Welshman, Pete Lawrie has just released his debut album ‘A Little Brighter’ and will be in Ireland to play the Body & Soul Festival on June 18/19. I caught up with Pete to chat about to chat about his new album, camper vans and golf!
You come from a musical background, your parents are musicians, playing with The Liverpool Philharmonic and your Grandad played on the Beatles’ Strawberry Fields Forever. Did that influence or sway you in any way as to what path life would take?
‘Yeah, in the sense that I was surrounded by music from an early age and there was instruments around. I certainly wasn’t pushed into it. It was amazing to me. I used to go watch my parents rehearse in the orchestra every Saturday, which was amazing cos you just sit in an empty auditorium with a full orchestra. My first present was a trumpet from my Grandad, which amazingly, today, I’ve just put my trumpet in the bath. I haven’t played it in so many years that it seized up and my flatmate just asked if I’d play trumpet on a track he’s playing. So I just got it out today, which is a strange coincidence.
I was just surrounded my music and instruments so I guess it did influence me but my sister isn’t a musician so it certainly wasn’t like we were told to do it.’