Interview: David Barbe

Renowned producer and splendid musician in his own right, David Barbe, has just released a new album with the Quick Hooks. Love It, Don't Choke It To Death is a fantastic rock album, which adds to the splendid career Barbe has carved out for himself, with Buzz Hungry and Mercyland, as well as the excellent Sugar. Barbe is also known as the producer of all the Drive-By Truckers albums, and has worked with Son Volt, R.E.M. and many other great acts. I asked him about coming from a musical background, how being a producer influences his own music, working with a variety of acts, his new album with the Quick Hooks, and a lot more.

You grew up in a very musical family, did that help or hinder you?
I think it was a help. My parents encouraged us, and always had music around, but we were never pushed towards it. Looking back, I probably learned more about the vibe of recording studios and musician culture than I was aware of growing up.

Do you think they were the reason you ended up in this career?
Well.....it didn't hurt. My dad always supported me doing this, even though my music is very different than his own. There were some pretty lean years when I was in Mercyland, and found myself with a baby and another on the way. I had pretty much decided that I needed to make music a hobby and get a straight job. My dad talked me out of it, told me I should give it one more year before doing that, which I don't know that he would have done if he had been a banker or a salesman rather than a musician. In the year that followed, John Keane hired me to engineer at his studio and Bob Mould invited me to join his (then) new band, which turned out to be Sugar. If not for the advice of my dad, things might have turned out quite differently for me.

You enjoyed success with Sugar, was it then that you knew this would be a viable career?
It's funny. I really should have, but it took a while for it to sink in. In the early Sugar days, on breaks I came home and not only worked in the studio, but still picked up a few shifts here and there at a local copy shop. Since I had a family, I always felt like I needed to make sure I was supporting them. Once things really took off for us, it also raised my profile as an engineer/producer and I have been busy as can be ever since. I think that the years I spent in Mercyland, living in the van, sleeping of floors made me aware that perhaps I should not take anything for granted. Good lesson, I suppose.

Compared to Mercyland, you didn't have as much say in Sugar. Did that inspire you to go your own way, musically?
Sure. I did wind up having a much greater say in Sugar than anticipated. Nonetheless, I did feel the need to express myself musically on my own terms. I have always had a lot of freedom as far as input into the records I produce for others, and obviously this new album gave me pretty free reign.

Why did you decide to take up producing full-time and sideline your career as a musician?
From the moment I started engineering at John Keane's I knew it was a good fit for me. Something that I felt naturally good at right away, even though I knew I had a lot to learn. By the last year of Sugar, we were up to three children (which is where it ended) and I was ready to be home with them more. When I looked forwards, I could more easily envision myself in my 40s in the studio more than I could envision myself staying on the road. Don't get me wrong, I never stopped loving the playing of music. It was just everything else involved. I realized I could make music from a record-making standpoint and do so with a wider variety of co-conspirators over time. I did not imagine it would turn into as many people and projects as it has. Now, in spite of that, I have gone out on a few small tours in the last year - last summer as Patterson Hood's bassist, and then the last couple of weeks with the Quick Hooks promoting the new record - and it has been great. I just pick my spots, though. I think there is a place in my heart for both worlds.

You've produced some great acts (particularly Son Volt and Drive-By Truckers), have you learned much from working with them?
Absolutely. I learn something from every artist with whom I work, famous and unknown, young and old. What impressed me about Son Volt was Jay Farrar's patience with the process. We made 'Wide Swing Tremolo' in their rehearsal space over about half a dozen sessions of a week or two. The band was never shown songs before they arrived. They were learning and recording simultaneously. We worked some long days and in some instances had over 50 takes of songs, but Jay had a vision of what he was looking for and never wavered. With Drive-By Truckers, there is always a sense that no inspiration should be rejected without being explored and that normal studio boundaries do not apply. For example, there have been times that we have just cut a full band rocker, and they want to completely shift directions and do, say, an acoustic based number with everyone in the room around one mic, which requires a completely different studio set-up. The traditional way would be to do the similar songs together to use time efficiently, but they prefer to follow their muse, which I believe is the better way. Go with the inspiration. I love working like that.

Does being a musician also help you as a producer?
I can't see doing it without being a musician. It helps immeasurably. It is a combination of things. Knowing how it feels on the other side of the glass aids communication. Having the ability to demonstrate what I am hearing in my head is much easier. There are lots of little things - knowing when the drum fill doesn't jibe with the lyrics; knowing when the bass line fits the drums, but should really follow the guitar; knowing when everybody is about at the boiling point and needs a breather, or knowing when everybody is at the boiling point and we are about to get an amazing performance as a result. I think my years of being in bands, both as the leader and side-man has helped me gain insight.

