Page 22 - Black Velvet Magazine Issue 108

BV108 pg20-23 Lacey Interview.qxp_BV108 pg22 19/06/2023 20:18 Page 3

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like that. So, that’s definitely the kind of, not getting all your thoughts down and out, into yourself out of those dark places that you
ethos to the album, but definitely some of the music, is very cathartic, very helpful, so can be in. Obviously, I say that with a pinch
overriding themes of it. That’s me. And al- that’s been a great experience for me as a of salt. It’s more like, ‘Don’t write a song
most like an inferiority complex, like I’m not lyricist, and obviously, now, we’re starting to about it, do something about it’. It’s good for
good enough, I’m never good enough. I need play those songs live, it’s almost like getting me that I’ve got song writing to get that all
you to tell me I’m good enough – that kind of stuff off your chest. What else? I guess just out. My advice or my inspiration would be,
thing. About self-loathing, I think we all can the accomplishment, the achievement we’ve ‘Don’t be like me!’ – I say that every night
see stuff in ourselves that we wanna change, done and put together over this time. I was when we play. But yeah, with a pinch of salt.
or need to change, but don’t necessarily do talking about pride at the very beginning; You can be like me a little bit,” he smiles.
it. And again, that’s another big theme that being proud of it. It’s almost surreal having
runs throughout the hen Lacey go on tour, being
album. ‘Well, do some- “I think we all can see stuff in ourselves that we Won stage is obviously what
thing about it,’ whereas I Graz looks forward to. It’s probably the
tend not to. I tend to write wanna change, or need to change, but don’t necessar­ main reason most band members are
a four-minute pop song ily do it. And again, that’s another big theme that in a band in the first place – to get out
about it. That’s kind of the runs throughout the album. ‘Well, do something on stage and perform in front of others
irony that’s built into and have their creations be heard.
some kind of songs. about it,’ whereas I tend not to. I tend to write a four­ “I get excited and it’s a case of,
Those two things: the minute pop song about it.” ­ Graham Turner ‘Don’t be shit. Make sure you do this
inner child and, yeah, that well.’ I get a bit anxious about my voice
kind of unwillingness, or sometimes, but I take care of it, I tend
inability, to change, which is hard for peo- this to look back on. ‘We made this together, not to drink on tour, go to bed early, so the
ple… or some people.” us silly friends, being idiots together. We cre- only kind of anxiety is like, ‘Is my voice
We tell Graz that there are some videos ated this thing and now people are going to going to be OK?’ But, it’s a buzz, it’s excite-
on YouTube about self-esteem and learning listen to it and now it’s going to be there for- ment. It’s where I wanna be, so I guess the
to love yourself. Does he think something ever.’ It’s a very surreal concept to try and di- logistics of it are what make you anxious.
like that can help people who feel insecure? gest, but one that I love.” Like, is the equipment going to work? Are we
“Yeah, absolutely,” he replies. “It says Reflecting on Lacey’s career in general, going to be good? Are you going to be al-
the obvious, but you need to hear it. You they’ve had a lot of great experiences over right? But, the actual show itself, it’s like,
need someone to tell you. ‘Well, I could’ve the years. They’ve shared the stage with a lot ‘Give me it! Let’s go!’ I remember going on
just thought of that.’ It seems to work better of bands that they’ve been fans of for a long tour a few years ago, when we went on tour
if it’s laid out in front of you with things like time. Graz says it’s very surreal to play with with Bowling For Soup, and it was a bus tour,
that. I think anyone can benefit from that, a band that they’ve been fans of. so it was great. So obviously, you jump off
even if it’s only slightly. If there’s anything “This whole thing is just a surreal jour- the stage, get on the bus and drive to the
you can consume to benefit your mental ney for us, one that we don’t want to jump next venue and you wake up in the next
wellbeing or your life, just in general, I’d off of. So, yeah, I think sharing the stage venue. Obviously, on the bus, it was great;
highly encourage people to do that, certainly with… we played with Enter Shikari, that’s everyone was drinking, partying, and having
helping it, absolutely.” crazy. We’ve been friends with them for a good time, but all I could think about… I
There’s a song called ‘Flaws’ on the years. All Time Low, Bowling For Soup – I re- didn’t care about that… Just get me on
album, in which Graz sings, ‘I was the one member being a kid, listening to them, and stage! It was like, ‘We’ve got 23 hours till the
who thought I’d never see this through, I then they took us out on tour. Motion City next show,’ I’m like, ‘Come on, come on,
guess I never knew the things that I could Soundtrack – these things are like, ‘How is come on, get me on stage!’ and I remember
do’. He tells us that one thing he thought he this happening to us? Why? We must be being an absolute weirdo for a few weeks be-
could never do was stand on his own two doing ‘OK’ to be lucky enough to tour with cause all I could think about was just the
feet. “I think I’m very heavily reliant on other these guys.’ But yeah, it’s a very surreal next show. Everyone else is having a good
people. I’m very blessed with loving friends thing that’s hard to explain when you do end time, and my brain was just on stage. Which
and family, but it’s got to get to a point where up sharing a bill with bands like that. Bands is great, I guess, because it’s something that
I’ve got to do this on my own. And again, that you’ve been fans of.” you love to do, but I wish I could have en-
that’s another theme that runs through a joyed it a bit more. Or enjoyed the social el-
couple of the songs on the album. I think nother song on the album chosen to ement a bit more.”
