As gigs are on pause, Home is the new Backstage. Get behind the scenes with Drones this week.

As 2020 draws to a close, Drones‘ vocalist Lois McDougall reflects on this whirlwind of a year as we chat about the lack of inspiration during lockdown, the importance of live music, and the impact these challenging times had on the recording process of the band’s forthcoming new album, Our Hell Is Right Here, out on 12th February 2021.

What advice would you give to your pre-lockdown self?

Move to a flat with a garden… and get a dog.

How, if at all, did lockdown impact your music making and producing process?

Drones started recording our new album at the start of 2020 and we recorded it all in our guitarist Tim’s studio. To be honest it didn’t feel wildly different to normal because on the last record we pretty much all went over there individually to record our own parts anyway. However, when lockdown kicked in we hadn’t finished the vocals and so there were lots of unfinished parts and it did become quite stressful. I think the hardest part was the mixing stage. Trying to mix an album by making notes via WhatsApp was very challenging for Tim… He has got some serious patience!

What has been the most unexpected/challenging part of lockdown, whether pleasant or unpleasant?

I think the realisation that always wishing that you had more time doesn’t actually lead to what you think it will was the most unexpected thing for me. Having nothing to do can be incredibly uninspiring and sometimes when you are busy you actually get things done a lot faster, if that makes sense.

How would you sum up your 2020 in one sentence?

You don’t realise you have tinnitus until the music stops.

If you had a quarantine character, what was it like?

An incredibly unpredictable, super emotional sloth.

Name 5 things that got you through lockdown.

Music.
My girlfriend.
Snacks. So many snacks.
PlayStation.
Finishing our new album.

What’s the most interesting thing you discovered over lockdown (could be a revelation about yourself, a new TV show, a new hobby)?

The podcast “No Such Thing As A Fish”. It’s so funny and you can get lost googling random information for hours because of it.

What lockdown trend do you think we should take into the future, and which ones should we ditch?

Baking can stay. Please bake me all of the treats. I think we can ditch that Savage Love TikTok dance… that should’ve ended before it began.

What are your hopes and dreams for 2021?

I hope that people like Our Hell Is Right Here when it comes out in February and I also hope that we can get back out on tour and see everyone again!

What does music mean to you?

A lot apparently! I’ve realised this year just how important live music is in my life. It’s my job, my fun and my outlet for many emotions.