You've played on many of the albums you've produced, is that a conscious decision?
In most cases it just happens. I hear something in my head and want to try it out, or suggest that someone else try it and they want me to go ahead and do it. Any time I have a musical idea with an artist, I stress that it is their record, and that mine is just an idea that they are free to accept or reject. Most of the artists with whom I work want the input. There are also times where the artist just asks up front if I will play bass (or guitar or drums or keys) on their record. I need to check out the music first and make sure that I am feeling it right to do it.

How do you write songs? What's your particular process?
I get inspired by different things, and it sneaks up on me. A thought, a line, will run through my head, generally with a melody and I will realize it and then try to find the song from that. To me it is like the music is there, in the air or something, and I just recognize it and pluck it. I have never had the ability to sit down and purposely write a song....at least not any good ones.

Patterson Hood said you are "one of the best bands you'll ever get to see." Were you flattered by that description?
Yes! Especially since I regard his band in the same way.

You've worked on all the Drive-By Truckers albums. Do you have a favourite (album or song)?
That is a hard pick. It's like picking a favourite child. I would say I have favourites, but too many to narrow down. They are pretty prolific. There are always a few songs on every record that are something special

Are there any moments of working with the band that hold are particularly memorable?
Lots. This last time, I would have to say it was the tracking of 'The Wig He Made Her Wear,' which was the whole band on the first take, and everybody knew it as soon as the sound died. It was a transcendent moment.

Do you pay much heed to what other people say about you? On the internet, for example?
Only the good stuff! Just kidding. Really, I try not to worry about it too much. It is nice to see a good review, and it can be instructive to read a weak one, but at the end of the day, I try to follow what inspires me and keep on plugging away at getting better at all of this

I've interviewed many musicians, and asked them about their position on online music piracy. From a producer's perspective, how do you feel about it?
I see it both ways. Everyone wants their music to be heard, and now it can be, but if no one is willing to pay for any of it, it will ultimately have a chilling affect on the ability of some artists to carry one. If they have to spend all of their time at some other job because they simply can't make any money with music, there are some who will just dry up. The availability of music on the internet is amazing. We just need to respect the rights of others to earn a living and be willing to toss a few cents in the pot in exchange for the pleasure we glean from listening to their work.

Your solo album The Comet of the Season came out in 2001, why has it taken you so long to record the follow-up?
I have been so busy with other artists' albums that my own just took a while to germinate. When I spend 9 hours a day listening to music, I am not ready to start over again when I am done with their session. I guess the big question for me is will it be another 9 years?

How did this album come about? Why now?
For the last few years I have been occasionally playing local shows with the Quick Hooks as my backing band. They are a great group, comprised of guys from bands with whom I have worked in the studio - Harvey Milk, DBT, The Glands. Generally, what we would do is play a residency at the Caledonia Lounge. Every Monday for a month in the Spring or Fall. We played songs from 'Comet' and any new ones I was coming up with. It was always pretty casual, but the shows were well attended, and well received. There is a healthy taper community in Athens and a good many of these were recorded. I would try from time to time to do some studio time with them, but I was not able to disconnect from whatever project I was working on at the time to really do it right. The way we were able to finally do it was that I took a week of time, blocked it off, and set us up as a live band in the studio. We came in in the evenings, and just hung out until everybody was in the right frame of mind and then just played. Just like it was a show or a rehearsal. Different engineers who work at the studio would sit in the chair so I could relax my mind and get into the song. After that week we pretty much had it done. There was another stretch of a few days where we did a few more songs, two of which made the cut.

Why now? The songs and the takes were there. Once I had it was mixed and mastered, I wanted to release it. Just get it out there to be heard. Plus, you know there are plenty of times where an artist hangs on to a project too long and loses perspective. It just felt like the time was now. It didn't hurt that the release and the Big To Do [new Drive-By Truckers album] release were close enough together where we could do some shows together.

Did you find yourself being a bit of a perfectionist when recording your own album?
This time I tried not to be. I think I was on Comet of the Season. I let a lot more go with this one and am happier with the results. The singing is pretty untouched. Several are the scratch vocal. Having another engineer in the room kept me from butting in too much. Kyle Spence (drummer) had been kind enough to warn me about becoming "that guy with a studio who tweaks his own record to death."

You've played a good few live shows to promote the record. How does this compare to being in the studio?
Nice and loose. We try to keep the arrangements somewhat open-ended live. Keeps it interesting.


David Barbe and the Quick Hooks - Love It, Don't Choke It To Death is out now.

(Photo thanks to http://southernshelter.com/category/david-barbethe-quick-hooks/ Check out that site for loads of great David Barbe live shows)

Interview: James Vincent McMorrow

Superb Irish singer-songwriter James Vincent McMorrow has just released his debut album Early in the Morning to much critical acclaim. One reviewer even referred to it as "the best album to come out of Ireland in a decade" or somesuch (read that full review here). He's about to embark on yet more tour dates around Ireland including the Kilkenny Roots Festival, and took some time out to talk about playing solo, his influences - both musical and literary, learning to play a variety of instruments, as well as his music being featured on American television shows.