that’s probably the main one for me, if that’s Abecome a single is ‘Run Away’. Graz We tell him that we get anxiety about cer-
not saying too much.” says it’s a very defiant song. tain things too. It’s quite natural to become
We are often our own worst critic and “That whole song is about being a cow- anxious in certain situations. We worry
most of us have a tendency to see flaws in ard and it’s like, if you could sit yourself about being late, or when we’re doing inter-
ourselves – flaws that others probably would down or talk to yourself in the mirror, it’s views, whether the equipment is going to
never pick up on. Graz says there are things everything I could say to myself to sort my- record OK.
he’d like to change about himself. self out. Yeah, that song’s all about being a “And it’s stuff that’s out of your control
“I can be very selfish,” he reveals. “I coward and what could you say to yourself – but they say that if you worry about stuff
think, me, personally… we’re getting very if you could sit yourself down and slap your- that’s out of your control, you’ll go crazy,”
deep here… Selfish in that, I dunno, I would self out of it. It’s quite uplifting, albeit a bit of Graz replies. “You’ll lose your mind. But it’s
do anything for you, but I wanna make sure a dark song. That’s what we do, we discov- funny you mention that about being late. I
I’m alright. Whereas, sometimes I feel like my ered this the other day. We’ve got quite a cannot be late. Soundcheck, load in, set time
friends and my bandmates and my family, dark lyrical content wrapped up in a nice, – oh God, that probably gets me anxious. I’m
sometimes I think they love me too much, shiny, pop rock song, and I think they juxta- like ‘We cannot go a minute over’. Yeah, so I
and I feel like I don’t bring much to the table, pose quite well.” feel you on that one big time.”
which is a wonderful place to be. I’ve got a He says that he thinks he has been a
very fantastic set of friends and a loving fam- coward his whole life. “So, the first album we
ily, but maybe I need to give more back.” recorded, all about anxiety. Literally rules my iddle England’, on the new album,
life. Still does to this day. And it was just like, ‘Msees Graz sing, ‘This is where I
oogling ‘Ways to help insecurities’, if only you could give yourself, I dunno, a bit should be, a place where I don’t feel alone’.
Gwe came across a list of things that of tough love by talking to you, to get that Graz tells us, “At the time that we wrote that,
people can try to do if they want to beat the out of you. Obviously, life’s not that easy, but I was spending a lot of time out of the UK, for
trait. After things like ‘affirm your value’ and it was quite fun and quite cool to conceptu- various trips and whatnot. And it almost got
‘prioritize your needs’, it also says ‘reflect on alise that into a song. And, yeah, that’s ‘Run me thinking, the grass is almost greener,
the good’. So, what good things have hap- Away’ pretty much, in a nutshell.” like, people just do things, it’s so much bet-
pened to Lacey during the making of this Graz, it seems, is quite self-deprecating. ter here than it is at home. And I’ve always
album? He tells us he makes jokes about himself on wanted to leave. I’ve always wanted to live
“The one thing that springs to mind is stage. “I’m like, ‘Don’t be like me! Sort your- elsewhere, and that kind of whole song is
meeting James Veck-Gilodi of Deaf Havana,” self out!’ If anything, ‘This Is All We Are’ is a built around ‘Everybody that I love most in
Graz says. “Writing a record’s very cathartic; cautionary tale of how not to behave, or get the world is here, so if I was just to go and
LACEY