Flawes: 'The whole concept is about embracing your imperfections'

“We went all the way around Europe with him, which was a hilarious and wonderful experience,” says Flawes drummer Josh Hussey. “It was quite surreal, actually, because we weren’t able to get round to Europe for so long because of Covid, after promoting our first album, Highlights. The European tour was everything we wished it could be and we feel very fortunate to be able to play in Scarborough to however many thousands of people it holds there. It will be lovely.”

As a close friend of Grennan’s keyboard player Howard Eastwood, Hussey has known the singer for years. “Watching Tom every night, I’ve got to say he’s the most consistent performer I’ve ever seen,” Hussey says. “His voice just blew us all away every single night, and obviously he brings all the energy and the good vibes.”

The drummer intends to visit his parents in Huddersfield while he’s up in Yorkshire. “It’s actually my birthday weekend as well, and a bunch of friends and family are coming to the show,” he says.

Flawes’ second album, One Step Back, Two Steps Forward, is out now. “The title is a spin on the common phrase ‘one step forward, two steps back’,” says Hussey. “In Flawes, the whole concept is about embracing your imperfections and learning from those setbacks. Obviously, if we look at the last three years, everybody had a setback and this is our two steps forward. The album is actually split into two halves; that first half is all about looking at situations in hindsight and the readjustment and the blip, and the second half is about the happy ending, the peak of the mountain, you’ve learnt from your mistakes, you’ve embraced your flaws, and those songs are all written from that perspective.”

All ten tracks sound like potential singles, which was the band’s aim, says Hussey. “We joke about this phrase, but every time we were in the studio, we’d say (of each song) ‘But is it undeniable?’ That collection is ten songs which could sit on their own as a single.”

Hussey’s current favourite is Landmine. “It’s the last song on the first half of the record and I find it a very emotional song to listen to,” he explains. “The outro is huge with ‘oohs’ and drums and guitars and vocals, it’s beautiful. That song for me sums up the writing process, I can listen to it and go back through however many years of putting this album together, and I also remember recording that drum part in my home studio. I was trying to figure out what the drum part was and my wife was in the bath in the other side of the house and all she was trying to do was have a relaxing bath and I was shaking the walls down learning the drum part, but I’m pleased it made it onto the record, and it was justified.”

One Step Back, Two Steps Forward is out now. Flawes support Tom Grennan at Scarborough Open Air Theatre on Friday July 7.