- Interviews
Hi Guys,
How is life in the music business treating you today and where on your tour are you?
Well we are back with a new album and still rocking out so things are still going great! Currently we are at the beginning of the CONTROL European tour and currently in Spain and we have to say it's great to get back out there on the road!
New album out and lengthy tour underway. Can life get any better?
Haha it's going to be a busy year which is great for us because that is what we like to do best play music and get out on the road!
Can you tell us how the band was originally formed, and are the ambitions from those early days still alive today?
It's a very long story but we formed back in 2004 Jason was playing around town in a couple of blues bands and The Brew "formally strange brew" at that time were playing around the town of Grimsby also and had a strong reputation, the previous guitarist left and an occasion came where we just happened to meet at the right time we got together for a jam and never looked back and Jason still doesn't know if he got the job in the band!
As far as ambitions go I think right now they are at their strongest as we have gained a lot of touring and writing experience over the years we just want to keep evolving and developing as a band and I think the moment that stops with any band it's time to give up and we are not going to do that for a long time!
Your fourth studio album ‘Control’ was produced by Toby Jepson, how did that come about and, did you approach the writing or recording of this album, differently from your previous records?
We just wanted to try something different try a different writing process, try a different studio and work with somebody different so Tim contacted Toby Jepson we sent over some demos which he was really enthusiastic about so we hooked up and things really gelled he was on the same wave length as us when it came to our sound and how we wanted the album to come across which was back to basics just three guys in a room raw power!
- Interviews
Hi Tom, How is London life treating you today?
Well the sun's out, and so is my album, so all in all pretty good...
Did your choice of music as a career, come from your parent's involvement in music or do you think it could just all be in the genes?
It's definitely in the genes. Eventually it just became irresistible.
How did your tie up with Richard Hawley and his band come about and what was the most valuable piece of advice he gave you during the recording of the LP?
I was introduced to Colin Elliot through a mutual friend, and through him met Richard and his wonderful band. Richard is full of pearls of wisdom, many of which are not repeatable! He's said to me on a few occasions just to follow my heart and my creative instincts.
What is your process for writing a song, or, is it all when the spark of an idea strikes?
Song writing is a craft like any other. The hardest part is finding the first idea, the spark, that's where the work is. After that it should flow.
Do you feel like you have written an album of short stories?
Yes, it's an album of first person narratives told by rogues, chancers, unreliable fantasists and dreamers. And in amongst their tales I'm able to weave very personal lyrics too.
Where was the album recorded and over what period? Were the songs already complete before you went into the studio?
It was recorded in Sheffield at Yellow Arch studios over a period of about 3 months. I took the songs finished into the studio and we then explored different arrangements and treatments together as a band. Some songs I had very clear ideas on how we would record them, some went in quite different directions.
What are you hopes and ambitions for the record?
I hope that it finds an audience who love it and care about it.
Was there any music that you listened to through your School / College days that you still get a kick out of today?
Are you digging for guilty pleasures here?! I got played by Huey on Radio 2 the other day, and my school band used to do a version of Scooby Snax. I've always been a big fan of Fun Loving Criminals since I was at school, so it was pretty surreal to get his endorsement.
Do you have more songs already written that did not make the record and if so, what are your plans for them?
I've got hundreds. I guess most won't be recorded, but some will if the right opportunity emerges.
Finally, some of the songs on the record sound like they could sit happily on a to a West End stage, do you any ambitions to write music for theatre or films?
Funny you should ask, I've just written my first film score. I love the challenge of writing to pictures; I hope to do many more.
'War, Peace & Diplomacy' is out now via Fierce Panda records on and is available here:
- Interviews
Hi Henry, how’s life in the music business for you today?
I don’t really feel I AM in the music business anymore …and life’s oh so much better for it. It’s almost a cottage industry, I sort my own gigs, and workshops, record my own albums in my own studio. Indeed, initially I was going to release this album on my own label (the old adage “why give away 50%”!), but the enthusiasm from Proper was such that I thought I’d give one more go with a label, and I’m not brilliant at admin…and so far, they’ve been great!
Your new album has a lot of personal songs; does that make them harder to write?
No, actually makes them easier to write…don’t have to rack your brain too hard for something to say. Plus it’s cathartic too.
The record must resonate with a lot people in the early autumn stage of their lives, was that your intention?
Not particularly, I’m just singing about my life, and it’s great that other people can relate to it too. Pre “The Chronicles of Modern Life” (my debut solo album, that came out in 2008) I was mainly working/writing with other people (usually singers), so they would tend to choose the subjects they wanted to sing about. Even with The Christians (my former band), I was aware I was writing songs that I personally wouldn’t be singing lead vocals on, so tried to tailor them to Garry Christian’s voice and give him topics/themes that he’d want to sing about. Now I’m solo, I can sing what I like, and re your question above, they’re the easiest songs to write; it’s more honest, and more real. After releasing Chronicles people would come up to me and say things like “you’re singing my life”!
