six months, playing the occasional gig in
local pubs. 18 months on, and were recording
Possibly the quickest growing band to
hit the UK since records began: Encore
speaks with Crackin’ The Pavements’
Lewis, Matt, Luke and ‘Kenny’ on
music, lifestyles and the ‘Bean Ma-
chine’ tour.
What’s the story, Lewis Hartley?
Well, Kenny was playing music before
he could talk. For me however, this is a rela-
tively new experience: I picked up my grand-
dads bass guitar 5 years ago at Christmas and
it escalated from there. Kenny’s helped me
out… a lot, he’s a really talented all round
musician. I’ve known him a long time;
we went to sixth form together, well
for a month at least, before he de-
cided to have a cheeky fag in the
gym and burn down the sports cen-
tre… Yes, we laughed as well! A
couple of years ago he invited me
to a charity jam session, I really
enjoyed it and we played with a
drummer Matt, and vocalist Luke.
That night was effectively the be-
ginning of CTP as you know it.
At just 17, we decided there and
then we were going to form a band.
We met up at each others house a
undin g
couple of times a week for about
“With ou t s o
f er to let my
pre
!”
talking
our 2nd studio album and beginning our
“Bean Machine” tour.
Kenny, how have you taken to the lifestyle?
Anyone who knows me knows I am
pretty down to earth: I am proud of where I
came from. I find it irritating when some mu-
sicians pretend to be from the ‘Ghetto’,
purely for attention. Without sounding arro-
gant, I prefer to let my music do the talking.
I’m from a small town, and I grew up like any
other teenage boy, I love music and playing
music as a ‘job’ (if you can call it that) is a
dream come true. I have never really excelled
in anything other than music, but I never in a
million years thought I would ever have the
chance to ‘work’ alongside these guys.
So Matt, you’re the baby of the bunch?
Oh don’t start… I get enough stick
from these guys. I’m not 18 yet so drinking
lemonade at bars is such a joy! I don’t mind
being the youngest though, they are like my
brothers, and they look out for me. They also
have helped me musically, since I joined the
band I have come on leaps and bounds and I
am a much more confident drummer. Being
gant, I
a r r o
m u s ic do the