The Great Leslie formed during the first wave of the COVID19 Pandemic in June 2020. They are an indie/alternative rock outfit from London, with Ollie Trevers on Lead Vocals/ Rhythm Guitar, Julien Baraness on Lead Guitar, Alfie Pawsey on Bass Guitar and Ryan Lavender on Drums.
Since their formation the band has released eight singles and a live EP of back catalogue tracks. So far they have had all of their singles played on BBC Introducing Suffolk, two of which were crowned ‘Track Of The Week’. Additionally, they have had repeated support from the late Janice Long (formerly Top of the Pops presenter) on BBC Wales across multiple releases. Janice praised the band’s energy and song writing, calling The Great Leslie ones to watch in 2022. They have had repeated airplay on Planet Rock with Wyatt Wendels and repeated airplay on Johnny Doom’s Kerrang Radio show supporting several of their releases. Their single ‘Everything From Last Night’, secured the band plays on Radio X with John Kennedy declaring it “an instant hit”. The band has also had a track played on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch and received constant support from outlets like Amazing Radio US and Amazing Radio UK. Their most recent track, ‘Anna’, gained the accolade of XS Manchester’s ‘Record of the Week’, and to top it all off, Islington Radio said that, “The Great Leslie can have a play any time they want”. Over 2021 the band has released a series of tracks, growing followers and fans with each single release. They have seen a 999% growth through the year across every metric on Spotify and are here to do it again in 2022. Kicking off the year the band are taking things a little more soft with their indie pop/rock release, ‘Hold On To My Ex’, coming out just after Valentine’s day for everyone struggling with a bit of heartbreak. The song is soaked in gentle tones with the characterised vocals of Ollie soothing the listener’s pain. Steadily the song builds to a chorus that you can’t help singing and dancing along to, with lyrics that act as a tonic to all the lovers holding on to the past.
Of the single, Ollie says, ‘Hold On To My Ex’ is an upbeat, pop rock tune that delves into the mind of someone who has recently split up with their partner. It is based on several of my own past experiences, where I found it difficult to let go of someone. It takes you through that contradictory thought process that occurs when your emotions are erratic and unpredictable. Developing the song with the band was fun, but challenging. We had to move through quite a few drafts and experiment a lot to get the rhythm right. It is definitely our poppiest track to date.’
With ‘Hold on To My Ex’, the band has pushed the boundaries of what was expected of them as an Indie band on the scene, delving into lighter sounds and trying out new things. The unique vocals, and energy of the track pull people through, encouraging you to put it on repeat. It’s just another showcase of their excellent musicality and ability as artists to turn feelings into songs. The Great Leslie has over 135K YouTube views and over 135K Spotify streams to their name and are just getting started. Constantly showing that they belong among the indie bands blazing their way to stardom.
