White Lies

White Lies (formed 2005)

White Lies are an English alternative rock band from London. The lineup of the band consists of Harry McVeigh on vocals and rhythm guitar, Jack Lawrence-Brown on drums and Charles Cave on bass guitar and backing vocals.

White Lies: Starting Out

Charles Cave and Jack Lawrence-Brown met at North Ealing Primary School, where they played their first show together. Harry McVeigh and Andrew Inman, who were from Shepherd's Bush, joined the band later on and the band was named Fear Of Flying. At the time, the band was a 'weekend project' for the boys.

As time went on, the band found themselves supporting the likes of Laura Marling, Jamie T and The Maccabees. Andrew Inman left the band on 2006, after an argument, so the remaining three continued without him.

Fear of Flying released two "7 singles on the independent Young and Lost Club label in 2006. The first was 'Routemaster' / 'Round Three' and the second was 'Three's A Crowd' / 'Forget-Me-Nots'. They were both produced by Stephen Street, who is famous for his production work with Blur and Morrissey.

In August 2007, Fear of Flying played the Underage Festival in Victoria Park, London. The members of the band decided that, rather than going to university, they would all take a second gap year. They had decided to disband as Fear of Flying and begin again with a new, darker sound, enabling them to write more personal songs. Their new sound has been compared to the likes of Editors, Echo and the Bunnymen and The Killers, while Harry McVeigh's vocals have been compared to those of Joy Division's Ian Curtis.

Their first gig as White Lies was in Hoxton, London, at the Bar and Kitchen in February 2008. A number of A&R representatives from various record companies were present at the gig. White Lies received a number of offers of record deals but eventually signed with Fiction Records.

White Lies' UK TV debut came with an appearance on Later. With Jools Holland in May 2008, on which they played 'Unfinished Business' and 'Death'. They also played at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Maidstone, Kent as well as playing a number of major festivals, including T in the Park, Oxegen and the Reading and Leeds festivals. White Lies continued to gig extensively, playing at the CMJ Music Festival in the US, alongside Jay Reatard and Violens. Upon returning to the UK, they supported Glasvegas on their UK tour.

White Lies' debut album was entitled To Lose My Life. and was released in January 2009, shortly after they had been shortlisted for the BBC's 'Sound of 2009' poll (Little Boots was the overall winner). The NME chose the band to perform on their 2009 ShockWaves NME Tour, alongside Florence and the Machine, Friendly Fires and Glasvegas. They also appeared on Jo Whiley's Live Lounge, playing a cover of Kanye West's 'Love Lockdown'.