Blood, Blues, and Birmingham: Love Nor Money’s Unfiltered Rise

Blood, Blues, and Birmingham: Love Nor Money’s Unfiltered Rise

From the heart of Birmingham’s underground comes Love Nor Money, a band that blends bruised honesty with blues-soaked swagger. Frontman Bobby Firth—equal parts bassist, vocalist, and philosopher—opens up about the band’s journey from local gigs to signing with Golden Robot Records, their creative bond with producer Gavin Monaghan, and the soul behind their latest single “Blood Will Tell.” With a new EP in the works and a hunger for the American stage, Love Nor Money is proving that raw truth and relentless rhythm still have a place in rock and roll. Highwire Daze caught up with Bobby ahead of their O2 Institute show to talk family, fear, and finding light in the cracks.

First of all, introduce yourself and tell me what you do in Love Nor Money.
I’m Bobby Firth, and I’m the singer and bass player.

Where are you based, and what’s the local music scene like there?
We’re all based in Birmingham. The scene’s good, though it feels a bit lacking at the moment. Still, we’ve played with some great bands here—there’s definitely talent around.

How did you end up signing with Golden Robot?
We were very lucky, actually. Our producer Gavin Monaghan—who we’ve worked with several times at Magic Garden Studios—put us in touch with them. He’s been a big part of our journey.

Bobby Firth

What’s it like working with Gavin? What are some of his other credits?
He’s fantastic to work with. A brilliant musician himself, which really helps. He’s done a lot with , and he’s currently working with Robert Plant, which says a lot.

Your new single is called “Blood Will Tell.” What inspired it?
This one wears a few faces, but at its core, it’s about someone standing on the edge—worn down, ready to give up. Not just physically tired, but soul-tired. They’ve been blamed and judged, by others and maybe even themselves. It all starts to blur. But then there’s this second voice—this crack of light in the door—that says, “Blood will tell.” It’s a call to rise, to be who you truly are. What’s real can’t stay buried forever. Even if the world’s pointing fingers, truth surfaces. It’s a kind of hope, really.

How close are you to releasing more music—maybe an EP or album?
We’ve got an EP in the works and a new single dropping very soon. We were just in the studio the other day.

I saw you’ve already got quite a bit out on Spotify. Let’s talk about your recent EP—Shame of a Short Lifespan. What’s the meaning behind that title?
People like to think they’ve got all the time in the world. That’s what “Get Out While You Can” is about. They wait, hoping things will fix themselves—but time doesn’t wait. It keeps moving, and most people don’t realize how far behind they’ve fallen until it’s too late.

The lyric “shame of a short lifespan” means that change or leaving something behind might make you look bad, might make people talk. But shame has a short memory. It burns hot, but not for long. If carrying a little shame gets you a better life or peace of mind, we think that’s worth it. That message felt powerful enough to name the EP after.

Eddie Firth

“It May Not Be Your Friday Night”—what’s the story behind that track?
We were lucky to have Ash, the drummer from The Twang, play trumpet on that one. We always wanted an Exile on Main Street kind of vibe, and that track really captured it. Recording it was a great experience.

What was the first song you ever wrote as a band? How old were you, and what was it about?
That’s tough—we’ve been playing music our whole lives. We come from a very musical family. But the first polished, finished song is actually on the EP: “Late Ultimatum.” It was inspired by the cost-of-living crisis—the fear that one day you’ll wake up to a letter saying you can’t afford to live in your own home anymore. No warning, just eviction. It’s about how the system plays chess while you’re just trying to stay on the board. There are always winners and losers, and that ugly truth shaped the song.

What’s the best—and maybe not-so-best—part of having two brothers in the band?
Honestly, I can’t complain. It’s amazing. People always ask how we write songs and who does what, but there’s no fixed answer. You’re constantly creating and sharing ideas—it’s a nonstop flow.

Tell me about your drummer, Troy Weaver. What’s his background?
Troy’s from Birmingham too. He’s an incredible drummer. We usually write the songs, then bring them into rehearsal and work through them together—including trumpet parts. He’s got a great feel and instinct.

Your show at the O2 Institute in Birmingham is tomorrow. What are you most looking forward to?
We love playing live—it’s the truest form of our music. I’m especially excited to play our newest song, which we just recorded.

Troy Weaver

If you could open for any band, past or present, who would it be and why?
We’ve seen Kula Shaker a bunch of times, and they always come out on top. Supporting them would be incredible. I really admire their style.

King Charles invites Love Nor Money to play a Royal Command Performance. You get one song—what do you play and why?
That’s a tough one. I’d probably go with “A Life Gone Bad.” It’s got strong blues roots, and since our band is heavily influenced by blues, it feels right to showcase that.

What’s next after the O2 show?
More recording at Magic Garden, prepping for the next EP.

Any plans to come to the States? Have you ever been?
We’ve never been, but it’s a big aspiration for us. We’d love to come over. Honestly, we think the American music scene feels more rock and roll than Britain right now.

Love Nor Money is:
Bobby Firth – Vocals, bass
Eddie Firth – Guitar
Troy Weaver – Drums

(Interview by Ken Morton)

Love Nor Money on Instagram