Wigan band The Lilacs preparing for a huge 2022 which includes their first headline tour and a debut EP

The four-piece will head to multiple venues across the country in March and April, which comes after a year that involved playing at Isle of Wight Festival and supporting The Sherlocks in Manchester.

Comprised of Ollie Anglesea, Sam Birchall, Matty Johnson and Dave Gomersall, they were shocked by how well 2021 went.

Birchall said: “With Covid we expected it to be a slow year, but it ended up being really good. As soon as the lockdown ended we got loads of little bits.

“Being on the This Feeling Stage at Isle of Wight was unbelievable, it’s another level of festival. We hadn’t done too many before, but we went from really small ones to the biggest. Just seeing our names on a poster with some huge people is class.

“It was a really good atmosphere, and just being a part of it was quality. A lot of people came out to see us, and we just thought we had a half an hour set to give it everything we’ve got.”

“Then being picked by The Sherlocks to play at the Albert Hall with them was a real bucket list gig. They’re really nice lads who want to give something back, and it’s important to them to give people a leg up.

“I was at work just buzzing when I found out it was happening.”

The Lilacs’ upcoming tour includes dates in Stockton, Sheffield, York, Liverpool, Leeds and London.

“It’s really nice to be branching out and seeing people buying tickets in other places helps you see how it’s been growing. We go to different cities and the same faces supporting you, but now we are seeing new people too.

“This is the perfect time to do it now, and there are some quality venues on the list, it’s nice we can put our names next to them. Hopefully they will just go off.”

The band are also hoping to release more music in the new year, and build on what they have already done.

“As a band we feel like we’ve got to another level and improved a lot. We’ve got some new stuff that we haven’t said much about. There will be a new single early on, and then an EP after that.

“We think we’ve stepped it up this time. The set is getting bigger, better and stronger every time.

“It takes months sometimes to sit on tracks thinking if they are ready or not. It’s mad releasing a song and wondering if people will get behind them, but the first few have done miles better than we expected.”

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