by Amos Wynn

Liverpool band, the Night Café have released their debut album a week ahead of their Bingley Weekender performance.

The four-piece's album, 0151, follows a year in a preparation. Fans will get chance to hear the new songs live when the band play at Bradford and Bingley Rugby Club this weekend.

Drummer Carl Dillon is "overwhelmed" by the experience of releasing a first record.

“It doesn’t feel real,” he says. “When people ask me about it, I’m a bit overwhelmed but once it hopefully gets a good reception, we might see things more clearly. My mum keeps asking me, ‘What shop is it going to be in?’”

The four-piece have already given fans a taste of the new album, with singles receiving positive feedback. “It’s been great, we’ve released songs that are different to what we normally put out," says Carl. "Our latest, A Message To Myself, has made people see that we can do something else instead of just indie tunes. We wanted to branch out to a bigger and wider fan base, there's a song on there for everybody.”

The album also includes some of the Night Café’s older songs. “We didn’t mean for it to happen but the album sort of flows and when you listen it in full it sort of tells a bit of a story," says Carl. "The older songs just fit into the sequence of the album perfectly, that’s why we chose them.”

To coincide with the album release, the band have a UK tour in September and October.

The four-piece take pride in being leading players in Liverpool's music scene and having others looking to them for influence.

“When we first started out there were bands like Circa Waves and the Wombats practicing in the same building; and we were just starting. To be around all of them just made us want it more but now bands are looking at us in the same way, so it makes us feel proud.”

The album gives a nod to their home city and the influence it has had on them, using the dial code, 0151, as the title. “We’re all proud to be from here, it’s shaped us to become the people we are. Every influence we’ve had from the music scene we’ve used,” says Carl, who believes the honesty of the lyrics connects with the fanbase in their home city.

“Sean’s (vocalist) lyrics are basically putting himself out there for people to see, I think that’s why people like it so much. He’s just saying how he feels.”

The band's first show on their tour is the Academy 2 in Dublin on September 21. So far this year, the four-piece have supported Circa Waves after impressing frontman Kieran Shundall at Live at Leeds last May. “We were on stage just before them and after they got in touch and asked would we support them. Of course he’s from Liverpool himself, so it’s good that we’re sticking together.”

Carl, along with bandmates Sean Martin, Josh Higgins and Arran O’Connell, have been together in a band for years, formally named Canvas. He says it means a lot to be bringing out an album and touring with mates he's been with for a while.

“To go to school together, and now to be in a position when we're touring the country and doing massive venues is crazy. I wouldn’t want to be doing it with anyone else, because it’s all about having a laugh with your mates and making memories you can tell the grandkids about.”

In 12 months time Carl hopes Night Café will still be stepping up in size with plans for another record already in his mind.

“We want to have album two ready, but we still want to be touring the debut. Depends how well the album does but we could be going up on venue size,” he says. “You have to take a chance sometimes, but we need the second album ready in case we need to push a little more.”