How did you start in music?
I started playing drums when I was around 17, a lot of my friends were in bands and there weren't many drummers about. Didn't play in many bands in the end, rehearsed with a lot, but got quite frustrated, everyone wanted to sit around and talk about making music, I just wanted to make music!

Is that why you chose to go it alone? No constraints of being in a band?
I think so. it wasn't a conscious thing, I've always just enjoyed my own company, and when you're working with other musicians ideas inevitably change and become diluted. By learning all the instruments myself, it meant that whatever i eventually came up with would be 100% mine, for better or for worse.

Was it a conscious decision to learn a variety of instruments, or just something that happened?
I think it was just the challenge of it, I have quite a strong competitive streak, I'd look at musicians like Sufjan Stevens, who was essentially writing, recording, and playing almost everything on his records, and it just inspired me so much, I'd sit there day after day, learning everything I possibly could.

Obviously he's a big influence, but who else influences you?
i mean my favourite bands on the planet are the national and band of horses, it's so rare to hear bands that can do skyscraping epic music, but without it being overblown and lacking sentiment. Also bands like Bowerbirds, The Antlers, people like Joanna Newsom and Bonnie Prince Billy, musicians who are constantly testing the limits of their own writing. I read a lot of books, William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Steinbeck. I think the theme that runs through everything that inspires me is incredibly dense imagery.

How did the album come about?
I think it initially came about due to frustration. I tried to make a record in London with a really great engineer friend of mine, and after 2 weeks we had about 2 drum tracks recorded! i just wasn't enjoying the music i was making, it wasn't what i wanted to do, and the studio environment just wasn't for me. so i moved back to ireland, sat down and thought about the type of music i love, and what i actually wanted to say with a first record. Making music on my own in a room is exactly how i got started, so i figured if i was ever going to figure it out, i would probably be by going back to that.

You camped out in a house in Drogheda by the sea, which has been mentioned a lot in reviews of the album - and brought a lot of comparisons to Bon Iver's cabin in the woods story - do you feel the comparison is accurate?
Well, the house I made my record in is inextricably linked to how the record sounds, and the house he made his record in is inextricably linked to his albums sound also, so the comparison on that level is inevitable I guess. They're both rustic loose records as well. But his is about the breakdown of a relationship, mine is a document of the journey I've been on for the last 2 years, so on that level they are completely unique things.

Do you pay much heed to reviews in the media?
Not really, or at least I try not to. Music is such a subjective thing, the amount of reviews I've read of albums that have either said they were the greatest thing since the sliced pan, or the worst thing since the unsliced pan, I've sought out the records in question, and completely disagreed with the reviewer. I am proud of the thing that I have made, it's out in the world now, and everyone is free to say whatever they'd like about it really. I'm just happy it's out!

How have the songs progressed to a live setting?
Well, because the record is very much not a solo singer/songwriter record, I was fixated on putting together a big group of musicians to help me properly articulate that live. But I was having trouble finding anyone right, so I started playing the songs just myself and my nylon string guitar, and it started to really click for me in a way that me and my guitar never did before. I'm finding new paths through the songs, it's actually really exciting for me. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to find musicians to help me make it sing like the record does, but right now this is working quite nicely!

Your songs have been featured in Grey's Anatomy and One Tree Hill in the US, and you've appeared on Other Voices and the View over here. Do you feel TV helps your exposure to new listeners?
Yeah, I think its incredibly important, especially in the initial stages when you're putting your record out independently like I am. I mean I have no budget for promotion or radio luggers, so getting a song in a tv show can in one fell swoop get you into 10 million people's homes, that pretty big for me! The response I've gotten from the few things I've been lucky enough to get into has been immense. I think it's a balancing act when it comes to that kind of thing too though, pick and choose wisely, I've made a record, it's a collective piece of work, and I want that to be what people are talking about, not 1 song I had played for 2 minutes in a massive tv show.


Early in the Morning is out now.

More info:
http://www.jamesvmcmorrow.com/


Tour dates:
12 March - Sugar Club, Dublin
18 March - Roisin Dubh, Galway
19 March - Auntie Annies, Belfast
2 May - Kilkenny Roots Festival
3 May - Kilkenny Roots Festival

Interview: Delphic

I got the chance to interview Richard "Rick" Boardman from Stockport band Delphic this morning, and he proved to be a very open and entertaining interviewee. He discussed the band's origins, learning live tips from Orbital, appearing on Jools Holland, as well as talking about their excellent debut album Acolyte.

When did you guys get together?
We got together at some point in 2008.

What made you draft in a new lead singer? And change your name from Snowfight in the City Centre?
It was mainly me and Mark who were in Snowfight, but there was a load of musicians, too many, and it kind of got a bit out of hand really. Towards the end of it, James [Cook, vocalist] was kinda flirting with the idea of joining our band. One night the three of us were out and we had a conversation, I guess it's like a dirty affair, and thought "you know what, we could do something more exciting". Unfortunately for all the other guys in the band, we went off and did something with the three of us and left them behind. In a way we kind of had to escape to do something which was exciting.

