Tim Hughes catches up with Lawrence ‘Trev’ Cole of the band Dog is Dead, and asks him what it is that makes his lively band unique

TREV laughs as he struggles to explain what it is that makes his band so special.

The bass player with indie-pop five-piece Dog is Dead is cheerful – as well he should be – but admits it’s hard to sum up in words.

“We are five lads from Nottingham who are trying to make interesting pop, and do it in the most eye-catching way,” he says.

“It’s hard to pin it down; you have got to listen to us.”

Of course, millions already have. From early sets around their native East Midlands, they have been signed to Atlantic Records, appeared on cult teen show Skins, and won over crowds from Glastonbury and the Isle of Wight to Reading and our own OX4 Festival – where their van was mobbed by fans.

Trev could also have mentioned the band’s expert melding of dance-pop, bouncy indie, smooth harmonies and jazzy saxophone flourishes.

“We’ve taken our influences from a wide plethora of musical interests,” he goes on, talking to me after a band session in his hometown. “Obviously there’s a large choral influence in the harmonies but other things too – even a bit of calypso and Afro-beat.”

Trev (real name Lawrence Cole) met bandmates Robert Milton and Joss Van Wilder at school in West Bridgford, previously only really famous as the home of Tory politician Kenneth Clarke, and seam bowler Stuart Broad – though album chart-topping singer-songwriter Jake Bugg harks from nearby Clifton.

“When we started Nottingham had a tiny scene,” says Trev. “So it’s great to have someone like Jake breaking out. We like having someone to represent Nottingham; it shows things do happen here and good things do come out of it.”

Trev was responsible for bringing in original drummer Lawrence Libor (since replaced by Daniel Harvey) and guitarist Rob White (who is known in the band as ‘Paul Roberts’, to avoid having two Robs. Obviously).

“All our personalities come through at the same time,” says Trev. “It’s a joint performance. Rob is the principal songwriter and is musically adventurous. But I make the bass parts my own with influences from soul and Motown. It can transform a song if you’ve got great bass lines. We love a bass line groove.”

Trev has spent much of the day having what he calls “a little writing session” with Rob. “There has been a lot of coffee drunk,” he says, “and plenty of Alphabetti Spaghetti. In fact you can expect a heavy Alphabetti Spaghetti influence on the next record. Not really.”

It is well over a year since I last spoke to Dog is Dead, and in that time this quirky, but eloquent, bunch have seen their star continue to rise, releasing their debut album, and following up a tour support for Bombay Bicycle club by also doing the honours for Two Door Cinema Club on mainland Europe. And they are now embarking on their own headline jaunt – returning to Oxford next Thursday.

The past year has also seen them release a slew of singles – Two Devils, Talk Through the Night and Teenage Daughter, as well as re-releasing their debut Glockenspiel Song.

But for all their time in the studio, Trev insists they are still a live band at heart. “We sound best live and want to bring that out,” he says.

“We love to perform on stage; that’s how I fell in love with playing in a band. We throw all our energy into it and that rubs off on the crowd.

“And if we are having a good time, they’ll have a good time.”

And of all their shows, he insists Oxford is the one he is most looking forward to.

“We love playing in Oxford,” he says, sounding very much like he means it. “It’s one of the places where our fan base is strongest, which is surprising. I don’t know why some places are stronger than others, but they are. And Oxford is always great.”

So, after our efforts to pin down the band’s sound, is Trev able to describe their philosophy? He laughs again. “That is way too grand a concept!” he says.

“But most of our lyrics deal with things we struggled with over the years – so we have break-up songs, come-down songs and songs about being restless and trying to get away.”

Of course, no one in the band are restless any more. “We are having a great time,” says Trev. ”And the best bit is being able to play live in front of our friends and have a good craic. “We have always loved that, going right back to our early gigs. That’s why I can’t see myself doing anything else.

“I wouldn’t give it up for the world.”

Dog is Dead play the O2 Academy Oxford next Thursday.
Tickets are £10 from ticketweb.co.uk