The record was three years in the making, was it the ‘difficult second album syndrome’?
Not really. As I’ve explained before in interviews, I started it in 2010 with the idea of getting it out pretty quickly, in order to capitalize on the relative (and critical) success of the first album. Had it nearly ready and mostly mixed, then sadly I lost my Mum and my mother-in-law in a 7-month period, and suddenly rushing out an album didn’t seem that important. Also, due to what had happened, I started writing different (and to my mind better) songs that perhaps better reflected where I was in my life (my solo work has been largely autobiographical, I suppose). So I shelved half of the album, and then, in my own time (and without any record company distraction or deadline), started putting together the album that you hear now.
Photo: Derek Schultz
- Interviews
Hi Beth, how are you today and how is the current tour progressing?
I’m great and the tour has been fantastic!
Your latest album, ,UnCovered, was said to be the idea of Bob Harris. Is that true and can you explain the concept behind the record?
The record is a collection of songs that I’ve written or co-written that were previously recorded or hits by other artists, which I’ve never done my own version of. Bob Harris pointed out to me that it would be a great idea for a record and that I should call it “UnCovered”!
What is your process for writing a song, or, is it all when the spark of an idea strikes?
All different ways. But mostly I start with a sound and follow the sound….even following the vowels into the consonants. It’s magic!
How do you decide if a song is for you or someone else and how do other people approach you to write a song or, for permission to cover one of your songs?
It varies greatly. But mostly I let the songs to be the songs they want to be and then find a good home for them. I don’t think of songs I’ve given to someone else as being gone or unavailable for me to sing too! The more the merrier!
How would you describe 'the music business' now as to when you started from your own perspective?
It’s changed a lot! I’m deeply concerned that those who create the “content” are being bypassed for the most part by those making money from them and that music is generating more energy and money than ever….but the gate keepers are not sharing. That makes for a generation of creators that are forced to find another way to make a living.
What are your interests outside music and do you have much time to follow them?
I love drawing and painting. Lately I’ve been designing a line of scarves which has really been fun. And no…I never have enough time for anything!
What music did you listen to back in school / college days and do you listen to the same songs still today?
Classic great songs has been my passion. In all genres from Carole King to the Beatles and all the great songs of every era!
When on tour, who has control of the CD player and what is currently getting played in the car or on the bus?
I’ve been listening to Rosanne Cash’s new record “The River and the Thread”. It’s a real masterpiece.
Are there any fellow musicians or bands that you would like to collaborate with but, you haven't managed to do so yet?
Too many to name!
When on tour in the UK, what is the thing you most look forward to and the thing you most dread?
I most look forward to walking out on stage and leaning back into the hammock of the music. I most dread bad soundchecks. But I’ve been lucky to be working with some great house engineers on this tour!
Beth is in concert at the following venues;
- Interviews
You have dates this side of the pond this week, how are they going and is this the first time the band has played over here as a three piece?
We have our first show in London this evening. Just me and Joe, Mike (Belitsky), our drummer, is touring in Spain with The Sadies at the moment and couldn't make this trip. This will be the band’s second UK trip.
Do you hope to get time at Celtic Connections to see other bands?
We'll only be in Glasgow for about 16 hours but already have plans to meet up with a few musician friends. Glasgow is my home town anxiety haven't been back for a few months.
How did you all get together to make music as the New Mendicants and with what aims and hopes?
Me and Joe have known each other for quite a few years but only recently (about a year and a half ago) discovered that we lived within close proximity of each other in Canada. We met up for a beer and within minutes had decided to start making music together. Mike played with Joe as a member of The Pernice Brothers band and has also found himself living in Toronto. We really have no aims other than to make albums and tour when our other bands are dormant.
What was the process of choosing a name for the band?
I had mentioned to Joe that I thought that The Mendicants would be a good name for the group. He told me that he had recently written a song for the Scud Mountain Boys called the Mendicant. We googled that name only to discover that there were already several Mendicants in existence. Joe suggested that we add "New". We chuckled, it stuck.
It's been said (Jim) that you and Joe make a 'cute couple' is it a fun and productive relationship?
We wouldn't be doing it if it was any other way. It's very much a cottage industry at the moment.
- Interviews
Hi, how was your Christmas and New Year?
It was really good thank you. Plenty of booze, snow and "Breaking Bad".
What was in inspriation behind the name Black Onassis?
Thinking of a band name is hard because there’s always the tendency to overthink it. I was sitting drinking tea one day and the name just came into my head pretty suddenly, no rhyme or reason to it really.　
When you were recording your debut album Desensitized, were there any instruments, effects or techniques used in the recording process that you had not tried before?　
