Rising Manchester four-piece Larkins recently dropped their highly-anticipated EP, ‘Hit and Run’ on Good Soldier Records.

It’s a finely-crafted mix of melodic futurism and vulnerability. We decided to have a chat with the guys ahead of their US tour to find out what’s going to be on their travelling playlist.

This is the outcome…

Khalid – Intro

Production-wise this is a pretty perfect track. Always feeling like it could kick in at any moment and it never does but still manages to bang. Incredible opening track to have on an album.

Gengahr – Icarus

Gengahr have completely taken up a level on this album. Produced by Jack Steadman from Bombay Bicycle Club, this track just makes your head move.

King Princess – Talia

Proper digging King Princess at the minute, love how this track goes from the laid back folky verse then hits you with the massive chorus. She’s proper pushing boundaries with her visuals as well, need to catch her live.

Whitney – Valleys (My Love)

Literally first heard Whitney for the first time a couple of weeks ago and fucking love them. Love how this track is kinda like a mellow Beach Boys without the harmonies on top of 70s acoustic folk with Bon Iver horns.

Friendly Fires – Pull Me Back To Earth

Whenever we’re trying to get a clean electric guitar sound in the studio we seem to reference this track. I remember when PALA came out and it blew my mind.

Jai Paul – Do You Love Her Now

Just absolute vibes. Again, that clean guitar sound is mad.

Foals – Spanish Sahara

Such an anthem. Seeing this track live and how the crowd reacts to it made me want to be in a band. The drop never fails to hype me up.

Bon Iver – Naeem

The vocal on this song is madness. The piano and the whole feel is just badass. Bon Iver can do no wrong. This album has been a massive reference point when we’re in the studio, especially when it comes to synth and drum sounds.

Bon Iver – 33 “GOD”

Another Bon Iver, 22 a million is top 5 best albums ever. The production on this track just blows the roof off. Cant even quite comprehend how good this track is. No idea what the lyrics mean but this track is just insanity.

Biffy Clyro – Different People

This song really marks two defining moments in Larkins career.

1. They opened with it when they headlined T in the park in Scotland and it seemed to be such an emotional moment for everyone there, it really made us realise that we wanted to do this.

2. Dom decided he wanted to be Simon and grew his hair really long.

Radiohead – Weird Fishes

In rainbows is such a monumental album and it was hard to choose one track but Weird Fishes really sums up Radiohead’s visionary blend of pop, rock and dance music.

Haim – Summer Girl

Such a great nod to the 60s with the Lou Reed sample but with such a modern LA vibe. We’d just got back from our first trip to LA when this came out and it proper seemed to sum up the city for us. The scene out there is so vibrant at the minute.

Khalid, Disclosure – Talk

Love this track. Another one we try to reference a little bit with the style of the synths and the drum sounds. The riff is so good.

US/UK Tour Dates

12 Mar – Toronto, The Monarch
13 Mar – New York, Pianos
14 Mar – Brooklyn, Elsewhere (Zone One)
18 Mar – Austin, Maggie Mae’s
19 Mar – Austin, Rainey Street
21 Mar – Austin, Broad Studios
21 Mar – Austin, Cedar Street Courtyard
24 Mar – Los Angeles, Moroccan Lounge

15 Apr – Bristol, Thekla
16 Apr – Nottingham Rescue Rooms
17 Apr – Birmingham, Castle & Falcon
19 Apr – Glasgow, Stereo
22 Apr – London, Heaven
23 Apr – Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
24 Apr – Liverpool, Academy 2
25 Apr – Manchester, O2 Academy 1

Tickets are available here.

Sounds like: Flawes, Draper, The 1975, Sea Girls, The Wombats, Biffy Clyro, Friendly Fires

Facebook | Twitter | SoundCloud | Instagram