Ipswich band AFTERDRIVE return to One Sixth Form College ahead of headline tour
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Ahead of their first headline tour, Ipswich band AFTERDRIVE performed a special event at One Sixth Form College, where the group first met.
The band rose in fame after being selected to perform at Ed Sheeran’s Portman Road show. This year, they have played a sold-out headline show at The Waterfront Studio and embarked on tour supporting Maggie Lindemann.
In October, they embark on their headline tour around the country – beginning with a hometown show at The Baths in Ipswich on Saturday 19th September. During their tour, the group will also release their debut EP, Dress To Drive.
The band studied across the music programme at One Sixth Form College, and returned to inspire current students with a live performance, Q&A, and meet and greet. They discussed their gigs, their experience at One, and tips on getting into the music industry.
AFTERDRIVE performing in One Sixth Form College's cafeteria
AFTERDRIVE vocalist Ben Watts said: “It’s nostalgic to be back at One. We all met on the music course, and it brings back a lot of memories to see our old music teachers. We’ve signed a few guitars, which a first for us.
“Everyone is so welcoming and really kind to invite us in. The performance went really well; they enjoyed the set, and we couldn’t ask for more.”
Drummer Joe Watts said: “There’s a few music students who said we’ve inspired them to do more performing, which is the best thing to hear, it means a lot. That’s what we do it for.
AFTERDRIVE returned to the college they studied at to put on a special performance
“We’re playing in Ipswich, Birmingham, London, and Manchester. We’ve supported other artists in those cities, but we’ve never played our own shows there. To be able to do that ourselves and headline is amazing.”
One Sixth Form College student Ewan Haseman, 17, said: “It’s good to see students coming back and perform again. It shows what good work the music department do, and it’s great to see another new band coming out of Ipswich.” Ewan studies A-Level Music, Maths, and Music Production.
Jamie Lamb, 17, from Ipswich, studies Level 3 Music, Music Production, and Music Performance at One Sixth Form College. He said: “It’s really cool and inspiring for young people. It’s a good indicator of where I could be in a few years time. In the future, I’d say I want to continue performing in my band Samuel and the Tyrants, but I’m also into composition for games or films.”
Jamie Lamb, 17, from Ipswich, is a music student at One
Lois Hinsley, Group Subject Lead for Music, said: “Our courses very much prepare students for a career in the music industry, and we are so incredibly proud of AFTERDRIVE’s successes. Several of our students have said how much they inspired them with their performance. We hope they will come back and see us again soon.”
Tickets for AFTERDRIVE’s upcoming tour can be found here: Dress to Drive Tour - On Sale Now! by AFTERDRIVE | Laylo.
AFTERDRIVE, Lois Hinsley, and music teachers at One Sixth Form College