One thing I’d never really recorded before was vocals with a vocoder. It’s always dangerous ground to tread the line between it sounding interesting and sounding wank. But with Minus Humans it came out cool. Also, on this album there was a lot of experimenting with tape which came out really well. A lot of the drum loops and guitar noise were done using a six track tape recorder.
Where was the album recorded and over what time period, for example, where the songs ready before you hit the studio?
The bulk of the album recording was split between our rehearsal room and my house. We did some basic drum tracks at a professional studio as well, but the majority of it was pretty DIY. The tracks came together over a span of a few years. I feel like that time gave the album a lot of diversity. There’s a variety of inspiration, headspace and mood throughout the album that reflects what was going on in our real lives.
You used many guest vocalists on the record. How did you choose the people you wanted to sing or, where the songs written after you would knew who would sing them?
It was all through people we mutually knew. Lucky for us we had a few mates with strong personalities that happened to be good singers as well, so we had a go with them. And it all worked out really well I think. We didn’t actually record any of the vocals in person. The music was written first and then we’d send that over and bounce ideas off each other over email. They were all pretty spot on, no awkward conversations there.
- Interviews
Hi there, how are you today and what's the view like?
I'm well today thanks! I've had a bad virus for the past week and have finally come out of it, so feeling much more like my ol' self. The view? I've just started answering your questions on my laptop in bed and it's 2am...that's a very bad habit!
Why produce music under 'The Cheek of Her' and not your own name?
'cause I'm shy?....Well, The Cheek of Her started off as myself and a Guitar player who I wrote a handful of tunes with and then we got a band together, but as things evolved it became clear that in fact I was the only fixed and permanent part of The Cheek of Her, well it / she was/is me! The name stuck and well I kind of like it :).
When you have a stage name it is a little bit like a security blanket you can hide behind / be another person, so maybe that initial response to your question "'cause I'm shy" has got something to do with it!
You used to be a librarian, what sparked the change to musician and do you miss the old job?
I always knew that I was a creative person but hadn't quite figured out how I wanted to use my creativity, so I trained and searched for a job which was still Arts related while I figured that out! Music completely came knocking on my door a few years ago, and I needed to go with it and find unrelated / non-consuming side jobs to pay the bills and let me focus on it to see where it took me.
I still think of myself (in no particular order) as an Information Professional, Singer-Songwriter Musician, Artist, Digital Marketeer, general all round head-case!....I don't think there's anything wrong with wearing a few different hats. I guess we all do in some shape or form!
- Interviews
Why a solo album and where did the the name 'Sand' come from for the album and yourself?
I was having some musical ideas that seemed to belong somewhere other than with NAO, and I also wanted to try mixing and producing an album on my own. A separate project into which I could put the ideas, and which I could work on at my own pace and without any expectations, seemed an ideal proving ground. As for the name, after many years operating under the unwieldy title of North Atlantic Oscillation I knew I wanted something short. There are references to sand and clay in the lyrics, so it was an appropriate choice.
What was the feeling when you were in the studio for the first time to make a solo record rather than with your band, North Atlantic Oscillation?
I recorded it all at home so there was no sense of having bitten off more than I could chew by hiring some big expensive studio to indulge a vanity project. It came together gradually and I recorded and mixed the pieces as I wrote them, so although I knew they were going to form an album at some point, it was a relatively relaxed procedure.
What is your song writing process? Do you need to be in a particular place or frame of mind?
When I'm asked that question I'm always reminded of Douglas Adams' instructions on how to fly in So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish: you just need to fall, but miss the ground. The key is to get distracted at the very last moment so that you forget to hit the earth. Purposeful, intentional song writing never works, at least not for me. I need to be idly playing an instrument, usually piano or guitar, and to enter a kind of meditative state where I completely forget that a song needs to be written. Usually nothing happens, but every so often I end up floating a few inches above the ground with a brand new tune under my arm. The fewer stresses and everyday nuisances clogging up my mind, the more likely I am to come up with something new.
What was the last LP or CD you played and were you impressed?
Tomahawk's latest LP Oddfellows, and I'm sorry to report that I wasn't particularly impressed. I love the band's previous output, Anonymous in particular, and I'm generally interested in anything Mike Patton is involved in. But this album didn't grab me at all as much as their other stuff. It's crazy that a band containing Patton, Trevor Dunn and John Stanier (who also plays drums in Battles) could come up with anything other than solid gold, but alas it appears to be the case.
- Interviews
Hi how are you today and what's the view like?
Jon Lawless: Pretty good thanks! Just getting over a cold actually but making progress.
You had your album release show at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto last week, how did it go?
It was great thanks. A little on the sloppy side of things because we didn't get a soundcheck but that was our fault not the venue's. The sound person was so nice- it was actually his birthday and in a super good mood and even gave Pat (our bassist) some of his fries. O and I almost lost it when I saw Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene co-founder) front row. Crazy night. We look up to that dude so much.