Who are your influences?
Our influences are really, really wide-ranging. There's two kind of sides to it: there's the songwriting side where there's people from Burt Bacharach to Radiohead, and Bowie and people who write songs with an interesting harmony and melody; and then on the other side, there's the dance music side, where we've written these songs and we've presented them in a dance style. We're really interested in 90s Euphoric dance music to start off with. That was one of the things that initially inspired us. We were listening to a lot of dance music, and we were interested in the way 90s people like Orbital and Underworld and the Future Sound of London put a lot of soul and emotion into dance music, and all the build-ups and chord sequences they use, they're really euphoric and emotive rather than cold electro music. We were into that and wanted to push it into the future, so we got into minimal and techno, and recorded the album in Berlin, so all of that feeds into it.

Synths seem to have made a comeback, why do you think that is?
I think everything kinda goes in cycles. It was an answer to the NME guitar revolution, where all the chord sequences were continually ripping off Marquee Moon. It had just got to a point where it had started off exciting, with the Strokes and everything, and other bands like the Killers and Franz Ferdinand, then it progressively gets worse and more watered down as it goes on, people try to imitate those acts, and keeps getting worse until people decide they want to change. I think one of the reasons we were into synths was partly because we were sick to death of indie guitar music, and partly because that was what we had lying around. Adam had a load of old synthesisers lying around in his house for some bizarre reason, he doesn't even play music. We took them to a nice little cottage in the lake district to write some songs early on. They then defined the music we wrote.

You played some of the big UK festivals last year, did you find this helped expand your fanbase?
Absolutely yeah, it really did. We'd been gigging since early 2009, we started off with a little tour with the Streets and a European tour with Bloc Party. We were trying how to learn how to really push the music out, and we played a couple of really good slots at a couple of festivals, like Reading and Leeds. But I think it wasn't just the fanbase it helped. We were recording our album at the same time, so it helped the songs, as we were constantly referencing the live sound, and the live sound was growing. We were trying to get some of those things, some of those little live tricks we did back into the record.

As well as Bloc Party and the Streets, you've supported Orbital. Is there any dream act you'd love to share a stage with?
There's a few that I'd love to share a stage with but probably couldn't. Bjork is my all-time favourite artist, and we all really admire her, but I don't think I could actually seriously ever be up there with her. But there's people like Radiohead we'd love to play with, people you could learn things from. Radiohead are one of the most amazing live acts, and needless to say I think it'd be really exciting to play with them. I must put a call into our booking agents!

Did you learn anything from working with Orbital and Bloc Party?
Yeah, we did, definitely. One thing Bloc Party has is a lot of energy on stage and we started off very still, and very much with Kraftwerk in our mind. We just wanted to play our best. But after playing with Bloc Party, and them playing with so much energy on stage, it was hard not for that to seep into our live show. In a live sense, that really came through. Playing with Orbital was great because they do everything live - they use laptops, but they don't use a backing track. When we were playing with Orbital we were just getting into playing a lot more stuff live, and now all the synths are running live, and a lot of that is influenced by Orbital. So in soundcheck, we'd literally stand behind them on the stage, and look at them with a notebook and just write down what they were doing, just to get ideas of how to play in the synth world.

Then you moved on to your own headline tours, and co-headlining with Northern Ireland's Two Door Cinema Club, was that a difficult transition?
Not at all, it was just exciting. The Two Door Cinema Club tour was great fun, and we really admire that band on both a musical level and a personal level. We get on with them really well. Then after the album came out we did our own headline tour which was great because we're in control of the show. We get to decorate it with lights, and how we like, and we can push it that extra bit, that 5 or 10%, really make the most out of it. We can indulge in longer sets and longer mixes between songs, and play around with the mixes, because we kind of mix everything together like a DJ would.

What was it like playing on Later With Jools Holland back in November?
It's one of those boxes you're kind of desperate to tick early as a band, and a lot of great bands that have emerged have gone through that. It's like an institution. We didn't really sleep for about a week beforehand, we were just terrified that our gear would break down. It wasn't us being necessarily nervous about being on TV. Playing a lot our synths live and stuff, so we were worried something might blow up or go wrong. But it was fine, it was a really relaxing environment to spend a couple of days down there, and everyone talks you through it. It was quite daunting.

The BBC Sound of 2010 Poll must have been a highlight as well?
In a way, not necessarily. The ultimate highlight for us happened a week later - releasing out debut record. Before that, the BBC came out, and people at our label and in our management like to get excited about that kind of thing. But for us, it wasn't really a huge deal, we were just desperate to get the album out. And cynically looking at it, it was good, because it exposes us to a lot of people and promotion. It's a prestigious list, but it's got out of hand in recent years. This country has a tendency to put unnecessary pressure on people and they can never live up to it, so we kinda just take all that with a pinch of salt really.

