Will Massarella-Tyler (LGS 2020) shares with us how what started as jamming with his friends during the COVID lockdowns led to the formation of the indie rock/pop band The Harbours.
What have you been up to since leaving LGS?
Having left LGS I embarked on a degree in History at Durham University, where I spent 3 incredible years, which ultimately resulted in a dramatic career pivot into music! After graduating in 2023, I, alongside one of my close friends from university, decided to pursue a career in music, forming a band together, The Harbours, and we have been chasing that dream ever since.
Did you develop a passion for music during your time at school?
Music was an ever-present in my school life without being my main focus or passion. I played saxophone across my school years, right from performances in the Year 7 talent show to playing on stage at Al Fresco in my later years. This certainly stood me in good stead in terms of developing my confidence on stage, but it wasn’t until university my passion for guitar and music as a whole fully developed.
How did The Harbours come to life? Were you part of any other bands before?
The Harbours were borne out of a previous band, Viaduct, formed between myself and three of my best mates from Durham during the COVID lockdowns of late 2020. When confined to our university corridors by COVID restrictions we started jamming together purely for fun, ultimately taking this further as we ended up gigging across Durham during our 3 years there together. Come the end of our degrees, myself and the lead singer, Ollie, decided we wanted to pursue music further so established ourselves as The Harbours!
What type of music does The Harbours produce?
We make upbeat indie rock/pop music, influenced by the likes of Two Door Cinema Club, The Kooks and Catfish & The Bottlemen, designed to be future festival classics or provide the perfect soundtrack to a summer roadtrip.
What does the songwriting process look like?
It varies but usually one of Ollie or myself will have an initial idea, perhaps a guitar line or vocal hook, and then we will work together to build out the rest of the song.
What have been some of the highlights or most memorable moments of being in the band?
One that immediately jumps out to me was the opportunity to meet one of our favourite bands, The Kooks, and have my guitar signed by them, all through posting some very optimistic videos to try and make it happen on TikTok.
On stage, my favourite moment so far has to be our EP Release Party we hosted just a few weeks ago down in London, we had a wonderful mix of friends, family and fans in the crowd that provided the best atmosphere we’ve ever played in front of.
Do you have a favourite song of The Harbours?
Such a tricky question to answer, but currently I’d have to say the lead single from our debut EP, ‘Scarlet (Boys That Sing)’, as I feel it encapsulates perfectly the point we have reached in our journey as a band sonically so far, on top of it being a feel good, singalong banger!
Are there any new releases or exciting projects on the horizon for The Harbours?
We recently released our debut EP ‘Are We Nearly There Yet?’ the product of some serious hard graft over the past few months, so it has been amazing to see a great reception to it since the release! In the live scene we have a packed August ahead of us, with exciting opportunities at Home Grown Festival at Leicester Racecourse, 110 Above Festival and a standout performance at The Hundred at Trent Bridge in Nottingham for BBC Introducing.
How can listeners stay up to date with The Harbours? Are you on social media or Spotify?
Yes! You can find us across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and X @theharboursband and of course find the music on Spotify and all other streaming platforms under The Harbours, hope to see you there!
