While stylistically distinct from hometown musical heroes Richard Ashcroft and The Verve, The Lilacs—Wigan’s latest contribution to England’s rock revival—are undoubtedly full of Northernsoul. Their debut EP The 395 (To Forever) is brimming with nods to their Northern English roots, while maintaining energetic, universal relatability.
Since forming in 2018, The Lilacs have released a series of hit singles — most notably ‘Vicarage Road’ and ‘Grace.’ Now, the four-piece indie-rock band has answered fans’ calls with their much-anticipated debut EP, The 395 (To Forever). With all of the energy of their indie-anthem, ‘Vicarage Road’, and five years of experience under their belts, ‘The 395’ feels like a five-track ode to the band’s origins, with an optimistic view on tomorrow— a smile in the rear-view mirror as momentum draws them forward from a junction in their musical journey.
I reached out to The Lilacs’ lead singer and songwriter, Ollie Anglesea, to discuss their EP’s overarching theme, its cryptic title, local references, his transition from drummer to frontman, the band’s role in the current Brit-rock revival, and the potential impact that Oasis’ reunion could have on the rock-resistance in the era of AI.
Mike Finnegan: Can you tell me a bit about your album title, The 395 (To Forever)?
Ollie Anglesea (The Lilacs):
The 395 is a bus in Wigan, and the title song on the EP was originally called ‘The 395 to Southport’, because that’s where we originally thought the route’s final stop was. Turns out it’s actually in Skelmersdale… But anyway, while we’re in the studio we decided on something a little bit bigger. Something less niche, and more open to our listeners. So, we decided on The 395 (To Forever).
The idea is basically that no matter what life throws at you, or what you go through, there’s always this bus – this vehicle that’s always been with you – and it’s there waiting to take you to the next place you need to be in life, wherever that may be.
Mike Finnegan: Are there any other region-specific references on your album that outsiders might not pick up on?
Ollie Anglesea (The Lilacs):
There was an old nightclub called Indiependence, which was legendary in Wigan. They used to do a promo called ‘Ten for Ten’: if you got in before 10 o’clock on a Friday or Saturday and paid 10 pounds, you’d get a card worth 10 drinks,” Ollie reflected with a nostalgic smirk. “So, a lot of people — us included — would go in, get the card before 10 p.m., leave, and then come back at, say, one or two in the morning. And there you go—you’d basically have 10 drinks for what felt like free at that point.
Ollie noted that there was a slight possibility that this particular promotion– while undoubtedly successful in gaining the club notoriety—may have played a part in its eventual closure.
‘Then there’s Kabana, of course,’ Ollie added. ‘That’s the kebab shop which is an infamous Iate-night takeaway on Cheetham Hill Road in Manchester. It’s actually just around the corner from where we recorded our work.’
Between Ollie’s Northern accent, which is proudly present in his vocals, and the plethora of regional references in his lyrics, Glasgow’s Gerry Cinnamon sprang to mind as a kindred musical spirit— a comparison that Ollie didn’t seem to mind in the least.
‘We write about Northern stuff, I sound Northern—and we’re just a Northern band, you know what I mean?’ Ollie responded to the comparison, ‘What you see is what you get, and I love that. I think that’s what people like about us. We’re just four lads on stage from the North, talking about our lives.’
Mike Finnegan: Were there any particularly mad nights or experiences that inspired any of the tracks on The 395 (To Forever)?
Ollie Anglesea (The Lilacs):
The opening line in our single ‘You’re Not That Daft’ goes: ‘Do you remember that time when we caused a racket?/ We got let back in because we both swapped jackets.’ That one’s about myself and (drummer) Dave Gomersall. We had a night out in Glasgow once, but we couldn’t get into this nightclub for the life of us. I don’t know why; I think we were just too drunk or something. So, what we did was — as cliché as it sounds — we just walked away, swapped jackets, walked back up, and they let us straight in! (Laughs) And I didn’t even know that was a thing, you know. I couldn’t believe it. So anyway, that’s in ‘You’re Not That Daft’.
Mike Finnegan: Coming from Wigan, comparisons to hometown legends like Richard Ashcroft and The Verve are inevitable, but your band is more involved with the contemporary rock-revival movement coming out of Northern England these days. What are your thoughts on this?