Do you find there's a lot of pressure on you, from lists like this and being hyped as NME's Next Big Thing?
We would if we were different people, and I don't know how other people on the list are coping with it, but we don't take it too seriously. We try not to read too much stuff in the media, and the three of us have a laugh with it, and if we do read anything, we don't take it seriously, or pay too much attention. I know I sound like a footballer in a post-match interview, like Ryan Giggs, who never says what he means to say, but it genuinely is the truth. We just focus on what we're doing, and everything else we just shrug it off whether it's good or bad.

So, do you ever tire of being compared to "this band" or "that band"?
When we started, we thought that we gotta think of a name for what we're doing, and we called it post-dance. The reason we did that is because we didn't want to be pigeon-holed or put into certain categories, so you're desperate to find your own voice. But I also understand because I do it myself, people need to compare you, especially when you're a new band, so people can understand what type of band you are. I do it myself sometimes, "I'm really into this band, they're like a cross between this and this". It just happens, and when someone else says the same thing, it gets repeated over and over again. It's something that's happened, but it doesn't affect what's going on in the future with Delphic. We're on a particular path, and we'll get to the end of that path, regardless of what's happening around us. We've got a goal and we'll achieve that goal, on album two and three, and nothing that's sad about us will affect where we're going.

How would you describe your debut album?
Concisely, I would describe it as a good combination of euphoric and melancholic. We wanted to tap into that Manchester melancholy, and all that euphoric stuff with the fills and the synths. It's quite an optimistic record. We set out to make an electronic record with soul, and we feel we've achieved that - to evoke emotion from what is essentially dance music, and have songs in there as well.

How do you go about writing songs?
It's a torturous process for us in some ways, but it's the most exhilarating part of being in a band. Some bands write songs so they can go on tour, some write to produce music and great art, to leave something behind them that they're proud of. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to write songs. The three of us live together in a flat, we've got a little studio up there, and spend a lot of time together, so it's great. Me and Mark can write there, James and Mark can write there, or James and Me can go up there. Three people can crowd it sometimes, so we consciously only work that way. We build up beats and two people will work on that, and then another two, and finally when it's built up to about 95%, the whole thing will be augmented by Dan, our drummer, who adds a real kind of organic and live feel to it. It's quite exciting. That was the process for the first record. I think it's going to be quite different for the second, because you're defined by your limitations, i.e. writing in different ways and from different perspectives, and see what comes out. We'll try consciously to have a slightly different technique next time.

Do you have any input in which songs are chosen as singles?
To be honest, we do have input. We're quite aware that although the initial ideas are written in a very natural way, and often these ideas come when you're half asleep or when you can't quite predict them, but when you're working on them in the latter stages, you're very much aware that 'Doubt' would be a single, and it probably would be our first single. We knew that 'Halcyon' was going to be a single. We knew that 'Acolyte', the eight minute instrumental epic wouldn't be a single. We knew that in the way we had written them. We're interested in pop music. We listen to Godspeed You Black Emperor, but we'll also listen to Lady Gaga, and we'll respect the two equally, and admire them both the same. We will write songs sometimes in a pop inspired way. It's interesting, but sometimes we'll write songs in an epic dance way also. We're aware of it, and luckily we've set up our own label and licensed it to the bigger labels. In this way, we're pretty much in complete control of these decisions. We know to accept people's advice, but ultimately we have the final say, which is quite liberating, and quite rare for a band in this day and age, in any day and age.

What's next for Delphic?
This year sees a celebration of the album in touring around the world, which is quite exciting. We'll get to see a lot of new places. We'll go to Australia for the first time, and even playing in Ireland for the first time in a week (March 6th), and America for the first time - at the Coachella Festival. And then try to move forward. The reason we're here is we enjoy being creative, and it's a weird thing in a band, we now spend a lot of time talking to people or playing gigs or travelling around, and not getting as much chance to creative. So we're desperate to get back and write new stuff. When we're on tour we'll try and write stuff, we'll take our laptops with us and set up a sort of studio on the bus. It's finding space to push it forward as soon as we can.

Delphic play the Academy, Dublin on Saturday March 6th. Tickets are on sale now.

Full list of UK & Ireland Dates in March:
04 Middlesbrough - Teeside University
06 Dublin - The Academy
07 Stoke - Sugarmill
09 Northampton - Roadmender
11 Edinburgh - Studio 24
12 Newcastle - Digital
14 Birmingham - O2 Academy
15 London - Heaven
16 Cambridge - Junction
17 Manchester - Sankeys
19 Sheffield - Leadmill
20 Southampton - University

More info:
delphic.cc

Interview: Ultan Conlon

Ultan Conlon released his debut album Bless Your Heart recently, and the new single 'The Universe Tune' has just come out. The album and single are fantastic singer-songwriter stuff in the Ryan Adams/Neil Young/Bob Dylan mould. Ultan took some time out from his nationwide tour to discuss recording his debut album, his songwriting process, as well as playing live, and collaborating with legendary guitarist John Martyn.

