“I am still so proud of the old records, but I think this feels like a different band,” considers Woahnow’s Tim Rowing-Parker.
Just one listen to the fun, upbeat ‘Young and Cool’ will confirm the assertion. Marrying Woahnows’ trademark off-kilter indie with some of the most glorious power-pop you can imagine, it’s a softer, more polished album than its predecessor, ‘Understanding and Everything Else’. It’s also bright, confident and energetic – and well worth the three-and-a-half year wait.
Rewind to 2015, and the then broadly West Country based band (Tim was in Plymouth, drummer Adam Wherly was in Bristol and bassist Phil Randall residing in Cheltenham) were somewhat ubiquitous, playing relentlessly off the back of ‘Understanding…’. For the last two years or so, however, they’ve been much quieter, hitting the road in 2018 for a handful of shows but otherwise keeping a low profile.
“I guess we have been laying low for a while,” laughs Tim. “We love doing the band, but it was a case of growing older as people. We wanted to be happy in our lives as well, so our priorities changed.
“It’s hard enough to function as a band, so to be happy people is a good first step. Also, you recognise that the band needs to be fun. You need to enjoy doing it, and that’s why we do it. It enriches our lives. The number of friends I’ve made, or the places I’ve been to through the band – that’s the best part, and it is great when it is fun. But, as soon as you do too much, it becomes less fun, and when it feels less fun, it’s kinda pointless.”
