Ashfield band is spreading the positive vibe with new song

Karen Brooks – who performs under the name Ginger Brooks – fronts The Carjackers, along with singer-songwriter Johnny Hurst and Peter Spencer.

The song – called Cold Cold World – is a reflection on how things have changed during the pandemic and how hopefully life will soon be better as lockdown measures ease.

Karen said: "Last year, we were in lockdown at the time and it just all came to me this song.

"I was trying to learn the acoustic guitar at the time, I managed to learn about four or five chords and I sent this song to Johnny and he said ‘I really like that, we’ll work on that as soon as we can.”

Johnny, of Skegby, said the band wanted to make sure people did not feel ‘alone’ during the darkest days of the crisis.

"For example, the issue of mental health in lockdown has been so very important, it really has,” he said.

"There’s been a lot of instances of mental illnesses now and we want to let these people know that there people who out are there for them.”

It is the second lockdown-related song the band has produced following on from United World, which pays tribute to NHS staff at King’s Mill Hospital but also to health and key workers across the country.

Johnny wrote the song and Karen sang on it, while it has also received airtime on radio station Mansfield 103.2.

For both Karen and Johnny, being in a band together is a natural partnership of two like-minded souls.

Johnny said: “I’ve been playing and writing songs for years, I toured America with a band and I’ve had radio play in America and elsewhere too.

"I met Karen a year ago through a mutual acquaintance and the band started from there.”

And Karen said she is looking forward to performing in front of audiences with the band.

“I’ve also been singing on and off since my early 20s but unfortunately, due to finances, I wasn’t able to get into the music industry, even though there were agencies who wanted to sign me up,” she said.

"Then I became a mother and singing went on the back burner for a while.

"But now hopefully, we can get out soon and play some gigs again – we’d love that.”

Like many bands, the group have not been able to play any live shows in the last year and so have had time to work on putting songs together.

Johnny said: "What we’ve been doing during lockdown is writing and recording because that was the only option open to us.

"But we’ve done some good stuff and it’s had some airplay, which is great.

"Hopefully, with the songs we’ve put out on the band’s Facebook page and online, we can spread some positivity again.”

Karen added: “People need live music and live entertainment and something they can enjoy and dance too and hopefully we can all do that again very soon.”

You can listen to the new song here.

Listen to their tribute song to the NHS here.