Ahead of the release of their new EP, we catch up with the Southampton skate-punks!
Miss the glory days of Epitaph and Fat Wreck Chords-style skate punk? It’s safe to say that Southampton trio Everyone Lies do too, as they’re doing a great job of breathing new life into the genre. They’re about to release a new EP, ‘Web Of Lies‘, and we caught up with the band for a chat ahead of their Salisbury launch gig and London show with The Drowns.
How are you all? How’s 2025 been for you so far?
Benner (vocals/guitar): It’s been brilliant so far! We’ve played a lot of shows, bigger venues, recorded our new EP which is out in a couple of weeks – it’s been a really enjoyable year, and it’s not over yet. I can’t complain!
Locky (drums): Yeah, it’s been a really good year. We’ve put in lots of graft, and it’s all paid off – we’ve had some really good gig offers, and it’s all been great.
Adam (vocals/bass): Also, in the last year, we’ve gone from a 4-piece to a 3-piece, so I moved from guitar to bass. I wasn’t too nervous, but it was different, especially as I’ve played guitar all my life, so we weren’t sure how it was going to be – whether we’d get a new 4th member. But it was fine with three of us in the end, and it is simpler this way – we all just jump in the car and off we go!
B: It’s given us a bit of a push, and this has been our most productive year so far. We’ve written a lot more songs, and done around 25-30 gigs, which – considering our commitments outside of the band – is great for us!
I originally checked you guys out on Spotify, and all it says about you is that you are a ‘UK punk rock’ band. Can you tell us a bit about how you formed? You’re originally from Southampton, right?
A: Yeah, Benner and I are Southampton-based, and Locky’s in Andover, which is only about half an hour away.
L: The way we came together originally is a bit of a love story! I posted on a Facebook punk page, looking for a band – I was in a rock band at the time, but it wasn’t really fulfilling the inner punk side of me, so I posted on that page, and Benner reached out. And the rest is history! He’d been in a band with Adam prior to that, so we all got together in a practice room in the middle of nowhere, and – along with a couple of line-up changes – here we are. And this is the best it’s ever been!
A: Yeah, Benner and I have been playing together since we were about 16, 17, and although things went quiet for a while when we went to university, we started up again after that. And then, when Locky got in touch on Facebook, it clicked really quickly.
And why did you choose the name Everyone Lies? Are you disillusioned with humanity in general (not that we’d blame you!), or is there another reason?
B: Originally we were called Lucky Stryke, but none of us smoke, and we came to think it was a bit corny naming ourselves after American cigarettes! And then our original bassist came up with the name Everyone Lies – it was in the middle of Covid, with all those conspiracy theories knocking around, and I think it came out of one of the conversations we were having at the time. And it stuck – it’s got that political edge to it, even though we’re not really that politically motivated!
Your new EP, ‘Web Of Lies’, is released on 20th September – can you tell us about it?
A: Sure – it’s just three tracks, but we really do feel it’s the best thing we’ve ever done, because the band is the best it’s ever been! We’ve had some stick for the title, but we like it, because the songs continue the ‘lies’ theme – I guess you could call it a kind of concept EP!
So far, you’ve just put out songs and EPs – do you reckon you’ll do an album at some point, or just release tracks as and when you feel like it?
A: Well, we only came out of the studio recently – we all had the creative bug, and we’d love to do an album, but it would be difficult in terms of both cost and time. To do the three songs on ‘Web Of Lies’ took us a full weekend, so to do a 12 to 15-song album could take three weeks, which would need a lot of time off work!
We were recorded by a guy called Daly at the Ranch Production House, which is just across the road from me, and Daly really seems to get the vibe we’re going for. Together, we decided to just release singles, because with single tracks, you can pitch to be included on editorial playlists on Spotify. But we’ve since found out that it’s actually quite difficult to get included on those playlists without fairly weighty backing, so to speak! So we then decided to do an EP, to give us something to promote, and make it easier when we’re trying to organise gigs – something with a bit more meat on the bones.
B: We all had such a good time in the studio, making the EP, so we’re definitely planning to record more. We don’t know how to record ourselves, though; some bands have good studio knowledge, but we have to use a studio and a producer, and of course that comes at a cost. But I would like to get an album out with these guys at some point!
The most recent song you’ve released (prior to your new EP) is ‘Stuck Inside My Head’, which reminds me a lot of Millencolin’s ‘Bullion’ – both songs are super-catchy odes to making changes in your life and breaking out of the same old routines. Is that what you were going for on your song?
B: I think we can all hold up our hands and say that we’re huge Millencolin fans, so for you to hear that in our song is brilliant! You’re right, we were going for a catchy skate-punk vibe, so yeah, we’re very happy with that comparison!
A: It is a similar theme too – ‘Stuck Inside My Head’ was written by our original bassist, but we were all very much on the same page. We were at that point in our lives where it did feel like the same old routines, and a couple of us in the band have struggled with our mental health, so the song is quite reflective, about the need to take those steps to get yourself into a better place.
I saw that you supported the UK Subs a while back – that must have been an amazing experience! Plus you’re clearly very happy with your new EP. Any other particular highlights that spring to mind from your time together so far?
L: One that sticks out for me is that we’re big fans of Wonk Unit, and when we started the band, we made it our mission to play a gig with them; we’ve since done it twice! Plus members of Wonk Unit will be playing with us at our EP release show, which we’ll talk about more in a minute.
B: We’ve played with some other great bands too – Grade 2, 4ft Fingers…we remember going to see 4ft Fingers as kids, and now they’re friends! Whitmore, too, we supported them on their 20th anniversary tour, and we’re massively looking forward to our show with The Drowns in London, and we’ve got another big show lined up towards the end of the year. Keep your eyes peeled for that one!
L: I think we can say at this point that we’ve played with a big chunk of the UK punk scene – bands like Riskee & The Ridicule, Millie Manders & The Shut Up, Call Me Malcolm, and there are plenty more bands we’d love to play with! But it is difficult to get the shows we’d ideally like without backing and management and booking agents, so we just have to keep working as the DIY punk band that we are.
Musically, do you bond over similar stuff, or is it more that everyone brings something different to the Everyone Lies table?
B: I think that as a band, we agree on bands like Rancid, Green Day and Blink, but when I was growing up, I was a huge Status Quo fan! So all I really used to play was rhythm guitar in a Quo style, and since we downsized to a 3 piece, I’ve had to learn to play more lead work. It’s been a challenge, but I’ve put the work in, and although it can be a bit tricky live, it’s worked out well overall! But yeah, we definitely share a similar taste in punk bands, but growing up, we all had our own thing going on.
Any particular plans for the future, besides the upcoming EP and the shows you mentioned?
B: We’ll be playing our last show of the year in Reading with our friends Tape It Shut, for their album launch party. Until then, we’re pretty stacked with gigs, but we’re already making plans for next year.
A: Now that we know how far in advance festivals get booked, we’re already trying to arrange some festival slots for next year! We don’t generally do much in December, as we’ve all got young families, but we will get together to email promoters and discuss plans for recording. Maybe we’ll get another EP together!
B: There isn’t that much going on punk-wise in Southampton these days, so we generally have to travel to play shows…which on one hand can be a pain, but that said, some of the best times I’ve had this year have been travelling around in the car with these guys! We’ve made some amazing memories as a 3-piece, and it hasn’t even been a year yet. So, onwards and upwards in 2026!
Everyone Lies play a free EP launch gig at Salisbury’s Winchester Gate on September 20th, and then London’s Black Heart on September 23rd with The Drowns and Clobber – tickets are available HERE.
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