Hayley Clapperton catches up with Lucas Evans, singer and guitarist from Salvador, a new young band from Suffolk who are already making an impact as they were chosen by BBC Introducing to support Ed Sheeran in Ipswich.
Hayley: Tell me how it started, what’s your story?
Lucas: Jan and I had been mates since we were kids but we seemed to grow out of everyone else too quickly so we turned to music. Neither of us played guitar but we picked it up quite easily, motivating each other to improve.
Hayley: Tell us Who’s Who?
Lucas: I’m on vocals and guitar, Jan Ashwell on lead guitar, Felix Church on bass and Jude Machan on drums.
Hayley: Who are your influences?
Lucas: I think it’s hard to pin down artists that influence us as a group. We’re influenced by everything we indulge in, be it music, art, literature, whatever. Musically, we all have very different tastes so I think it’s that eclectic mix which creates interesting art.
Hayley: How did you choose the band name?
Lucas: We all have ties with Europe – Jan is German, Jude and I both lived in Spain at points during our childhoods therefore the continental sound of the word seemed apt. Also, Salvador translates as ‘saviour’ in Spanish which is a very optimistic word. We think it’s important for the youth of today to be optimistic in a time where it’s very easy to be negative as we are dismissed by the older generations.
Hayley: What’s your musical style?
Lucas: Having quite differing tastes, we didn’t have a specific sound that we were aiming for, we just wanted to see what we could collaboratively create. Obviously over time our sound has evolved and now we are more sure of what it is we are creating.
Hayley: Do any of you play other instruments?
Lucas: I am a classically trained singer and clarinetist; Jan is a multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, bass, drums, piano and violin; Jude is actually a very talented guitarist, however we were in need of a drummer so he decided to learn drums to join the band; Felix just plays bass but we are all invested in a wide array of genres, playing in orchestras, choirs, jazz bands etc. Some people laugh when we say that we are classically trained musicians however we believe this wider knowledge of music really adds to our sound.
Hayley: Tell us how your song writing process works?
Lucas: We don’t have a process as such. I have always written the vocal melody and lyrics but it’s normally a collaborative process between Jan and myself.
Hayley: What was it like to release your debut EP back in March? And what’s it been like since?
Lucas: Our debut EP was a culmination of everything we had worked towards since the start of Salvador, some of those songs were over two years old, therefore we were very glad to finally have it released.
Hayley: Are you at college?
Lucas: We are all at sixth form, studying a wide array of A-Levels.
Hayley: When you are not making music, what hobbies do you enjoy?
Lucas: The others like skating, I’ve never really gotten into it though so I just watch them fall over repeatedly.
Hayley: What are your plans for 2020?
Lucas: Record some more music, finish our A-Levels, then fully commit to the band.
Hayley: How did it feel to support Ed Sheeran this year? Tell us how it came about?
Lucas: We were chosen by Richard Haugh and Angelle Joseph, the presenters of BBC Introducing in Suffolk, to open for Ed Sheeran on the penultimate night of his Divide World Tour. We are so grateful for the opportunity they gave us. The experience is hard to describe – just imagine thirty thousand people at your feet!
Hayley: What challenges are there being a young band?
Lucas: The main challenge is constantly being called a young band, we don’t want any sympathy for being younger. I guess balancing music with school work can be difficult but every musician is in the same boat trying to keep their head above the water.
Hayley: Are you guys mates?
Lucas: Yes. The reason we do this is because we’re mates, we didn’t start off playing these instruments.
Hayley: Who’s mum is the band’s biggest supporter?
Lucas: I’ll let them argue that amongst themselves.
