loyals: We really wanted our first release as Loyals to be something that we would be able to build upon in the years to come. I think we’re all excited about having a twelve-song catalog to start with out of the gate. It’s kind of feels like a solid foundation for us to start working with.
LM: We heard that LOYALS took four years to complete. What were some of the obstacles that needed to be overcome for this dream to be realized?
Loyals: Patience was a very difficult thing for us in these past four years. There’s a lot that happened, but ultimately I think we’re all just happy that we eventually got to now. The few days that this record has been out has already been enough to make the past four years feel worth it.
LM: I am glad you all persevered. The music is worth the wait. Now that your debut is out in the world. What are the rest of your plans for 2018?
Loyals: We have plans to tour and keep on writing. Always writing. Maybe there will be a chance for us to release more music later this year. Who knows?
LM: Well, thank you for taking the time to chat with us. We really appreciate it.
Please check out the brand new self-titled LP by Loyals on Spotify below and make sure to pick up the album on iTunes now!
