The friendships from our childhood and teenage years can be the tightest of our lives. We roam the same neighbourhoods, behave badly together, achieve things together, and try things for the first time together. They’re the type of friends that you know you could never vex too much, because they’re like a walking library of all your darkest secrets.

But, then all it takes is for one to move away, for university or a job, and quicker than you could have ever imagined, you’re pulled in different directions and the knot is undone. This is the subject of Devon boys Tors’ poignant new single. “It’s about those formative friendships and relationships we make throughout our childhood and adolescence, that when life slowly kicks in, you drift apart, never realising what you really had until it’s gone.”

It’s an ode to maintaining friendship longevity, but equally being accepting of moving on when they’ve run their natural course. Pulling talent from a stellar squad of musical friends, the band co-produced it with Tom Martin (Kygo, David Guetta, Alesson), and Lina Hansson (nominated for Songwriter of the Year at Sweden’s Dalecarlia Music Awards). Brought to life in their music video, filmed in a 1000-year-old barn near Exeter, “Lonely” is a promising sign as the trio prepare to hit the road with American pop-rock heavyweights, X-Ambassadors. Members and brothers, Matt and Theo Weedon have musical greatness in their blood aswell, thanks to grandfather Bert Weedon OBE’s monumental Play In A Day books, which inspired John Lennon, Brian May and many others to start playing instruments.

Head below to hear our chat with Tors all about “Lonely”, what types of friends they are, and the one of a kind grandad Bert OBE.

Hey Tors, how are you? Where are we speaking to you from right now?
Hello you! We are definitely alive, thanks very much for asking! Currently, we are sitting in a semi-circle if you must know, in our shed/studio in the middle of deepest, darkest Devon. It’s a little overcast and wet but that’s good for our herb garden so as elderly men we are most pleased.

Congratulations on “Lonely”! It’s your second single of the summer following June’s “Garden on the Kitchen Floor”. Tells us about where Tors’ are at this summer?
Thank you so much! We are very excited/nervous/hungry that it’s out in the musical ether. This summer we are hiding away from the sun recording new songs, filming music videos and rehearsing ahead of hitting the road with X-Ambassadors across the UK in September!

We love the subject of “Lonely”. Friendships and all their endless complexities really don’t get enough airtime in music! What first prompted you to start exploring that theme?
Thank you very much, we’ve always thought so too! It just feels like this weird, unspoken universal truth that we make these pivotal relationships growing up and they feel so important and vulnerable but as you become adults with jobs and responsibilities they begin to fracture and drift away. “Lonely” is about trying to recapture those friendships.

The track in part, at least is an ode to those innocent, optimistic friendships of our younger days. If we could time travel and meet you as a child, what would we find?
Wow, what a question – it very much depends on the era! If we’re talking pre-teens then the widest of skate shoes, baggy jeans and any t-shirt with flames or skulls on it! If it’s teenage years and beyond then a mix of preppy popped collars, the thinnest indie cardigans and the largest hair possible.

In your respective friend groups, what would you say the role is that you each occupy?
Within our own little trio of brotherhood and friendship, it’s an ever-evolving battle for dominion. Matt is definitely the leader of the group, patiently staying the course as our driving force and the best at picking us up when we’re down. Two beers in though and he’s another person entirely, a lot of fun but absolute chaos. Jack is very quick-witted and always making us laugh, he’s also quick to unbridled rage (or faux rage) which can also be very funny, he’s incredibly hard-working too. Theo (me) is very good at annoying everyone, a little volatile in mood but mostly happy to be there, he can also be the unpredictable wildcard whether that’s a good thing or not.

You had a pretty all-star lineup of personnel when crafting this track. Tell us about the team you collaborated with and how they moulded the outcome.
We’ve got an amazing management team (This Fiction) who fostered us working with BMG to release ‘Lonely’. We co-produced the track itself with the incomparable Tom Martin, the loosest, funniest and kindest of men. We’re also very lucky to have an amazing publisher in the form of Reservoir’s Charlie Pinder, he might be our favourite human. It’s a great team to have supporting you through this mad business.

You filmed the music video in a 1000-year-old barn! What drew you to this location?
We did, it was an absolute honour to do so. It’s part of an unreal Devon venue called ‘Higher Eggbeer’. We’ve actually played a number of shows in the barn itself thanks to Ali, the man in charge down there. He’s the warmest and most enthusiastic music lover we’ve come across, he welcomes you in to his amazing space and brings the loveliest crowds.

You’ve performed shows with John Newman and Tom Walker. Who would you love to get on stage with/support next?
Well we’re very excited about supporting X-Ambassadors in September! We also actually have a few very exciting shows later this year we’re not allowed to mention yet, but watch this space!

Matt and Theo, your grandad has a really interesting musical legacy, with his “Play In A Day” books. Tell us about those and how important it is for you to carry on the family name!
Yeah, Grandad Bert was an absolute legend in every sense of the word. Every time we visited we’d rush straight into his practice room – it was full of the most beautiful guitars, he’d indulge us and show us how to play little bits and pieces. He always had the time and patience to listen to us play, no matter how dreadful it sounded. It’s funny looking back and thinking about the walls covered in photos of Grandad with the likes of Brian May, George Harrison etc. at the time it just felt very normal, he was just Grandad to us. It definitely gave us the passion to follow in his footsteps though, music seemed like a tangible and achievable dream to chase.