Simultaneously hitting both the music and film industries, a local band has released an EP of tracks they wrote exclusively for an independent movie with another local connection.

Once described by Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe as ‘a proper band, with a proper sound’, The Lowriders are a four-piece, no-thrills rock outfit from Clacton-on-Sea.

Made up of frontman David Garlick, bass player Jay Chamberlain, guitarist Bryan Ware and drummer Adam Parrot, the band were personally approached by Colchester movie maker, Ronnie Thompson, at the start of last year.

Suggesting they join forces, Ronnie asked if the band would help soundtrack his latest film, I Am Soldier – something David says required very little deliberation. “We didn’t think twice about saying yes to Ronnie. It’s a fantastic opportunity to have your songs featured in a film and it was a great experience to have a stimulus in the form of a movie script to base the songs around.”

Now looking to capitalise on the film’s success, The Lowriders have decided to compile the tracks as an EP using the film’s title to name the release.

Featuring an exclusive remix track by DJ and Producer, The WMK, the self-produced EP acts as a metaphor for their own fight in the dog-eat-dog world of the music industry and bridges the gap between the band’s widely acclaimed debut album, Fury, and its follow-up, due next month.

David, who recently wrote a play that was performed at the Mercury Theatre in February, also says the process for the group’s forthcoming second album, saw experimentation with pianos. “We used a few piano demos, which really helped us to ensure our sound differed slightly from our debut. But we still prioritise with having a traditional rock and roll driven sound.’

The I Am Soldier EP is now available via iTunes, Spotify and an array of other digital download and streaming outlets, and the band’s second album will be released in May.

Words: George Henry King