“A bunch of humans, one noise—that is the point.”
Back in the Summer months of 2022, Bailey Tomkinson spoke to Noctis about her EP, ‘California Fire.’ Fast forward to the current day, the Cornish songstress steps away from free-standing days and presents her new single, ‘Supermoon,’ the second release from Bailey Tomkinson & The Locals.
“There are five of us up there,” says Bailey about performing with her band members, Tadhg Cullen (bass), Callum Masters (drums) and Daniel Woodfield (saxophone), Jordan Lee Collins (guitarist). She introduces their designated roles and individual traits while she is busy ‘ collecting half-heard phrases for lyrics and call time-outs when the caffeine turns into chaos.’
Answering our questions, Bailey Tomkinson is eloquently expressive, narrating the band’s footprint before it was official. “Every new chorus felt wrong without their weight behind it,” she reveals when performing solo, “if the music is getting bigger, the name should too.”
And Bailey Tomkinson & The Locals has officially landed as the British version of Daisy Jones & The Six, a fictional band portrayed in Taylor Jenkins’ novel. The band’s California folk-pop is freckled with the Cornish sea water and surfers’ lust for life.
The new single, ‘Supermoon,’ arrives at full force, dripping with the honesty of a wandering eye and gratifying sing-alongs with the saxophone-laced cherry on top. In the world of AI and algorithms, Bailey Tomkinso describes the new ensemble as “a real band on stage is an oasis,” she proudly announces. You can learn more about this new formation in the below interview.
How are you doing today? Where did we catch you all?
Running on coffee and rehearsal noise. We are crammed into our rehearsal space, Cal is coaxing a snare into behaving, Tadhg is recovering after being wedged into the back seat of a Fiat 500 surrounded by amps and guitars on the way over. Jord is debating whether a third coffee counts as cardio and probably silently resenting that he’s had to set up my stuff for the 1000th time because I am balancing a notebook on my knee tweaking lyrics, Dan would usually be with us too but he’s recovering from a knee op.
Where are you based?
Cornwall, and proudly so. The sea, the weather, and the space all creep into the music. We learned to gig in beach bars where one minute you sing to surfers, the next you compete with gulls stealing chips. Calling ourselves The Locals felt like stating the obvious, not branding although it does potentially set up a lucrative boxing match against The Kooks somewhere down the line!
Noctis last caught up with Bailey in 2022. Now you are releasing music as Bailey Tomkinson & The Locals. How did that happen?
Back then, I was sort of framed as a solo act, but the songs were outgrowing that label. I was already touring with a version of the band, and every new chorus felt wrong without their weight behind it. The songs I was writing started to reflect that more and more. One post-show takeaway, lukewarm chips, tired jokes, fluorescent lighting—we finally said it out loud: if the music is getting bigger, the name should too. We changed the poster the next morning. It fits what I believe about live music: in a world tilting toward AI, a real band on stage is an oasis. It’s real when everything you read, see and hear is fake. A bunch of humans, one noise—that is the point.
Who is the funny one, the responsible one, and the snack-bringer? What does each of you do outside the band?
Well today, Tadhg has got us laughing with his outrage at Jordan’s suggestion that a can of Coke can sort his Fiat related claustrophobia right out! Jordan is our logistics brain, the first to say “sound-check at four” and the first to veto crisps because they leave grease on strings; when he is not chasing guitar tone he designs audio for blockbuster video games. Cal stays even-keeled, drumming and diplomacy in equal measure. I collect half-heard phrases for lyrics and call time-outs when the caffeine turns into chaos. Apart from Jordan’s sound design, music just about pays the rent for the rest of us, which probably explains our enthusiasm for supermarket yellow-sticker bargains.
How does a normal recording day look?
Drums and bass before lunch; Cal swears the groove feels sharper when the sun is still climbing. Guitars follow until the track feels equal parts Laurel Canyon warmth and eighties arena punch. I sing while the words still sting, then synth and sax colour the skyline. No copy-paste choruses, no backing tracks; if a note wobbles we play it again, that wobble proves the take is alive.
If conflicts arise during the creative process, how do you resolve them?
Honestly, we clash less than people expect because everyone trusts what the others bring. When two ideas do pull in different directions, we record both, step away for the night, and let the tape decide. Next morning we listen with fresh ears, the version that still feels alive wins, and we carry on without grudges.
Could you tell us the backstory behind your new single “Supermoon”?
It is about that split second when your eyes wander even though your heart is spoken for. We can joke that moon makes us restless, but a wandering glance is just human; the real choice is what you do after, you have to own your choices. I turned that moment into the biggest pop hook I have written so far. Bright guitars, a driving drum groove, and a rising sax line lift the chorus so it feels both nostalgic and new. At its heart “Supermoon” is a mirror—something anyone who has ever looked twice can sing along to and recognise themselves in.
Before releasing your debut single “Cobalt Blue”, did you set boundaries on how much personal life would end up in songs?
We never held a formal summit about it. Jordan and I share life as well as stages, so the songs naturally pull from what actually happens to us. If a moment feels honest and other people might recognise themselves in it, it goes in the lyric. That real-life spark is what makes the track relatable; we trust the music more when it starts close to home..
You are playing September Festival and Kernowfornia Festival this year. Do you have any rituals before you go on stage?
Nothing elaborate. We slip into a quick huddle, share one steady breath, and wait for Cal’s nod. The set is drilled into muscle memory by then, so the moment the house lights drop we are more excited than nervous. After the Daily Star called us “Britain’s Daisy Jones & The Six” earlier this year, someone joked we should yell “Pittsburgh” and high-five like in the show, but “Bodmin” maybe doesn’t have the same ring to it!
Is there scope for a bigger project for Bailey Tomkinson & The Locals?
Definitely. The “Supermoon” video drops first, the EP follows later this autumn, and the bones of a full album are already taking shape in my notebook. But the real plan is simple: keep writing songs that feel even better under stage lights. There are five of us up there, playing everything you hear, and that matters in a moment when so much music leans on tracks and algorithms. Come see us live and decide for yourself—that is where the bigger picture really comes into focus.
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Words: Karolina Kramplova