MUSIC – Lovelorn Lawson are happy being hit 'singles'

Singer Andy Brown wrote most of the band's debut album Chapman Square around his break-up with Mollie King, of The Saturdays.

But since the band has spent most of the last year touring, Andy reckons he hasn't got time for romance.

"I am happy being single, but I have not had the time to meet someone," he says, ahead of the group's appearance in Glasgow tonight.

"It has been a whirlwind on the road. Every day has been about getting the band more popularity, so it is difficult to have a relationship."

It was Andy's break-up with Mollie that motivated many of the songs on Chapman Square, which went into the Top five in the charts last year.

And she might indirectly be the inspiration behind the material Andy is writing now.

"A lot of tunes for the next album have been more about 'I'm doing great without you'," he explains.

"It is more like how Pink uses her songs as not being about love but how much better you are without someone in your life, so the second album will be about that.

"But there will be heartbreak there, too, because it is good to pull on the heartstrings."

While Andy is already writing some new songs, including a few with Guy Chambers, the songwriter best known for working with Robbie Williams, a new album is still some way off.

At the moment Lawson are still enjoying the success of 2012, in which they steadily became bigger and bigger.

An example of their rise is that last year they were playing the ABC2, but in less 12 months they have jumped to the main room, something Andy can't quite grasp.

"When we did the ABC2 the Temper Trap were headlining the big room," he recalls.

"We watched them do their sound checks and thought, 'We will never get up here because the room is so big. It will be a long time before we can sell out this room.' But we have done!

"We always love shows in Scotland, the fans always appreciate the music and we have a really good time."

Andy is hoping the guys can keep that momentum going in 2013, and looks to Coldplay as his own personal inspiration.

He believes that if Chris Martin and company can go from being a mild-mannered indie act to headlining stadiums and arenas across the world then there is no reason Lawson can't do the same.

"We watch their DVDs on our tour bus and are inspired to be like them," says Andy.

"They are four UK lads playing pop-rock music, writing themselves and doing it all themselves. It feels a million miles away but it is so inspiring and they are just a brilliant band.

"You think it would be difficult to put such a show on because the songs are mid-tempo, but they can hold an audience for so long."

Of course, Lawson themselves are often described as a boy band, given the fact they play big, chart-friendly tunes and are touring mates of the Wanted and Jessie J, right. But it's something that riles the otherwise affable Andy.

"We get frustrated when people refer to us as a boy band," he says. "It makes you think of being manufactured by the record label, of guys having all their songs written for them and not playing their own instruments.

"That is not what we are, we just see ourselves as a band, playing our own music and writing everything ourselves.

"People might judge us but just come and see us live – when we play live we win people over and that is what it's all about."

They managed to win over some new fans when touring with Jessie J in Europe last year. Now Andy would like to work with the singer on a recording in the future or team up with another of pop's leading ladies.

ANDY adds: "Doing a collaboration with Jessie would be brilliant. We would love to do a song with a female vocalist like that, maybe Jessie or Katy Perry. I think that would complement our music really well.

"Jessie is great, really nice and down to earth, despite being a superstar.

"When she gets on stage she has an incredible voice and puts on an amazing show, so we were delighted to tour with her."

l Lawson play the O2 ABC tonight at 7pm. All tickets have been sold.