After 20 years on the fringes of the mainstream, a defiant spark and a sense of purpose continue to fuel Los Campesinos!. Since leaving behind their former label and management company, who felt that the cult indie band had run its course, they have brought their socialist ethos to the fore and unexpectedly become more popular than ever.
“In the early years, there was an element of being encouraged not to alienate people because we were a vehicle to make money for the music industry,” says lead singer and lyricist Gareth Paisey. “Since that’s not been the case, it’s enabled us to do everything completely on our own terms. I think that’s the band that we were always meant to be and that we truly are now. We’re absolutely resolute in what we perceive as being good and bad. The sense of duty that we feel and how we can fulfil that.”
At the end of May, LC! embark on their Vicennial Cringe tour in what they pointedly term an acknowledgment, not a celebration, of two decades in music. It’s been a tale of persistence and reinvention. While many of their contemporaries from the mid-2000s indie scene have faded away, flamed out, or broken up and then reformed, LC! have doggedly endured.
Their sound has matured considerably from the hyperactive twee pop of Hold on Now, Youngster…, but consistent themes remain, notably in Paisey’s elaborate lyrics, which fluctuate between the earnestly confessional and the playfully obscure. Millennial despair, thwarted romance and hopeless yearning still abound, as do niche football references, inspiring a deep connection with long-term fans.
