Peace on testing out new material and giving everyone their treats on TOPMAN ON TOUR WITH NME

Brum's finest hop aboard TOPMAN and NME's expedition of the UK's unis. Harry Koisser cannot wait

In partnership with TOPMAN
It’s been a long time since you last played a proper gig…
Harry Koisser: “The last headline show was October 2015. This is basically gonna be dusting off the cobwebs, but there’s the potential for it to be quite exciting. I have no idea of what we’re going to play. It could be quite interesting.”

 

You’ve spent the last year working on your third album…
“Yeah, writing it and tackling the big issues and not really rushing it. We lived in the countryside for six of those months and then London for the other six. It’s been pretty much non-stop writing and taking a bit of us-time, which has been pretty nice. But now I’m thoroughly bored of that.”

 

How’s the writing been going?
“They’re the best songs I’ve ever written and possibly the best songs anyone’s ever written. It’s the first time I’ve listened to my songs and thought, ‘If I hadn’t written this I’d be really into them.’ And I am really into them, actually.”

 

Are you going to use these dates to test out new material?
“It would be good to ’cos we’re probably going to go and record immediately after. It’ll be good for us in our process and also I think everyone’s over the idea of piracy, so why not just go with it?”
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Give the people what they want. 
“Exactly. I’ve said that since day one.”

 

You’re playing in Nottingham, Leeds and Sheffield. Are they cities that have been good to you in the past? 
“Always. The first time we headlined Nottingham Rock City was the first venue of that size we’d played. In Leeds [in 2012], I invented something where we just stand on a street corner and all click in time like something from an old movie. People just look at you like, ‘Who are those guys?’ The answer’s us. And then Sheffield… We played some shows there at the Queens Social Club [in 2015] and it was really hectic ’cos there was no barrier. Sam got picked up by all the kids when he played the bass solo from ‘World Pleasure’ – it was like when someone wins a basketball game in an American movie.”

 

These gigs are just for students. Does that change the vibe of a show?
“I don’t know really. It’s something we’ve always enjoyed doing. It seems to be an age group that connects well with us ’cos we’ve never really grown up. I didn’t go to uni, but I imagine it would have been nice to have an exclusive thing like that – to have a band do something exclusively for students. I think it’s important to make sure everyone gets their treats.”

Lose your mind at the following:

Tue March 14
Featuring: Peace, Clean Cut Kid, Will Joseph Cook
Nottingham Trent University

Fri March 17
Featuring: Fickle Friends
University Of Strathclyde, Glasgow

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Sat March 18
Featuring: Fickle Friends, Will Joseph Cook
Hull University

Wed March 22
Featuring: Peace, Will Joseph Cook
Leeds University Union

Thu March 23
Featuring: Devlin, Fickle Friends, Will Joseph Cook
University Of East Anglia, Norwich

Fri March 24
Featuring: Peace, Fickle Friends, Will Joseph Cook
Sheffield University

Sat March 25
Featuring: Huw Stephens
University Of Kent, Canterbury

Wed March 29
Featuring: Devlin, Paris Youth Culture
Gorilla, Manchester

Thu March 30
Featuring: Devlin, Bay Rays
O2 Academy Newcastle

Fri March 31
Featuring: Devlin, Fickle Friends
Loughborough University

As well as having the chance to attend the shows, we want students to help us cover the tour too. One student from every city that TOPMAN ON TOUR WITH NME NME visits will have their Guide To Uni Life published on NME.COM.

Then, one of these students will win the ultimate prize where they will get the opportunity to shadow an NME journalist at the gig at their uni, before reviewing the night. They’ll be able to ask our reporter questions about reviewing and how to make it as a music journalist and get valuable tips and advice on their craft. They’ll also get to see their review appear in NME’s coverage of the tour.

For the chance to write for NME, go to NME.COM/topmanontour and tell us what’s great about your uni.

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