New Hope Club
Article by Brittany Ormiston
Hosted by: 1824 - UMG’s creative solutions team
“Trust your gut…at the end of the day it is your art.” British pop trio New Hope Club has broken down walls, and crashed into a new era with an immense amount of honesty, purpose, and inspiration. Reece Bibby, Blake Richardson, and George Smith have taken a big step forward, and challenged themselves more than ever before with the creation of their upcoming album. Unlike their debut album, the second record was written and produced by the band. Every aspect has a purpose and meaning, and having endless creative freedom has allowed the band to be authentically themselves. The album has allowed them to solidify who they are, and represent their upbringing and how they grew up.
Since New Hope Club had the ability to be completely hands-on and skillfully hone in on their craft, they inevitably developed a new sound for their sophomore album. On the surface, the sound appears to have gone in a completely different direction. “For us it is not really a change, but more of getting back to who we are… figuring out what’s real and inside us already that we just needed to find,” shares Reece. The new sound is very true to the band, and conveys how devoted they are to constantly learning and changing as time goes on. New Hope Club does not “put their sound in a box.” They see music as a way to be creative and have fun, which strengthens their relationship as bandmates and friends. This carefree mindset continuously reminds them of why they fell in love with music in the first place, and pushes them to try new things.
New Hope Club’s willingness to experiment is perfectly displayed in the tracks already released this year. Each single gives listeners a glimpse into the new album, and its creative process. The opening guitar riff in ‘L.U.S.H.’ was very much unplanned and stumbled upon. It represents the song very well, and feels similar to the “calm before the storm” while in a relationship. The lyrics are risque, and “saucy” as George would say. ‘L.U.S.H.’ was co-produced by Blake, and this new album marks his debut as a producer. ‘Getting Better’ stood out to the band as it was being written, and they decided to introduce the new era with that track in particular. “Getting Better…encapsulates what the new album is embodying. I think that one for me holds a really special place,” stated George.
New Hope Club’s raw storytelling has become more apparent in their new music as they have drawn inspiration from their own personal stories and experiences. When asked to name a lyric that says so little but means so much, Blake was quick to mention a snippet from ‘Call Me a Quitter.’ The lyric from the second verse “I know, I know she's becoming part of the furniture” is a metaphor, and sums up the song as a whole. The phrase means your relationship is just part of your day-to-day routine. You feel as if you are not putting enough effort into it, and neglecting to notice the little things. This is similar to getting a brand new couch and admiring it, and as time goes on you become less aware of it. The album artwork for each single was another way the band emphasized their storytelling. They brainstormed what colors correlated with the feelings that emerged when listening to each song. Red was selected for ‘Call Me a Quitter’ to represent romance and heartbreak.
Aside from songwriting, New Hope Club took on the role of developing the concept behind their video for ‘L.U.S.H..’ They could have made a typical video with a love interest, but they decided to make their humor the main focus since they love making people laugh. “We wanted to poke a little bit of fun at ourselves in this video. We don’t take ourselves too seriously,” laughs Reece. Throughout the music video, the band spends all day hyping themselves up and preparing for a show. One of the clips shows their pre-show routine of getting in a huddle for a pep talk, and completing a 3-way high five. Once they hit the stage there are only two people there, and they are older adults who are eating their dinner and could care less. The video is entirely shot on film, and the cinematography provides a unique aesthetic. Viewers can easily tell there is never a dull moment between the trio, and display a bond of brotherhood.
New Hope Club always brings their humor and silly dance moves to the stage while on tour. They recently wrapped up the US leg of their Getting Better Tour that consisted of several ‘pinch me’ moments because the band was so far from home. Despite the distance, the trio was showered with so much love and there was an immense electric feeling that ricocheted through each venue. Every show “felt like a celebration” since it was the first real tour since the pandemic. New Hope Club also hit a milestone this year as they traveled to Asia, and headlined a festival for the very first time. They performed their new music for 10,000 people, and made memories to last a lifetime. For each show, the band aims for a formal appearance and they take great pride in their style. They pull a lot of inspiration from The Beatles for photoshoots and stage outfits. They consider their style to be vintage, and they enjoy wearing “custom pieces that no-one else has.” They can be seen wearing custom designs by British designer, Daniel W Fletcher. Reece mentioned, “Fashion is very important, and is the first thing people see.” New Hope Club is a one-of-a-kind band with an elegant sense of style, and an immense amount of talent and charm. The new era and upcoming album will continue to demonstrate the band’s evolution, and have everyone fixed on them sooner or later.
