Lina and the Lions is made up of 2 core members:
Lina Lane: is a singer, Songwriter and bass player.
Lee Feltham: guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and producer
When playing live, the band is always joined by a session drummer.
Lina moved to the UK as a young teen. After living in London, studying music and developing herself on various instruments, she formed Lina and the Lions. Originally, the 2 core members met in a pub in their hometown, Sheffield. Lina and Lee (a multi-instrumentalist and producer) started making music almost immediately, and the story goes from there. So far, the pair have independently released 8 singles, 5 music videos and 2 full length albums, “One Small Step” and “Second Nature.”
We began with the association the band has with Comic Con. We asked how that came about. And is it something they enjoy? It was actually one of our team members who came across the guys at a Comic Con and was so impressed they knew we should say hello. We are unsure how common the bands playing at Comic Con here in the UK are. Stateside, Gene Simmons of Kiss has played at Comic Cons, and Kiss had that great comic book series ‘Psycho Circus’ out in the 90’s, but over here in the UK, that connection is more unique to Lina and the Lions, we think.
Lina: Since we were kids, myself and Lee have been into comics, movies/TV and retro gaming. I’m the Superman fan, and Lee is the Batman fan, but he has slowly started to come out of the shadows and lean into the light; he now enjoys Superman too! We both attended cons in the past, and you are right, as far as we know, live music was not part of the UK Comic Con scene. One afternoon last April, I was sitting in the sun all relaxed, thinking, “What could we be a live soundtrack to?” Then it just came to me… Comic-Cons! Right there and then, I knew deep in my heart that our songs would be anthems of hope, fearlessness, and self-belief where it’s most needed. So, I emailed a bunch of cons straight away asking if we can come and play our music at their event. And within a few hours, one said yes! Comic-Con World in Blackpool. Then it was like a domino effect; we played one after the other. We love it! It’s a place where people meet their heroes, have fun in cosplay, and also find treasures. And we get to be their live original soundtrack! Other than performing, our favourite part is meeting people. We love learning about what brought them there and why.
We looked at the hologram videos the band do as well; very innovative! We think it marks out the sci-fi element of the band. Again, noting KISS, they have moved to Avatars as a future, following the lead of ABBA, and the holograms seem to be touching that vein. Tell me about the thinking there, and what do you think of the Avatar side of the business now?
Lee: We’d all like Kiss to live forever and keep rocking! But eventually something has to carry their legacy. For them, it could be holograms. Green Day’s “American Idiot” is one of our all-time favourite albums. But the musical has a good chance of being enjoyed by audiences around the world years after the band is gone. So I get why the established bands (or “brands”) are looking for these sorts of alternative ideas. As a new band, we can enjoy unique benefits too. The novelty of the holograms, VHS releases and Floppy Disk EPs we’ve done is intriguing enough to draw the attention of new fans and is also a great bit of fun for our existing fans. We love trying to figure out ways to give people just a little bit more.
We wondered if the guys have a conscious image for the band when performing? Some techno bands (Priest, especially, we covered them last year) have a consciously techno style; you guys are more relaxed in style. Is the style side of things thought out as a plan?
Lina: Great question! Yes and no. We are fans of the 80s and 90s so I think subconsciously, we dress like that anyway. Lee used to play basketball as a teenager, so Nike tends to be favoured for footwear. Personally, I like lots of 80’s movies like Flashdance and Weird Science, so I drew some style elements from the female characters for sure! I definitely don’t think of us as a “uniform” band, so style might be something that morphs depending on our future albums, influences and new favourite things!
After listening to the album, we all liked the song “Sky Beneath Our Feet,” a great slab of melodic, high-octane pop. Could you tell us more about that one? Is it one you still play live, and how was that one put together?
Lina: Really happy that you like it! I wrote “Sky Beneath Our Feet” about not conforming to what society expects from us, to “look up to see what is going down” in order to find our own path and embrace it. The image that I had in my head when I arranged the song was of me as a ninja warrior standing triumphant on some kind of a super craft in the sky, grateful for the wonderful things that I already am and have. That inspired high tempo, tall synths and a relentless heart throbbing drum beat. Yes. We do still play the song live. It actually happens to be a fan favourite! What’s crazy is that I have had 2 people at different cons tell me that the song reminds them of some kind of a battle in the sky!
In life, I guess, we all seek to squeeze the lemon of success—the last album clearly met acclaim and established you with a strong set list and growing audience. What comes next?
Lina: We are always working on something new to give our listeners and our fans. As well as touring Comic-Cons this year, we are aiming to release our third album “Of The Third Kind”. An album themed around growing pains.
We think your music would be ideally suited for a sci-fi movie! Which sci-fi movie, would you most have liked to have a song from yourselves in, and during which scene!
Lee: Maybe “Relentless Love” could work for Terminator! The original score is one of our favourites! The synths on Relentless Love could almost drop into T1 movie. Could be a nice backdrop for Kyle and Sarah’s scenes. Plus, there’s a lot of lyrics that fit in a weird way… “I’ll go from now to then…”
And a couple of fun questions to end on…Which superpower would you most like to have, and what would you do if you had that power?
Lina: Tough question. Flying would be cool but I think the novelty would soon wear off if it’s not coupled with other powers. I’d like to have some kind of power that allows people to believe in themselves. One that allows them to see their full potential for good that then motivates them to unlock their own super power. And for some reason, I would simultaneously be amazing at martial arts. That’s just a given.
Lee: “Duplication” – the power to create more than one of myself. As an independent, DIY band this would be SUPER useful!
And what was the last album you listened to from beginning to end, and did you enjoy it?
Lina: Wolf Alice, Blue Weekend. I loved it! “How Can I Make It Ok?” is currently one of my favourite tracks to listen to. Ellie Rowsell’s vocals are stunning, and I really enjoy the orchestral elements on the album. There is something quite childlike about the songs that is very raw, I like that. I find it very honest.
Lee: I recently re-listened to Weezer’s “OK Human.” I absolutely love that album! Amazing songs, amazing vocals, beautifully produced and engineered! There are no electric guitars on there, which leaves room to hear more of what makes that band so special! Such as the unique approach to the drums. The way Patrick Wilson toys with the timing and his over-the-top dynamics really punches through the lush orchestra. We love Weezer, and I think this might be my favourite album of theirs!
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Artist Website here
You can stream music from Lina and the Lions here
Lina and the Lions are touring in May 2024 at the following venues:
- April 13: Utilta Arena, Newcastle, United Kingdom
- April 27: Morningside Arena, Leicester, United Kingdom
- May 4–5: Liverpool Exhibition Centre, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- May 17: The Front Room, Burnley Mechanics, Burnley, United Kingdom
- May 18: Bolton Arena, Bolton, United Kingdom
- May 31–June 2: Wychwood Festival, Cheltenham Racecourse
- July 13: Derby Arena, Derby, United Kingdom
By Benny (the Ball) Benson
and
Stevie Ritson
