As heard on BBC Introducing, The Lost Notes are a Moseley based 5-piece Americana band renowned for their energetic and joyous live shows with a sound that “Fits in amongst peers like Fleet Foxes and Crosby Stills Nash and Young." (Rocking Magpie). They’ve recently released their third album ‘Good Luck Shoes’ and are set to take over the Jennifer Blackwell Performance Stage on Tue 25 February 2025.

The band members come from diverse musical backgrounds and each new song arrangement is always infused with these eclectic musical personalities; from Ben’s love of Funk, Americana/Soul and gospel, Oli’s folk and acoustic mix, Max Tomlinson’s jazz conservatoire pedigree, Steve Vantsis’s prog-rock to Lucy’s love of sultry jazz and musical theatre. “But the core that binds it all together remains one of strong acoustic instrumentation and (we hope!) uplifting three-part harmonies.” This shines through in their performances, having been described by The Woodman Folk Club as “one of the most exciting bands to have crashed onto the UK Folk scene in years [with their] superb three-part harmony, beautifully scripted songs, impressive professional musicianship and explosive stage presence.”

“We’ve also made an effort to just embrace what we think are good songs without worrying about what ‘genre’ they are,” they add. “The consequence is, people say, a real mix of Americana, folk, blues, country, jazz, pop and the Laurel Canyon sound.”

This love of music started early. “My parents loved music, and singing as a family was always a big part of my life,” says Ben. “My dad was a Baroque recorder player. I remember hearing him practicing downstairs and being captivated by the haunting melodies. From then on, I’ve been drawn to music and, in particular, songwriting, connecting with people through performance and, in particular, sharing the joy of singing together.”

“Very similarly to Ben’s upbringing,” Oli adds. “My house was full of music. I would suddenly hear Chopin being played on the piano by my dad, or Scott Joplin, both of whom I still love to this day. My mum was the guitarist and singer in the house, and singing round campfires was a very regular occurrence.”

For Lucy, her earliest memory was her dad singing ‘Save Your Kisses For Me’ by Brotherhood of Man and loving it! Her mum was a piano teacher and Lucy sang in choirs. As Lucy says, “In my teens I mainly wanted to be in musical theatre but The Lost Notes will do!”

The Lost Notes have performed in the B:Music stages both within the halls and beyond. “Playing for Nashville Sounds in the Round Birmingham Songwriters Showcase in Victoria Square, for the Birmingham Festival 2022 during the Commonwealth Games, alongside Gasoline & Matches, Neil Murdoch (from Blue Nation) and Namywa was a total privilege and joy,” they reminisce.

“That we would ever have the opportunity to play in the region’s premier venue at all was just a hope and a dream when we first started The Lost Notes.”

The members are no strangers to the venue. “What I think we all particularly love is the diversity of the programme,” says Ben. “I’ve sensed a real attempt over the last few years to make the music programme more accessible, diverse and to make full use of all the performance spaces. To make the B:Music venues somewhere where music lovers of all tastes and backgrounds are naturally drawn.”

“It’s hard to express quite what it means when representatives of somewhere like B:Music come up after a gig and say, “we love what you’re doing and we’d like to support you and offer you some performances!” That, in itself, is so encouraging. It makes all the effort you put into trying to make your music a success, worth it. It’s genuinely a ‘pinch yourself’ moment,” they add. “I also absolutely love the use that is made of the Jennifer Blackwell Performance Space, B:Eats and the other smaller rooms. Looking from the outside in, those spaces seem to be used to give opportunities to artists across the age range and musical spectrum to perform and, equally, to showcase what our city has to offer."

"From the Free Jazz Fridays, to the free BIMM at B:EATS, to Celebrating Sanctuary, I love seeing people being given the same opportunity we have had, to perform in such iconic spaces. That’s why we keep coming back as regular punters!”

They’ll be returning to the Jennifer Blackwell Performance Stage on Tue 25 February 2025, this time bringing with them music from their new album. “It’s probably best described as ten tales exploring the plight of the wary, the hopeful, the loved and the loveable; the wild and the lost, the unhinged and the crossed. The fixed up, the torn down, the hoe-downs and throw downs, topped by the musings of a deliriously optimistic psychopath with a death wish. Standard Lost Notes fare!”

Interview by Lerah Barcenilla, Marketing & Communications Officer