Essentially Pop February 2015 | Page 14

ALICE AND THE LOVERS

It's february which means valentines day which means love...and what's more appropriate than a band that's all about love?

Alice and the Lovers hail from Swindon, a town which also spawned blonde bombshell Diana Dors and seminal 70s group, XTC.

Lead singer Alice Offley wanted to get back to the 60s girl group sound and so roped in her sister Amy. They were soon joined by Rio Tasia on guitar and Rosie Lefevre on drums.

Alice can play a multitude of instruments, while Amy is a guitarist.

Alice and Amy were brought up on classic records from The Beatles to Kate Bush; piano playing, and family

sing-alongs. Alice's musical influences go way further than that though.

She cites retro country stars as her personal influences from 1950's country stars, like Loretta Lynn and her hero, the King of Rock n Roll, Elvis.

A pianist and lover of old harmony bands such as the Shangri Las and Everly Brothers,

she felt lonely playing solo gigs, so put a band together of her sister and female friends. Alice and the Lovers came together on Valentine's Day 2013.