Following a massive 2020 - which saw the release of their huge single “Are We Having Any Fun Yet?” - Manchester act Larkins are back with the epic new offering “if + when”.
The track builds from a fragile piano introduction, before sparse beats drive the song toward the anthemic release of its heartfelt chorus. The disarming lyrical honesty of singer Josh Noble shines through in his searingly real account of trying to pull a loved one back from the brink of self-destruction. All he can ultimately offer, he realises, is a promise: ‘I’ll be there, if + when it gets too rough’.
Starting out as frontman Josh Noble writing and recording the song on a laptop in his bedroom, the final form of “if + when” is co-produced by Nolan ‘Sir Nolan’ Lambroza (LANY, Alec Benjamin); with additional help from Michael Pollack (Justin Bieber, LAUV), this marriage of alternative energy and pop craft makes for an incandescent whole.
Speaking about the song, frontman Josh Noble explained: “This song is my apology. It’s me taking ownership and describing my failures as a friend. Around 6 months ago, during lockdown, I received a call to say someone I was close with had been missing for a few days and I was asked whether I knew their whereabouts. I had this horrible feeling that I would never see them again. After a night of searching, someone found
them in a bad way in a place they should never have been. I was totally crushed and spent weeks reflecting on whether I'd done enough. I spent a lot of time reflecting on how selfish people can be, especially boys, and how we must get better at talking to our friends. It’s about us seeing the signs and being open to having honest and hard conversations.”
Originally from the small town of Glossop in Derbyshire, Larkins quickly established themselves as “one of Manchester’s great new hopes” (NME). They’ve since sold over 10,000 tickets, played the legendary Reading and Leeds Festivals, and on their forthcoming tour will play back-to-back shows at Manchester Academy – one already sold out. They’ve also accumulated more than 20 million streams across platforms and have been working with the likes of Dan Nigro (Olivia Rodrigo, Conan Gray) and Andrew Dawson (Kanye West) – all without having yet released an album.
The band have already caught critical heat from the likes of NME, BILLBOARD, DORK, EARMILK, THE LINE OF BEST FIT, CLASH, EUPHORIA and BOYS BY GIRLS, as well as radio support from BBC Radio 1 (Annie Mac + Jack Saunders), Apple Music 1 (Zane Lowe + Travis Mills), and burgeoning US tastemaker support from ALT NATION and KROQ.
In spite of the hype, Larkins are not your nihilistic rock stars of yore – the band are instead very much at the vanguard of their own generation’s thoughtful conscience. They pride themselves on eco-friendly touring, have committed to setting up female safety and gender equality markers at their shows, and have a self-designed merchandise line, Animals in Costume, which is all ethically sourced. As part of their ongoing dedication to build a diverse team of individuals, Larkins have also opened up applications for job roles on their touring crew to fans who are keen to build a career in the live music industry.
Building on influences including Fred again.., Halsey and Jeremy Zucker, Larkins bring a pop twist which is all their own and which looks set to make 2021 the year they go from underground acclaim to stratospheric success.