Let's start at the beginning: when did your musical heritage begin?
I started playing guitar at the age of 11: A nun in the convent I went to taught a bunch of us after school, but I didn't really get into it until I was 14 when a neighbour at the time started to teach me Dire Straits and the like. I started writing shortly after.

What were your early songs like? Still playing any of them now?
They were ok I guess, teenage stuff really. I still play couple of songs I wrote when I was 19, 20 but dont really venture back before then, they're repressed songs at this stage. *laughs*

In 2002 you recorded a live EP. At the time, did you always know you'd be a musician?
No not at all, I was working at the time and really doubted myself about actually being a musician at all. It was only after John Martyn recorded 'Really Gone' in 2006 that I said to myself "ok, this is what I do and this is what I'm always gonna do".

How did the John Marytn collaboration come about?
At the time I played with a terrific singer songwriter from Galway called John Conneely in a Simon and Garfunkelesque Duo. We supported John Martyn on tour and he took a shine to that particular track and agreed to do some vocals on it. He pretty much made that version his own and thats how it all came about. It was a very exciting time for me.

What did you learn from working with John Martyn? Did he have any advice for you?
Sure, I had a bad habit of always singing on the kick and he advised me to swing my vocal, which over time I've taken on board. Sorry that probably means nothing to a lot of people, but it did help me record my own album. It was actually invaluable advice.

What was it like recording your debut album, Bless Your Heart? Had you all the songs written before you went into the studio?
I had lots of songs but they came from everywhere, some fast some slow so I think that could be harder than starting from scratch sometimes. I started to record some of the ones I knew were gonna go on there, and I also started writing some as we went along. We had the luxury, and sometimes the burden, of having the studio set up in the house we rented, so we were not under any pressure time wise. I just felt the album out over time, and there is a mixture of old and new songs on it, but I did try to make it feel like a complete piece of work.

So how do you write songs? Do you have a particular process?
Usually I'll fiddle round with melody and chords. I can sometimes start with a concrete idea in terms of theme and write lyrics accordingly. It can differ in many ways. I do spend some time on songs though and can change them over months until they're ready to stand up for themselves. I still find it a fascinating process with no hard and fast rule. Sometimes they just come to you ready made which is great and then there are the Ikea ones which can be tricky! *laughs*

Your current single is 'The Universe Tune', which has been very well received. Do you pay attention to reviews?
I do at present because I'm starting out in many respects. I want to get this album and my songs to as many people as possible. I look on them as promotional tools I guess. The album and single have been well received by anyone who has reviewed it and I'm very pleased by that. Once they start slating me that's when I wont pay attention to reviews and tell you they don't matter. He, I'll justify it in some way!

Speaking of reviews, how do you feel about being compared to people like Ryan Adams or Damien Rice?
I don't mind in the slightest! Damien Rice made one of the finest albums ever in my opinion. If he never stepped back inside a studio he would have nothing to apologise for. O is timeless. Ryan Adams is just incredible when it comes to output. He seems to put out a couple of albums a year which is insane. I'd gladly take a leaf out of both books!

Playing live is also a great way to get attention, you've got a few upcoming dates around the country. Do you enjoy playing live?
I do and I don't. The thoughts of it sometimes scares me because I guess I feel like more of a writer than a natural performer, so it's taken me some time to get used to playing my songs in front of people. However, when you are up there and it's a good crowd and all is going well, it is the only place you can really find the emotion the song deserves. It can be a terrific high, just amazing feeling. I have this wonderful band and I can't wait to get gigging with them again.

Who are your influences?
I guess Leonard Cohen would be one of my favourite artists. It's about the lyrics for me first and foremost, good diction and lyrics! If they are delivered with real emotion then vocal skills and musicianship can sit in the back. In saying that a beautiful melody is very, very important, and Leonard Cohen can certainly do that. I also like Van Morrison, Gram Parsons, Grant Lee Philips, Roy Orbison....anyone who pens a genuinely good song...It's all about the song!

What's next for Ultan Conlon? What are your plans?
Hmmm, Well in March I'll be all over Ireland, and April I'll be in the UK gigging so that will take priority. I'm writing and demoing songs in my free time so I'll try and take everything as it comes and just keep moving forward.

Upcoming Tour Dates:
3 March - The Spirit Store, Dundalk
5 March - Roisin Dubh, Galway (with James Vincent McMorrow)
6 March - Ryan's Bar, Kilkenny
15 March - The Crane Lane, Cork
22 March - Whelan's, Dublin
26 March - McCarthy's, Dingle

Interview Index

Yet another index (or archive if you will) to put the links of all the bands and artists I've interviewed in one place. I've interviewed some fine bands from not just Ireland, but from all over the globe, and hope to continue doing so. Look out for some interesting Q&As in the future.

