THUNDER BAY – The Lockyer Boys are trying to capture the sound of summer.
It’s a tried-and-true tradition in the music business.
From Prince and his 1984 hit, When Doves Cry, to TLC’s Waterfalls in 1995, to Nelly’s Hot in Herre in 2002 and 2019’s Old Town Road that introduced the world to Lil Nas X, artists have tried to create summer magic and memories for music lovers worldwide.
UH HUH!, their latest single, slated for release on Friday, is their attempt to create a little summer magic of their own.
“It’s a really fun song. It’s giving back-to-high-school vibes, or last-day-of-school, going into the summer, which is perfect for the timing of the release, which is June 27,” said William Lockyer, the band’s co-vocalist and guitar player.
“We wanted to time it perfectly with summer because it just gives that vibe perfectly. That’s what we going for on this song and I think we did a pretty good job.”
The release comes on the heels of a gruelling two-month stretch for William and his brother, Charlie, who spent nearly four months on the road, including time recording in Los Angeles and touring in both Canada and the United States.
“We’ve played it a couple times live and we wrote it in L.A. with another artist, Trevon.”
“It’s like a crazy rock song,” Charlie said.
“It’s definitely one of our (rockier) songs. And when we were recording the drums in L.A., our drummer finished it and an earthquake happened. So, he was drumming so hard that an earthquake happened. Just a small one, not enough to break our legs or anything. Just enough for us to say, ‘Yo, that’s the coolest thing.'”
The duo is still waiting for that breakout hit.
They’ve had some success with past singles, including 2021’s Surfing in L.A., 2002’s LATKD and 2023’s Feel, but it’s a crowded marketplace and to be able to set themselves apart from thousands of other acts trying to make it won’t happen overnight.
Both brothers say they’re committed to putting in the time and effort to make it happen.
“We just keep hoping that every year is better than the last, that every show is better than the last,” Charlie said.
“We haven’t been disappointed yet,” William added.
“We’ve headlined two festivals in Toronto, one called Departure … and then we headlined at North by Northeast. But even now, we’d rather open for a big person and get that crowd going.”
Regardless of where they wind up musically, the Lockyer Boys said they can’t wait to play shows in their hometown.
The brothers are slated to play Marina Park on Thursday, Aug. 28, ahead of the city’s second of two drone shows scheduled for the waterfront.