Ollie Anglesea (The Lilacs):
We actually probably get compared with a newer band from Wigan called The Lathums more than The Verve, really. The Lathums – I mean, these guys are new in the industry, and they’re taking over. One question that we do always get is, ‘What’s it like growing up in Wigan when you’ve had bands like Richard Ashcroft and The Verve?’ But now there’s a lot of talk about The Lathums, and other up-and-coming bands like The Lottery Winners, and The Stanleys.
The music scene in Wigan is rocking at the minute, and I think that gives everyone else a sense of belief, really. There are so many bands from Wigan that have gone out there and done it, had numerous number one albums and things like that. So, there’s a real, real belief amongst bands in Wigan right now, for sure.
Mike Finnegan: I understand Noel Gallagher was one of your first concert experiences. What impact has his music with The High Flying Birds and Oasis had on you?
Ollie Anglesea (The Lilacs):
My dad took me to Brussels to watch him at this brilliant venue, and, I mean, I just love Noel Gallagher. He’s one of the reasons why I started a band—as well as The Cortinas. But the reason I properly got into music was that I just loved Noel Gallagher. I still do love Noel Gallagher. I actually prefer Noel Gallagher and The High Flying Birds, and Liam Gallagher’s separate solo thing than the whole Oasis thing. I absolutely love The High Flying Birds, they’re brilliant.
Mike Finnegan: The interesting thing about Oasis getting back together now is that they may be the only band in history to really spearhead two separate rock movements throughout their career—sparing music lovers from the clutches of a largely spirit-less mainstream music scene, twice. I can’t think of any other artists or bands who’ve had that impact on the mainstream twice. What do you think?
Ollie Anglesea (The Lilacs):
I mean, Dave Grohl was in two big bands, Nirvana, and The Foo Fighters, but no, you’re right, mate. They’re definitely doing that. They’re definitely keeping guitar music on the radar. Definitely. I believe that Sam Fender is doing the same thing. He’s only part of one movement, but he’s helping, you know?
With Oasis, I can’t say I know where they’ll be going, but I just know that they’re putting guitar music and guitar bands back on the map. And that’s giving up-and-coming bands like myself and The Lilacs, and various other bands a platform to do what they do best, live the life that we want to live, and live our dream. So, I don’t know where it will go, but I know that it’s definitely going to help bands like ours moving forward.
Mike Finnegan: Speaking of Dave Grohl – you two are part of a pretty exclusive club of former-drummers-turned-front-men. That must’ve been a pretty huge shift for you. What was that transition like, and where would you rather be on stage?
Ollie Anglesea (The Lilacs):
I definitely prefer being the front man, because I’m quite an outgoing, extroverted kind of person, so I love it. I don’t love the attention – not in that way – but I do kind of enjoy the attention, I think. Between the four of us in The Lilacs, it’s probably better that it’s me up there because I’m a little a little bit more extroverted.
The transition was actually fine. I think over the last six years of singing, I’ve definitely gotten better, Mike. You can tell that my vocal cord has grown. The muscle is building. And because I literally went from drums straight into singing, you can hear the difference in our earlier tracks. If you listen to ‘Vicarage Road’ and you listen to one of our new tracks from the EP we released last week, you can hear how much stronger my voice is.
Mike Finnegan: Lastly Ollie, how would you define The Lilacs?
Ollie Anglesea (The Lilacs):
The Lilacs are very relatable. I think people can buy into what we’re doing. I think they can buy into the lyrics. I think we’re a very, very easy band to enjoy. We’ve not gone too heavy, but we’ve not gone too soft. I think we’re just very much bang on the fence, you know? We’re an ‘easy on the ear’ kind of band. And I think a lot of people can relate to what we what we write about, and engage with that high energy on stage.
Unfortunately, just two days after this interview, The Lilacs made a heartbreaking announcement: guitarist Sam Birchall had been diagnosed with cancer, leading to the cancellation of their UK tour to promote The 395 (To Forever).
Sam wrote in his statement: ‘It’s with sadness that I have to announce this news to you all…after a recent downturn in health & undergoing various tests I have been diagnosed with testicular cancer. After starting this band with Ollie all those years ago, and in fact naming the band after ‘The Lilac Centre’ since my mum sadly passed away with cancer, this all seems ironic and a huge shock to myself and us all. With this in mind, my personal health and wellbeing must come first and I will be starting my ongoing treatment immediately.’
Fans can help support the band’s ambition of making their first Official Charts impact by buying the EP HERE. It is available on CD, black vinyl and a striking navy blue and white splatter vinyl.
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