Orange Spotlight: Loose Articles
Who are Loose Articles?
We are a band based in Manchester and formed in 2019. In Loose Articles we have Natalie on bass and vocals, Erin on lead guitar and vocals, Abbi on drums and backing vocals and Anna on keys, rhythm guitar and percussion. The band name came from Erin going on a school trip to Alton Towers as she’s a teacher and she saw a sign saying ‘please secure all loose articles before entering the ride’. It immediately stuck unlike another name we were pondering over before. Being in a band is a rollercoaster so you need to strap in and make sure not to lose any loose articles on the way! As for our music we like to say we’re funky punk. You can have a good old dance with your pals but you can also start a mosh pit on the dance floor.
What inspires Loose Articles?
We take inspiration from everyday life. From misogynistic behaviours in the workplace, being talked down to for being a female musician, gender roles in jobs, the struggles of nearly making it in the music industry to our fascination with the underground pinball society. We like to take problems we face in our day to day life and turn it into sarcastic lyrics then put a funky punk beat behind it so you all can dance to it. We take pride in our fun live shows and try to make the music as fun as we can, however when you really listen to the lyrics the topics we talk about are more hard hitting.
What Orange gear is important to Loose Articles?
So I (Natalie) have a Terror Bass head and an OBC-112 cab. Right now as a touring artist at the level we are at, an important thing is getting the right, powerful sound I’m looking for but for it to also be light and easy to transport as possible and this set up is just perfect for me. I can lift my cab with one hand, which makes me look a lot stronger than I am as everyone thinks it’s going to be heavy when really it’s so light! It makes touring at this level very easy and doesn’t hold back at all on the sound as it’s a little power house!
Erin currently uses a Crush 35RT combo amp which she’s holding back on parting with just yet as it enhances our live shows sound wise when she needs to get the feedback she wants to play the Stella Artois can (yes you heard right) with her guitar when we start the show. Anna has just bought a Micro Terror and a PPC-112 which is already sounding amazing on stage and we can’t wait to start writing the second album with this second guitar sound.
Future Orange amps?
So the dream would be if the band made it big to upgrade to a OBC-810C cab and a AD200 head, however right now the set up I have is actually perfect for what I need and I recommend it to so many people when they talk about bass amps to me. I do know that Erin is eyeing up a Rocker 15 right now as an upgrade to her crush combo so the future of our sound is still very Orange!
What does Orange mean to you?
I’ve always seen bands I love playing orange amps but started to make note of it more when being in the market for a new amp to enhance my bass tone. I remember clocking at a Turnstile gig that the bassist has an orange amp and made a mental note of it. But it was when I borrowed the set up I have now at a gig we did in Leeds as my amp was broken that I really fell in love with the amp and how it was just what I wanted tone wise. From then I wanted to reach out to orange to get a relationship going as Erin is also a big fan of the brand and it’s honestly been such a nice relationship we have encountered.The Brand itself is so helpful towards artists. We have been sorted out for a massive show when we have been in need of bigger amps for the week, everyone has always been so helpful towards us when we message over its just all round a lovely brand to be associated with regardless of the killer sounds the amps make.
What’s the most memorable Loose Articles moment?
I guess the most recent one has to be supporting the Foo Fighters. The fact they picked up to support and at the time they picked us we had no backing from a label and no booking agent. I think we had maybe 6 songs on Spotify and they gave us this massive opportunity to support them. It not only gave us the confidence that important people in the industry believe in us but it’s made us hungry to be on these massive stages putting on a fun show to thousands of people. As it was such a massive show we were lent amps by Orange which really enhanced our sound on a big stage which we are all so grateful for as it made us sound massive!
What’s on the horizon for Loose Articles?
So right now we have just finished touring our debut album ‘Scream If You Wanna Go Faster’ yet we are already working on album number 2. We have also just announced our Arts Council England-funded Kick Like A Girl Extra Time! This is a touring project running throughout Jan/Feb/Mar 2025 across grassroots venues in the north of England. The project is aimed at primarily engaging young female identifying and non- binary people from backgrounds and groups who typically aren’t represented in the music industry, and we’ll illuminate the pathways into the often male-dominated music scene with community outreach locally via local community groups in each town. This is the second Kick Like a Girl tour and from the reaction we had during and following the last one, we feel more than ever the importance as a band to be doing tours like this. We feel passionately about making changes in the music industry to address inequality. We want to create a shift away from the industry we operate in being white male dominated. Across all the job roles that exist from being in a band to being a sound tech, promoter, manager etc.. We want to encourage young female identifying and non- binary people to get involved and feel like they can succeed in this line of work. As a band our song topics touch on gender roles and overcoming the struggles of being a gender minority in a male dominated industry. So why not actually practice what we preach about in our songs and really try to make a difference. We want all of the gigs we play to be a safe space for all regardless of gender identity. Everyone is invited to get involved with the party!
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Photo Credits – Sarah Louise Bowery, Alexis Panidis and Sinead Ferguson