NOTE: The date next to the artist's name is the date the interview was posted.

The Chapters, 2 November 2009
CODES, 14 December 2009
Ultan Conlon, 26 February 2010

Delphic, 1 March 2010
Drive-By Truckers, 1 December 2009
The Dutchess and the Duke, 12 November 2009

Fight Like Apes, 20 January 2010
Mick Flannery, 2 December 2009

Hockey, 29 October 2009
Patterson Hood, 1 December 2009

Jason Isbell, 8 February 2010

Franz Nicolay, 4 March 2010

Glen Phillips, 3 November 2009

Works Progress Administration, 3 November 2009

Last updated: 4 March 2010

Interview: Jason Isbell

Since leaving the Drive-By Truckers to pursue a solo career, Alabaman Jason Isbell has gone from strength to strength. His debut album, Sirens of the Ditch is a fantastic alt.country record, and one of the best albums of the 00s. Follow-up Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit is just as good, and 2010 should see the release of his third album (his second with the 400 Unit). He took the time out of his heavy touring schedule to answer a few questions for yours truly. Here's what he had to say...

Your live shows with the 400 Unit are different from your solo or duo shows with Browan Lallor. Do you approach them differently?
Yes. We have to. When you're in an acoustic setting, you have to be on your toes. Dynamics make a huge difference in those situations, and you have to try and sing your best.

What's the strangest thing that's happened on tour?
The strangest? I guess that fact that people actually show up to see us play.

You haven't played 'Daylight' in a long time live, are there any plans to bring it back? I know lots of fans who'd love to hear it.
No plans. I'm kinda over that one, to tell you the truth. Maybe one day.

You've played live with some great artists, who has been the highlight?
I guess Neil Young at Farm Aid in '02. I've followed his music and career since I was a child.

And is there anyone you'd love to tour with?
I'd love to tour with The Whigs again. They're one of my favorite bands on Earth.

Your live EP is absolutely fantastic, would you think of extending this and releasing a full-length live album?
Thanks. We'll almost certainly do that somewhere down the road. Maybe after another studio album or two. I want to have a lot of material first.

Was it a conscious decision to call the new album after yourself and the band? Sirens was recorded while you were still a Trucker, so did you want to further distance yourself from your past work with them?
I don't care to distance myself from that work at all. I'm very proud of it. However, this was the 1st record I'd made with this group, and I felt like they deserved some recognition for all the creative work they did.

You've written a few songs about war (Dress Blues, Sunstroke, etc), how do you feel Obama is doing? And did you vote for him?
I did vote for him, and I feel like he's doing a great job, considering that his is the most difficult job in the world right now.

How do you go about writing songs? What's your method/process?
I'll take it however it comes. I've used pretty much every method there is. Usually, though, I sit with a guitar and hum a melody until words pop out.

When recording your two albums, were there songs that didn't make the cut?
Not really. I'm not all that into recording a ton of material and culling at the end of the process. It seems like a waste of time.

Nothing? No B-sides?
We did a cover of Big Star's "When My Baby's Beside Me" that should be available with the Australian version of the album.

You sometimes play Van Morrison's 'Into the Mystic' live, and 'No Choice in the Matter' sounds Morrison-esque. What is it about Van that appeals to you?
He's very spur of the moment. Very intuitive in his lyrics and melodies. Plus, his voice is incredible.

And who else are your influences?
All the standards- Neil, Dylan, Bruce, Petty, Creedence, Stones, Beatles, and some old-time Southern music. I also got a lot from pop radio in the 80's. I love Crowded House, Till Tuesday, Prince, that sort of thing. Then there are the non-musical writers like Faulkner, Mark Strand, Eudora Welty, Louise Gluck.... I could go on forever, I guess.

What's your favourite lyric that you've written? And one by someone else you wish you'd written?
I love the bridge to "Goddamn Lonely Love," honestly. It's a pain in the ass to write a good bridge. I really wish I could've written "Happy Birthday." Imagine the royalties. From a creative point, though, I would've loved to have written "I Dream a Highway," by Gillian Welch.

You're a twitter user, do you feel this helps you connect with your fans? Or is it just a way to let off steam?
It can be both, depending on how drunk I am at the moment. I also love knowing what my friends are up to on a random day.

The decade and year have come to an end, so a lot of publications have drawn up lists of the best albums of the 00s and of 2009 (including my own which has both your albums in the top 20). Do you pay any attention to these lists?
Only the ones like yours.

So what's your favourite album of the decade?
Love You Just the Same by Centro-Matic. Runners-up would be Calexico's Feast of Wire and Kid A by Radiohead.

And do you read reviews of yourself? Live or studio? Admit it, we're all prone to googling ourselves every now and then!
Sometimes I do. Luckily, they are usually positive. I like the ones that say Browan (our guitar player) looks like a King of Leon.

