Rising rockers unpeople have released their debut album, we are unpeople, via Sharptone on October 9, and they are currently on tour with Don Broco, with an upcoming slot alongside Royal Blood before their own headline run in January, including a London date at the Electric Ballroom.
The four-piece, who have shared a stage with Metallica early on and made their mark on the festival circuit, have crafted an 11-track record including singles 'the garden', 'friends' and 'blueprint'. Speaking to Jake Crawford (vocals and guitar) and Luke Caley (vocals and guitar), the band discussed the painstaking work behind the album and the collaboration that drives them.
Finding their footing
Jake said the project properly solidified when they put out 'The Garden' at the end of 2024. "That was kind of when it felt like it had properly solidified. Because that song was the first song we wrote, but it wasn't the first one we put out. When it came out, and it was broadly well received, it was like oh, we're doing the right thing."
Luke added that around that time, shows became more hectic, more people sang along, and they sold out their first headline show. The band have only been together three years, but were picked up by Sharptone before releasing any music, meaning they had to present something fully formed quickly, though they had spent two years preparing behind the scenes.
A meticulous process
The band's previous project, Press to Meco, came to an end at the close of 2021, and a week later Crawford and Caley were writing together. Their first show was at 2000 trees festival, where they launched unpeople after James Scarlett, who runs the festival, agreed to let them open the new stage.
Luke explained that the album took longer because of their attention to detail: "We couldn't turn that off if we tried. All four of us are so tuned into what we do because we love it so much, we can't help but care about every detail." Jake noted they did everything themselves, which was "a blessing and a curse," as they would redo parts "again, and again, and again until you hate yourself."
Collaboration and connection
One track that almost didn't make the album was 'haunt'. Jake said it was an old demo he had written off, and every other member had to convince him it was worth pursuing. Luke recalled that the verse and chorus "pricked my ears up" for its different feeling and vibe.
Luke described the band as "a sum of its parts," with each member contributing to songs like 'haunt' - Jake the verse and chorus, Luke the riff and vocal structure, Richie adding percussion, and Em providing harmonies. "There's no set way a song comes together," he said.
Jake said he was initially hesitant about bringing more personal themes into lyrics but took a chance with 'friends', writing in an open way that leaves room for interpretation. Luke noted it was nice to see Jake draw from personal feeling and situation.
Looking ahead
On what listeners might take from the album, Jake said: "First and foremost, if people who are into what they consider good music will listen to it and go, I can tell that they really care about writing the best songs that they possibly can, that's good for me, personally." Luke added that much of the band is about connection, and they don't presume to have the answers.
The band still approach every stage as if they have something to prove, particularly on the current Don Broco tour where they are playing to many new people. Jake said they all love playing live: "If we don't look like we're having the best time ever, how can you expect an audience to have a good time?"
Looking to the January headline tour, Jake is excited about playing King Tut's, while Luke highlighted the Electric Ballroom, which is three times bigger than anywhere they have previously headlined in London. "We were flying to a festival in Finland the day the tour got announced and we had two flights and both times we landed more shows had sold out," he said, adding that the Electric Ballroom is nearly sold out. we are unpeople is out now.