What was the feeling when you took delivery of a physical copy of the completed album (Everest) for the first time?
It was really satisfying haha. We're so happy that it's out and people can check it out!
How long has the band been together and how did you all meet up?
We've been together for a good number of years in a variety of incarnations. Basically a lot of us are from the same hometown (Owen Sound, Ontario to be exact) so we kinda know each other from various scenes there and just growing up and trying our hands at a variety of styles and projects.
Where did you record 'Everest' and was the studio experience what you expected?
It was super relaxing. Basically we went to a cabin north of where we grew up and had to make a fire everyday and cook for each other etc. Not having internet for the first little bit was a huge help.
- Interviews
How are you today and what is the view like?
Right now I am hungry, and it's kind of rainy outside. I'm moving into a soundproofed 1-person cottage this week, which I'm very excited about.
How long have you been playing and performing and what was the spark that sent you down this musical career path?
I've been playing out since I was 15. I wrote a song for an English project and my English teacher, who owns a restaurant, offered to let me play. The show was acoustic, and my voice was so quiet that I don't think anyone could really hear me. But that was my first show. Will from Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin came, and I was elated (they're from our hometown).
How would you describe your music for people who have not yet heard your songs yet and how does the music of ‘Ings’ differ from that of ‘Plaid Dragon’?
It is lullaby rock. My voice is pretty quiet, but on the same token, I like mean synth and guitar noises. I am very drawn to metal and stereotypical 80s guitar noises. I'm just discovering the electric guitar and I'm at the tip of the iceberg. Most of the album still sounds pretty mellowy and alternative, like the EP, though. I wrote and arranged both the EP, Dog Physics (with the exception of a few collaborations, which are meticulously credited), and the full-length, so Ings and Plaid Dragon are pretty much the same sound, because it all came out of my brain and soul and stuff.
Your EP ‘Dog Physics’ has just been released digitally on bandcamp. What do you think of the bandcamp format for getting your music heard and how is the ‘Pay what you like’ working out in respect of the EP?
Bandcamp rules. I firmly believe in cutting out the middleman.
- Interviews
Hi Emily how the devil are you today?
Very good thanks. We’re on our mid-tour break and I’m on a train heading into
Emily, I saw you live not so long ago at the Golden Hind in
It is a combination I guess. I am/we are all working hard and have certainly put in a hard graft over the years, so it’s wonderful to feel like things have stepped up. Certainly playing Shepherd’s Bush Empire was a significant marker. We really enjoyed playing that stage.
As you say, the mid point of your biggest
It’s been going really well thanks. We’ve played a lovely combination of bigger shows and more intimate ones too, such as The Band Room in the North York Moors – one of my favourite
What was the inspiration behind the new album ‘
‘Dear River’ is my personal story of ‘home’ but along the way I cover stories of others as well as themes of exile, emigration, colonialism, Indigenous politics and more. Each song has a very strong story behind it. ‘Letters’, for instance, is the story of my Grandfather and it depicts his time during WW11, when he was exiled from his family for 3 years, hiding out on the German/Dutch border with his brother. I managed to piece together his story through some old letters he’d written and a journal he’d kept during his time in exile.
What is the favourite lyric or line from a song on the new album?
I’m quite proud of the lyrics in ‘In the winter I returned’:
“The cold wind pushes day, black and grey though the valley,
there are heartbeats in the leaves, there are crows that hold the trees…”
- Interviews
I am rather neutral at present; today is Sunday and it has been perfectly uneventful. The view is typically my attempting to find moments of optimism to take me from one point to another. I have too many objects in my house; little time capsules of stuff I need to organize or get rid of; I need to have a yard sale.
I have to start with you telling me previously that “
I met Euros Rowlands (former GZM drummer) in
Do you consider the new album the ‘Down at the 5-Star’ to be a natural progression from ‘Forever the Moon’ or are they totally separate pieces of work?
I consider 'Down at the 5-Star' to be a natural transition; for whatever reasons, I had a bunch of songs come my way in 2010. I am sitting on a back-catalogue of songs from that period that I hope to turn into another album or two.
Down at the 5-Star is described by your record label as “Chamber
'Chamber
Is there a process you follow or a place you have to been to start creating a song or, is it just when an idea occurs? What comes first, melody or lyrics?
If I am well rested I am able to work on music. I tend to write words separately from music. When I have a musical idea I like, I try to find some words to sing along. Rarely does a melody come first. I don't like to write words with a melody in mind; it fucks up my process; I don't want meter or a melody to hinder the words that may fall to paper or to fuck with my folk-art mood... I usually write at my kitchen table; I have one sweet song titled 'Sally Ann' that I wrote while driving and a few things I've written in motels, etc.
