Post War Years to release new album Galapagos

New album: Post War Years release 'Galapagos' on 25 February

It is summer 2007. Instruments and bodies are strewn around a warehouse on the Kingsland Road, where the work to party ratio unbalances itself in favour of hedonism. One guy is warming himself up with a hairdryer because there is only one radiator. Everyone is living off £200 a week. Somewhere, somehow, between the sardine-packed comers and goers, a record is made.

So goes the romantically hip fairytale of Post War Years, a band made up of four childhood friends from Royal Leamington Spa.

Five and a half years later, and Henry, Simon, Fred and Tom are still in East London, but they’ve got a few more records and a tour with Mumford and Sons under their belts. In their own words they have “become a bit boring”. In reality, they have grown up, can afford some heating and are teetering on the edges of big things.

It all began in drummer Fred’s house, says 29-year old vocalist Henry Riggs. “Fred’s parents had a room upstairs where we would go and jam around and make really rubbish music, like you do when you’re 15.”

The foursome parted ways to different colleges and universities, but their music reunited them in the interludes. Soon enough, London called.

“Within a week of being offered the warehouse, we’d moved in,” says Simon Critten, 28 (also on vocals). “It was a fairly claustrophobic environment, but our first album was conceived in that flat.

“We got a tiny little deal, and we were living on less than the dole. I can’t even fathom now how it was possible, but we made it work. When you’re a bit younger you can cope.”

The picture they paint is a stereotypical one.

“The whole flat was just covered in instruments. It was a really cliché thing because lots of bands move down, and live in cheap places like Hackney. We did a lot of growing up; a lot of falling out; a lot of fighting; a lot of partying,” Henry admits.

Since the warehouse days, things have changed a lot for the band and the borough.

Simon and Henry still live in Dalston, Fred’s moved to the Pembury Estate and Tom has jumped ship to Norwich (but mostly sleeps on the others’ floor). It seems as if as they’ve grown up, and so has Hackney.

“As you get older, it’s quite nice when you notice the area getting a bit more comfortable, although I’m starting to resent the rent prices. Kingsland Road and De Beauvoir used to be weird places; they definitely weren’t as nice as they are now. Maybe there are fewer creative people around here then there were five years ago,” muses Simon.

Regardless of snowballing gentrification, the band say they will stay put because Hackney “feels like home”. They also still take pride in playing local gigs and cite XOYO and Birthdays as favourites.

After supporting Mumford and Sons (who are apparently “gentlemen”) and playing the O2, the next pages in their story are a new album, Galapagos, and a tour with Everything Everything.

“When we put this new record out I have no doubt we’ll probably sign every single copy,” says Simon. While the next chapter of this tale might not have been written yet, something tells me we’d all be wise to get our hands on one of those records.

For more go to Post War Years.