Signed under the record label of fellow British band The Vamps, the pop rock trio known as New Hope Club opened for the former’s “Middle of Night” tour which included a Manila stop last October.
Totally unprepared for what Manila fans are like, guitarist and vocalist George Smith described the warm Philippine reception to their performance as “the wildest of all.”
“The crowd was insane. Everyone was screaming,” Smith recalled during the recent press conference to promote their series of shows for Megaworld Lifestyle Malls this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
And that was only for opening for The Vamps. Now that they’re headlining their own acoustic pocket concerts, the group plans to make the most out of it.
“You’ll be hearing a lot of old hits, at least one cover and new songs that we haven’t performed live,” said Blake Richardson, who also sings and plays guitar for the band.
Along with bassist and drummer Reece Bibby, formerly of the X Factor group, Stereo Kicks, New Hope Club was formed in 2015. After enjoying initial success with their cover of The Vamps’ “Wake Up,” New Hope Club became the second band after The Tide to be signed under the latter’s Steady Records.
Bibby admits that they learned a lot from being mentored by The Vamps who, in addition to giving them tips on writing their own material, also taught them how to project themselves onstage and interact with fans during concerts.
Citing The Beatles and Oasis as among their influences, the boys of New Hope Club derive much of their inspiration from “old and new music.” And it shows.
The breezy pop of their early hit “Perfume” also fuses elements of electronica and R&B. The band enhances their knack for engaging pop hooks with heartfelt lyrics as exemplified by songs like “Friend of a Friend,” which tackles instant infatuation; “Water,” which George says is “about a girl who can make you melt and turn you into water”; and their latest, “Fixed,” which describes the pain of obsession.
All of these songs are featured in their 2017 EP, “Welcome to the Club,” distributed in the Philippines by MCA Music. Smith says the EP was only the beginning of more collaborative efforts between the three of them.
“For some reason writing together came very naturally to us. We’ve grown so much as writers since the beginning, and we’re never afraid to tell each other what we think,” Smith concluded.
New Hope Club will perform at the Uptown Mall on January 19, 5PM, at Eastwood Mall Open Park on January 20, 6PM and at Venice Grand Canal on January 21, 5PM.
Watch the music video for New Hope Club’s “Fixed” here:
