- Interviews
Mykl (thin strings & vocals), Ben (skins) & Danny (thick strings & other voice)
You're halfway through your October Tour, how's it going ?
Excellent, it's been eventful. Our gear blew in Leeds last night so brought a quiet close to the set. We're getting on with the other bands too, no diva's on this tour. We are the quiet band though early to bed etc... unlike the others (Yorkshire band Road To Horizon are on the tour).
As a band you seem very aware of promotion by social media, has that become a forced industry requirement or something that you naturally enjoy?
It's the natural thing to do, we all have our personal accounts on facebook, twitter etc so it's an easy step to get details of what were doing out there on a band accounts. The fans love it as its such an easy way to have some personal, even 1 to 1, time with fans that can be miles away.
What's the plans post tour? Writing, recording?
We have got tons in the bag already, our hope is to be able to get it out in album form, at least that the hope. We enjoy writing and developing all the material we have.
You're a 3 piece from Newcastle just guitars and skins, has that always been the band format?
It's been settled for about a year, Ben joined as drummer last November and it's working well
The tattooed lady design you are currently using for the ep and merch, whose concept was that, it's certainly en vogue at the moment.
An ex member found it and it seemed to work for us, so many people have said its familiar so hopefully it will work in our favour and remind peole of us wherever they see it.
You have a deal with Kill/Hurt Records in LA, that's impressive how did it come about?
We were amazed when we heard they were coming to see us, one of their guys was in Newcastle and opted to see us when a date didn't pan out, so luck plays a large part in it, lets face it you hear so much in this business you learn to take it all with a gravel bag of salt!
Questions from Iain @docswallow
- Interviews
Hi Michael, how's life for you in the music industry in 2014 compared to previous years?
Funny thing is it has always been the same. I have my fan base and most are musicians and it seems I have had the same fans all my life. Having said that, since 2007 when I felt right to be back in the loop of Rock’n Roll my fan base started to become bigger year after year. Right now is a fantastic time and with a real good new album to be released in spring 2015 titled Spirit on a Mission it should be getting even better. I have a steady record company supporting me very well and I enjoy my freedom of creativity. I am very fortunate.
Did you make any changes to the recording process for the 'Bridge the Gap' album or try any new approaches to the record as a whole?
I am always current with myself meaning I create in the now and what comes out is what I believe in at the time. Since Bridge The Gap I feel like my youth is coming back and I feel very connected with how I felt when I was 17 years old. I want it fast, heavy and melodic. With Wayne’s 7str guitar added to it (especially on the new album -Spirit on a Mission-) it all becomes very big. It’s a lot of fun.
What is your favourite guitar and what guitar would you suggest as a starter for all the kids out there picking the instrument up for the first time?
I think it comes down to personal taste. Of course a Dean is a great guitar for experienced and inexperienced people alike. Dean has cheaper guitars that sound and play amazing. I just tried one of the cheaper models that was lying around in my house on some songs on the new album and it and sounds and played fantastic. It was a Strangers model made in Korea.
Do you have much music stored away in an archive that might see the light of day sometime?
I play and discover on a regular basis. By the time I do my next album I have enough new material.
Where did you play your first gig and last gig. Any particular memories of both?
My first gig I think was with the Scorpions age 11. I went with my parents to Elze where the Scorpions had a concert and ended somehow up on stage with them playing a Shadows instrumental song.I don’t remember how I felt or anything about the gig itself. Last Gig was in Germany in August; The sound on stage was one of the worse it felt especially after all the great sounding festival stages. My equipment broke down and I thought how am I going to make it through this. It ended up a fantastic show. It was like a miracle.
What was the first record you ever brought and the most prized record in your music collection today?
I only remember having bought 1 record with my friend at age 14 or 15.It was Deep Purple in Rock. We heard about the singer singing really high so we were curious and bought it.
A December UK coming up, what can the audience expect this time around?
We play a new song off our new album- Spirit on a Mission- a bunch of the Bridge The Gap album and a bunch of different classics we haven’t played before and of course the Must Play ones.
How do you keep healthy enough for your relentless touring schedule and is there any downtime away from music?
My life is music. It’s all fun. It never feels like work.
Finally, who controls the music or TV on the tour bus and what are the current favourites?
I travel by car and train whenever I can. It makes it feel like being on a sight seeing trip or holiday
UK TOUR DETAILS for DECEMBER .. Read More.......
- Interviews
New album ‘The Third Day’ was produced entirely by yourselves; what drove that decision and how did the experience turn out?
Our sound is heavily layered, and it's always tricky to translate from the abstract plane of what-it-sounds-like-in-our-heads to the concrete one of what-it-actually-sounds-like. Previous collaborators have manfully wrestled with the task, but this time around I wanted to see if it was possible to pull it off without outside help. Doing so robbed us so thoroughly of objectivity that I'm really not sure whether we succeeded or not. If not, there's always show jumping.
Apart from the self-production, what else was different about the recording process this time around?
Because of the self-production, there was no demo stage. The demos effectively became the finished product, after honing and refining. This was good in that we only had to hear each song 50,000 times as opposed to 100,000 times, and so only wanted to maim, not kill, small defenceless animals afterwards. Progress.
Who designed the album cover and how did you decide on the finished design?
The cover was designed by Ross Macrae and Brendan McCarthy of the arts collective Ray. I had worked with them on the giant TR-909 project and also with Brendan on the video for the first single August. Both the video and the artwork were inspired by Codex Seraphinianus, a psychedelic illustrated encyclopaedia created by Italian architect Luigi Serafini in the 1980s.
Links:
http://we-are-ray.tumblr.com/post/96026077684/clips-of-folk-using-the-909-on-its-first-outing-at
http://we-are-ray.tumblr.com/post/97816445239/promo-video-for-north-atlantic-oscillations-third
The band came together in 2005. Do you collectively still have the same dreams and ambitions or have they changes as the years have rolled by?
The music industry is unrecognisable now compared to what it was in the early 2000s. Artists now are forced to be pragmatic, and to learn some non-musical skills in order survive. That's not necessarily a bad thing. How crap most music still is, despite the death of big labeldom's bête noire, is definitely a bad thing.
Do you think that you can categorise the band's music, you have had the tags of prog, post-rock and shoegaze before?
Different listeners hear different things and are free to categorise as they please. We certainly don't have a tag in mind while we're writing music. That way lies samehood.
What is your song writing process and where do you tend to write. Any particular places you draw inspiration from?
The process is to make it as easy as possible for yourself to follow through on an idea. Have the instruments set up and ready to go so that when inspiration does occasionally strike, the constitutionally lazy human brain can't make excuses to do something less taxing instead. I tend to draw inspiration from non-musical sources like books and films rather than other music.
Are there any particular stories you would like to share behind the songs on the record?
Some are quite personal, but I don't like revealing exactly what any song is 'about'. Music is a conversation between the creator and the listener. Lyrics are poetry, not prose. If you declare that a song means this and not that, you're essentially hogging the conversation. When a listener reads into the lyrics a meaning that moves him or her, that meaning is every bit as valid as the one the writer started out with.
Just how difficult is it to earn a living wage from being a musician these days and where would you say are the bands strongest fan base are domiciled at the moment?
Borderline impossible. Our fanbase is very widely spread; I'm not sure I could pick one area where they're concentrated more than any other. It's great to get positive feedback on Monday from Sao Paolo, on Tuesday from Tehran and on Wednesday from Calgary. For some reason we never hear anything on Thursdays.
In fantasyland, if you could play in another band on stage (past or present), who would it be and why?
None. My favourite bands are my favourite bands because they're so good. Why spoil them by adding me?
Finally, what is the one piece of advice you would like to pass on to any new band starting out today?
Don't listen to other bands' advice.
- Interviews
'New England' is the band's third album; what was different in the studio this time around as against when recording the first two records?
The main difference was Ezra Meredith (producer) joined the band. Ezra and Joel Meredith (Pedal Steel on all 3 records) would work on the record when I wasn’t there. I think they were listening to a lot of Spiritualized around the time of the New England sessions. I’d come over and they’d play tracks for me. Needless to say, I was blown away. Also, our live set picks up where this record left off. Songs have been stretched out and expanded on sonic-ally. We plan to go back in the studio for the follow up to New England this fall. I like to think it will continue where Well-Lit Highway left off.
How has your music evolved to reach the songs recorded on 'New England'. Has the style/ subject matters or song writing changed?
I don’t think the root subject matter will ever change. I seem to write the same song over and over.
Be it place, thing or person I write about that same lonesome feeling. That feeling could be the loneliness of heartache, getting old. It’s all plain loneliness when you boil it down. Even a little happy song can’t escape my sad song filter. I guess I’ve gotten better at how to express that with more style, but like Neil Y. said, “it’s all one song”.
I also remember Jason Molina describing this and when you listen to his songs you will hear the same lines and subject matter throughout. Train, Moon and so on…
The album has what I would call a 'widescreen gritty Americana' sound, how would you describe your music?
Not to dodge this one but I’ve always had a hard time labelling our sound. After one of our live sets earlier this year a guy came up to us and said, “shoegazer country”. I like the way that sounds, I guess. I’d compare it to Dylan, in the sense that the sounds from Blonde on Blonde compared to Time Out of Mind are so different, but the songs are the same. Imagine “Visions of Johanna” going all “Trouble Your Mind” after a few verses. The space is there to do it.
Does Portland influence your music when writing songs?
It does but not as much as people and their stories. Those stories really could take place anywhere. Portland, OR, Portland, ME or Isle of Portland. I try to write songs that anyone anywhere could relate to.
Back to college days, what were the albums exchanged with fellow students as you went through the education system that you still play today?
I made it halfway through college and then I moved to San Francisco to skateboard. This would have been ‘93-’97, I guess… I don’t think I listened to a single thing that would have been “new” then. List of records, and memories are foggy:
Goats Head Soup - Rolling Stones
Harvest and Harvest Moon – Neil Young
The Phoenix Concerts – John Stewart
Mermaid Ave - Billy Bragg and Wilco
Desire - Bob Dylan
How important is social media in the promotion of your music these days and do you personally use twitter, facebook etc?
I use facebook. I wish there was one way to speak to your fans or reach a potential audience all at once, but really it all comes back to playing live and radio/internet featuring artists.
What is your preference for listening to music, Vinyl, CD, Cassette, Download etc and have you heard of the new PONO portable player championed by Neil Young that allows listeners to hear studio quality sound?
I heard Neil Young was divorcing his wife because he caught her with an mp3 player (that’s a joke). I haven’t heard a PONO, but I do play higher quality audio files rather than mp3s, whenever possible. I prefer vinyl. My label offers a ‘High Quality’ download when you buy the vinyl of New England (deerlodgepdx.com).
What are your interests outside music and do you have much time to follow them?
Family and no, there’s never enough time.
Is there any chance of the band playing in the UK anytime soon?
I’ve always felt my music was better received across the pond, but nothing’s planned right now.
How active is the gig circuit around Portland and is it still the case that being on the road is the only way to make an income as a musician these days?"
Everyone in the band holds down a day job. Playing around Portland has never really paid… so many bands. On the upside, there are some of the best musicians in the world to play with. It’s a rewarding community as a music fan, too.
- Interviews
Hi Dan,, how's life in sunny Hackney in 2014?
The Hells Angels UK HQ is next door and they're celebrating their 45th year at that address, so the road is closed off and stuffed to the brim with Harley's and leather clad men from another world. Soon they'll all be revving their engines in loud salute to their fellow people. It is exhilarating but I won't be renewing my membership.
What drove the decision to make your new album 'Distance' with a band as against your more recent solo (ish) albums?
Just to keep challenging myself and the songs, looking for new directions and surprises. We wanted to capture gut reactions to the songs rather than long winded, meticulously planned parts. So we just did one rehearsal before the recording session, then tried to capture the spirit of this collection of people. This was definitely the best recording session I've ever been a part of. Focused but wandering through the songs.
A pretty stellar band, how did you all come together?
They are a wonderful bunch, I'm in love with them all. We're all friends and always doing odd bits together here and there... It seemed like a great opportunity to get everyone in one room for a few days.
Do you write songs from real life experiences or do you make up the storyline. Where did you compose the songs on the album?
There's a line of truth in every song and I write a story around it. Or if not truth then a way of expressing an emotion or feeling that rings true to me. Most of the songs were written in an ex-army bunker in Montauk, Long Island. Going to another place is a way of divorcing myself from my everyday life in London... so I don't end up writing songs about my evening in with the laundry, or how upset I am that the sage plant isn't flourishing the way I hoped it would.
Any plans to hit the road solo or with a band for this release?
I'll be doing a few shows here and there... odd dates are popping up in September. Some of them will just be me and Horse, traveling by train, doing Alan Bennett impressions to pass the time. Some shows will be a bigger band. I'll keep you posted.
How hard is it to actually make a living as a musician these days and is it your full time job?
I imagine it’s impossible for most musicians to make a living just from records and touring, a few make it that way of course but a record is not something I've ever expected to make a living from, I do it because I cant stop myself, and it makes me happy.
How would you describe your songs for people that have not heard your music yet?
I'm relying on you to do that for me! But if forced I’d say my records are their own world and you have to go there, if you don't like it, I'll make sure you get home safely.
Is there any place that you have a burning ambition to play a gig at? When was your first gig and what are your memories of that show?
I'd love to play some of the European amphitheaters and I'd like to go back to End of the Road festival. My first show was with my old band Absentee, we played a Mojo magazine London festival, I was scared and uncertain why I'd made the choice to put myself in front of a group of potentially unreactive strangers . I still feel that way but I've gotten more used to it over the last 10 years.
What music have you enjoyed listening to so far this year?
I haven't listened to a lot, I've been seeing gigs to make up for it. Broken Twin, Beth Orton, the Nonesuch label birthday shows and a John Cage prepared piano piece were all highlights.
What was the idea behind the photo on the album cover and where was it taken?
The photo was taken by a friend of mine in Morocco. It seemed to evoke all the aspects of the album title without explicitly suggesting one thing... I love that shot.
'Distance' is being released as a digital download, a CD and on vinyl. What is your preference?
I'm old, I still love the romance of vinyl... the warmth of the sound and the physicality of the object. I still try to give the Cd's some aspect of that by screen printing them and making packaging from hand. As for MP3's, what can I wrap those in? A computer I suppose? I have nothing against MP3's, I think they sound fine and they're a lot cheaper to post to a friend.. I'm just a little old fashioned I suppose.
'Distance is out 18th August and full details are on Dan's website HERE & our review is HERE
- Interviews
You made some of the best new music I saw at the Great Escape festival. How was it playing there?
Great Escape is a good thing to do, there's always people there and most of the time it's people who've never seen you before which is how we like it. It was a bit if a blur cus we did 4 shows in 2 days and drank a lot but we had fun.
I saw you at the Sound Republic party. Did the different gigs vary?
Yeah, every show's different I guess. We enjoyed that courtyard. In those situations everything's pretty rushed but I kinda like the chaos.
It was good to finally hear some strong politics from the stage, just like the old days …. Tell me what you write about, and how that fits with your often delicate and calming music
We tend to write about things relevant to us. Whether it's about politics or just things we find funny, or disturbing, about human behaviour. I think we're really failed social scientists disillusioned with society at heart. It can sound a bit morbid but once you accept how things are and forge your own little space and morals out it's not so bad. I dunno how it fits in with the music but we usually know when something's right.
Many of your songs are very catchy/hypnotic – I am still humming Nite Life - and could become very popular. Is that an aim? How would you cope with success?
I think every artist wants their work to reach and affect as many people as possible and if they say anything different they're talking shit. I like music that has hooks and I like music that conveys an emotion without lyrical content. I think our lyrics might hinder mainstream success but f*ck it, if it happens then great. I dunno how we'd handle being successful, it's funny cus I've honestly never wanted to be "famous", I think I'd like to be respected for our work but I don't think we'd be any good at being spotted in the street etc, we'd probably end up tellin people to f*ck off.
Amazing videos. Tell me about those
Erm... To be honest I'm not a very visual person so the videos are usually left to the label and directors. All I do is turn up, look like a twat and then watch it once when it's finishes, cringe and pretend it doesn't exist.
Also great to see your punk side project Get Hot…
Ha yeah, it's good to vent sometimes. Get Hot is ridiculous but it's a great excuse to hang out with people we like.
Any upcoming gigs/festivals?
We're doin Bestival and at the moment that's the only thing in the diary. Keep an eye out though cus we're plannin on doin a fair bit after the summer.
And finally, please recommend one of your own tracks and one by another artist, for our readers pleasure
By us I'd say Utopia. It's angry and we really like it even if other people don't. Someone else I'd say 'Alive in the Septic Tank' by Clarence Clarity. It's ridiculous.
Questions from Kevin Hand - @Kevinhand3
- Interviews
Can you tell us how the band was originally formed, and are the ambitions from those early days still alive today?
The band formed officially around 2010 but I had already started the foundations in 2008. Basically when my previous band The On Offs parted ways I had a bunch of demos building up so I uploaded a few to the Internet for the hell of it to see what people thought etc. Immediately I had loads of good feedback and Mojo magazine even wrote about one of my crazy instrumentals called Intermission Rag.
From this I started doing little shows with any friends who could play and fancied getting involved. I'd say I still feel the same as I did back then. When writing I'm always trying to better myself and feel I can do better. I also still buzz with new ideas for songs when they come into my head.
Third album done & dusted and out next week, band happy?
Yeah we are happy and glad the time has finally come as it feels like we've been waiting ages. I'm just looking forward to giving our fans a new bunch of songs to play with. I love delivering new music and am already thinking about other stuff to work on.
Was there anything different about the recording process / studio time together, this time around?
Normally The Moons head into the studio as we record bass and drums live and some guitar etc but this time I had prepared all the tracks at home so that we could take them into the studio and build on them. I quite liked it this way as I felt I could get down to business at home with no pressure and then head to studio with song a for the lads to work on. The song "Sometimes" was written in the studio and completely recorded there. It just came to me whilst playing piano and I just loved its vibe.
How would you describe the sound of the band for people that have not discovered you yet?
The Moons are melodic beat band with well-crafted songs and beautiful arrangements. We have two sides to our sound, a garage psych edge and a whimsy acoustic side.
Who designed the album cover on 'Mindwaves'?
The artwork for the album was by Polaroid artist Andrew Millar. I came across his work on the Internet and just loved what he was doing with the layering of images etc. His images are surreal and dreamlike but keep a modern edge and this appealed to me. Give him a search on google.
- Interviews
Hi Guys, how's life in the music business today?
Shitty the music business sucks.
Tell us about 'Herzog' …. How did you all get together to form a band and how would you describe your sound?
Most of us have been playing music together for over ten years in various bands. Power pop
Third album done, 'Boys'; how has your recording process changed since your 2010 debut?
We recorded in a very nice studio with an awesome producer Kevin Mcmahon,(Titus Andronicus Walkman etc) and spent an entire week together doing the tracks. previously we had done things piecemeal and over several months when we all had time. recording with Kevin it was a great experience.
Any plans of a UK/Euro tour in the near future?
We don't have a booking agent so probably not. I would love to one day.
How is Cleveland for music, any other bands we should be checking out and, does your home city have any influence on your song writing?
Everything we do is influenced by Cleveland. Cleveland is a great music town with great bands. New Lou Reeds, Dreadful Yawns, Mole People and Mega Church, and Obnox just to name a few.
What were the albums you listened to in school/college that you still play today?
Weezer – Blue, Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream, Built to Spill, their first four LPS most of the late era Beatles early kinks Neil Young decades Simon and Garfunkel greatest hits Elvis Costello, firsdt two albums, all of the Elliott Smith and early Leonard Cohen and on and on. The bassist in Herzog Brian commented recently that "I listen to old records like people talk to old friends".
What are your ambitions for the band and how important do you think it is to have a record label behind you these days? just to make great records.
I feel having someone believe in you on any level helps the band emotionally a lot. But let's face it even with a label it's hard to sell records now.
Any particular instruments, effects, or recording techniques used on the new record, that you would like to share with your fellow musicians?
Always record as much live as you can especially with rock music. Gear only matters so much, in my opinion energy is key.
Where are you favourite places to play gig and what are the memories of you very first gig?
Happy Dog Cleveland. it's our home. Memories; Being very nervous and sucking really bad
If you could tour with any other (active) band in the world, who would that be and why?
Diarrhoea Planet. we've played with them a few times and love them to death. Funniest band to see in America as far as I'm concerned.
- Interviews
How's life finding you at the moment? You seem very busy touring the new album?
Yes, we've just returned from a run of dates across the UK and Ireland: we've played some shows with Shearwater, Death Vessel and Hospitality, as well as a few of our own shows. It's been good to get back into the groove of playing, as we hadn't played all that much for a year or so while making the record. It's been fun exploring the songs, seeing which ones work together, which ones we can approach in different ways to how we recorded them.
The vinyl version of Best of Times is a thing of beauty (I'll be bringing my copy along for signing next week!) Who's the art fan in the band?
Art has always been a really important to what we do - Nick and Dan are both practising artists. It definitely influences how we write and it's something we've tried to incorporate into other aspects of the band, like playing shows in art galleries, or how we make videos.
The packaging really grew from that. The idea was to commission 9 different artists to respond to a song each, so we had a unique piece for each track. Nick and Dan both contributed, along with Nick's brother Phil (who has done all our previous covers as well as this one) and other artist friends of ours. We also asked Tim Rutili from Califone, whom we toured with a few years back. In this age when it's easier not to buy records we wanted to try everything we could to make it something worth investing in. I'm really proud of how it turned out
Who chose the band name and why?
That was me (Ed). I took it from a poem by Thom Gunn that I discovered and liked ... it somehow seemed to reflect the sound of the songs I was making.
You're currently on the Bella Union label. How did that happen and has it been good for business?
It happened fairly organically. We'd done a couple of records, the last one of which Simon Raymonde had put on his favourite albums of the year list. We played some festival things they were organising - Hard Rock Calling in Hyde Park, their 15th Anniversary celebrations at End of the Road. So we just got to know the people there over a couple of years and had always loved the label, so it seemed like a good fit.
The new album is called Best of Times yet despite the beautiful mournful music the themes seem to contradict the title. Are you naturally drawn to the melancholy?
Well, the title comes from the song 'All Times into One' which says 'it could be the best of times, the worst it could be too'...so accepts the possibilities of both hope and regret at the same time.
It would be great to see a longer set from you guys live. Any plans for a headlining tour?
We've been playing a handful of headline shows. It is nice to be able to stretch out a bit more. It's been hard for recent support shows boiling things down to half an hour, as we either have to trim things a bit which doesn't feel right or only play a handful of songs. We'll hopefully be back with more headline shows after the summer.
Which current bands do you admire and who are your influences?
Current things ... I really like William Tyler, who recently put out a great EP called Lost Colony. Also enjoying records by Kevin Morby and Younghusband. More generally influences kind of start with the Beatles, move through 70s krautrock and end up with US indie stuff from the 90s.
What would be your dream venue to play and why?
The Empty Bottle in Chicago - it's near where our bass player Dan grew up and went to see shows all the time ... it would be nice to end up there.
What's next? Do you start writing new songs now or wait until touring this one is over?
New songs are always percolating. I've got some things I'm working on and now this first bit of touring is over it's probably time to start pulling things together and working on new stuff in earnest.
And finally: Who's going to win the World Cup?
Maybe Argentina?
Questions from our Keith.
- Interviews
What are the feelings now that your debut LP is 'done & dusted' ?
It’s a pretty bizarre feeling. We just got the test pressings back the other day and it blew all of our minds. Listening to our music on vinyl for the first time was just crazy. It sounded pretty much the same but then you’d look at the record spinning and it was surreal. When we started the band we didn’t really have any goals, it was started as a sort of joke. Once we started to take it a bit more seriously we knew that bringing out an album on vinyl was the ultimate goal. I think too many unsigned bands hold out on making an album because they are waiting to get signed. I think that if you have an album in you then you should get it out as soon as you can. So the main feeling is just a mix of relief and happiness.
What was the experience like in the studio recording eleven songs together and how long did it all take?
We did the majority of the tracks over two days and then spent the third day adding some extra over dubs and vocals. Then we spent just under two days mixing. We recorded the album in Green Door Studio onto 16 track tape. Most of the tracks were done live in the first few takes which was a good way to work. I think if it takes more than 3 takes to get a song down then it’s not tight enough to be recorded yet.
Stu Evans was our man behind the desk and he was great to work with, he knows his stuff and is a super easy going. I was pretty stressed going into it as I didn’t think we’d have enough time to get it all done but it ended up being a pretty stress free experience. It was one full week of constantly being in the studio though which was pretty intense; I put everything else on hold for a week and just focused on the album.
How did you make the tie up with Fuzzkill Records and how important do you think it is for a new band to have a 'label' behind them?
We were asked to play up in Shetland last year by the guys who run Fuzzkill, Marshall and Keppie. They had just started out with the label and were both about to move down to Glasgow. We got on straight away and agreed to release something together when they moved down. Having Fuzzkill help with all the press side of things has been a massive help for us and has let me concentrate more on booking shows and working on material.
I think it’s very important for a new band to have support in any form, whether it’s their friends working the doors at gigs or helping out with photos/artwork. If we didn’t have Fuzzkill helping us out over the last 8 months then we definitely wouldn’t have got as much attention from press and radio. I believe in always retaining a strong DIY ethic but its also positive to work with people who you know genuinely care about your band, you’d be silly to turn that down. I’ve pretty much spoke to Keppie every day for the last 4 months about something relating to the band, I would be way more stressed out/depressed if I didn’t have him helping with all the number crunching and press stuff.
- Interviews
How is life treating you in the music business this week?
Very good, I seem to be riding a creative wave at the moment, busy writing songs for a new album as well as a collection of obscure covers for a possible album or e.p. including songs by Sandy Denny, Mickey Newbury and Bob Carpenter. At the same time I'm also working in collaboration with another local musician Neil Campbell (he released an album under the title of The Professor Campbell Explosion in 2011) who is re-working some of my old songs which should be interesting.
22+ Albums and EPs, you must have been long overdue a retrospective release. 'From The Fleet To The Medlock - A Collection (1997-2014)' is being released on 12th May – How did you go about selecting the must to use?
As opposed to my personal favourites, the selections have been based on critical feedback and popularity through downloads, streams, etc, so hopefully it serves as some kind of varied introduction to my music.
What were your ambitions for album No.1 and have they changed with this latest release?
Looking back I used to sweat blood over my early records and then just hand them out to a few mates so I wasn't very ambitious in that sense although I used to put heart and soul into every release. It was only by 2007's The Julius Work Calendar that I decided to market my music to a wider audience.
How would you describe your music to people that have not heard any of you music so far?
It's difficult to pigeonhole, but I would say it's essentially singer-songwriter with an experimental edge. My love of folk, drone, krautrock, synths and psychedelia colour the music too.
A lot of solo artists play under different names to their own. Did you ever consider that and if you did so now, what would be you’re 'also known as'?
I actually did release my music under the pseudonym of Rhubarb from 1998 to 2010. I've also released more experimental music as G For Gnome. However, it felt like the right time in 2010 when I released Safety In Movement to use my own name and draw a line under the whole ‘Rhubarb’ period.
- Interviews
Hi Nick. Hot on the heels of supporting Laura Marling’s shows, you have just finished a big solo UK tour ...how did that go?
Hi Kevin. This most recent tour felt special to me, a bit different. People were singing along and having their own relationship with my songs. We're getting to all know each other..
And theres an album out soon?....
12th May! The album is called First Mind. I made it last September with producer Dan Carey and I'm really proud of it. It's very me.
Heard a rumour you may be playing some big festivals this summer....are you allowed to say which ones yet?
At time of writing I'm not at Liberty to reveal all out festival plans but I can say I will be at Green Man, Bestival and Summersault. and I believe you may be playing with a band? We are a five piece and I chose my players carefully. I hope you love it.
You were a founder member of the Mercury-nominated Portico Quartet – what made you leave such a successful band?
I had a wonderful time in Portico Quartet but I had to leave the band to keep true to my creativity. After all nothing else matters really. Or put it this way, for me everything else that does matter tends to fall in to place when I do what my creativity asks.
A lot of your song lyrics seem very personal...are family and friends a big influence on your work?
Of course, they pop up in my lyrics from time to time. All my songs are very personal in the sense that they come from a deep place but not in the sense that they are confessional. I'm not interested in public laundry hanging- what interests me is that at a certain level we're all the same and if you can dig deep enough and write from that level whatever you produce should stand and chance of connecting with others.
Finally can you recommend 2 tracks for our readers to enjoy – one from yourself, and one from any other artist
From me- 'The House Of Saint Give Me' and from someone else- Charlotte Dada's cover of The Beatles 'Don't Let a me Down'.
Nick was talking to our corespondent Kevin Hand (@Kevinhand3)