I've seen in a few places that you're an avid reader, what are you reading at the moment? And do you have any recommendations?
Rushdie's Shalimar the Clown. Really great. Also, I have to recommend Edward P. Jones' The Known World. It's one of the best slavery-era novels ever written.

Should we expect another studio album any time soon? Have you written anything for it?
Sometime this year. I have been writing some lately, but I don't usually work with a specific project in mind, so I don't have a particular direction for the album yet.

Do you have any plans for 2010? Aim to return to Europe any time soon?
Huge plans. We're planning on making a short run to Europe in late April- early May, after I get home from Australia.

So expect a lot from Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit in 2010. But the most exciting news definitely has to be the new album...

Interview: Fight Like Apes

When you get to interview a band you expect insightful answers and unique information that you're the first to find out. But when you interview Pockets from Fight Like Apes you get an entirely different kind of interview. Much more fun, and in no way serious. Damn entertaining though, and some of these answers are genius.

Firstly, thanks for taking the time out to do this. You worked your way up from releasing EPs to recording a full album,was there much difference in the processes?
Absolutely. Both E.Ps. were extremely short. The album was slightly longer. That took a while. We had to figure out how many of the E.P songs we could use on the album. It was a complex equation: backlash - laziness = album you can get away with. We also produced the shit out of it as well. We recorded everything through gold amps and instead of microphones we just rubbed money over MayKay's mouth as she sang. It was amazing.

The songs on the EPs were revamped for the album itself, are you perfectionists like that?
Sheer laziness again. Why write more songs when you already have so many to choose from? We did a lucky dip to see which songs would make the album. We´ll probably throw the ones that didn't make the cut on album number 2. We hate writing songs. It takes ages.

You released an EP in the US in 2009, what's your fanbase like over there?
We're massive in the States. It's really weird to go from such humble beginnings on the mean streets of Castleknock to be selling out Madison Square Gardens to millions of screaming fans. If you ask 4 out of 5 major rock stars where they´d like to play before they die they´ll always say Madison Square Gardens. I asked MayKay, Tom, Adrian and they said the same thing. I think Bono prefers Fibber Magee's but he's a spa.

Are you aiming to crack the entire continent of America?
Already did it. It was cool. We're focused more on cracking Glasgow. Extremely difficult city to get excited about anything other than football. Full of Scots.

And where do the names for those EPs come from?
It's another equation we´ve been working on for a while. Daft pop culture reference + lots of words = wacky title = us being your new favourite band.

You played some new tunes at the Academy recently, will those make the new album?
I hope so. God we don't want to write more. That´d take ages.

And what can you tell us about it [the new album]?
It's going to an exploration of where we are as a band at the moment. A bit more sincere, a bit more in depth. A bit like a hotdog with sellotape on it. You can eat it in one go and enjoy it but it will stick with you for a while.

You play a lot of live shows, what do you do to make each one interesting?
Sometimes we open with Something Global and sometimes we open with Digifucker. It really changes things up I feel. Sometimes Tom will tell us which song we're playing next, sometimes MayKay will veto it and throw a real spanner into the works. You never know what's gonna happen next. Its a real wacký rollercoaster.

You've toured with a fine selection of indie darlings, such as Los Campesinos and Kasabian (as well as bigger acts like the Prodigy), is there any band you'd love to tour with?
I've always wanted to tour with D:ream. I heard that the keyboard player was in charge of the CERN project where they created a black hole in a laboratory. Apparently they´ve gone and built a 26 mile long tunnel underneath Europe and they fire protons along it to simulate the beginning of the universe. It was very dangerous stuff altogether. Apparently the world might have ended. I´d really love to pick his brain about this. I find it fascinating that a man that spent the mid nineties dancing in gold spandex on Top Of The Pops was put in charge of such a task. It gives me hope I suppose.

You've played Eurosonic and other festivals abroad, how do they differ from Oxegen and Electric Picnic?
It takes ages to get there usually. I hate that.

Do you pay much attention to reviews? I know there was some furore over the Indo review of your album, but what about live reviews? Do you ever read those?
My parents read our reviews. They like that sorta thing.

What is your favourite song that you have written? And one that you wished you had written?
I don't really like our music. It reeks of effort. I watched this movie Capturing The Friedmans recently and the only music they had to pay for in the entire making of it was Happy Birthday when it was sung at this paedo's birthday party. The amount of bean the lad who wrote Happy Birthday must have at this stage. Can't believe it's still in copyright. I want that one.

Do you ever get confused with the actor who sang on Kanye West's 'Golddigger'? [Pockets is known to those aforementioned parents as James Fox]
Eh no. He's black.

Now that the decade is over, can you tell me your favourite album of the 00s? And your favourite Irish album? [Spoiler Warning: An actual serious answer.]
'Apologies To The Queen Mary' by Wolf Parade. It's probably not my favourite but it's a good album nonetheless. Favourite Irish album is Giveamanakick "Is It Okay To Be Loud Jesus". I miss them. God bless them.

Do you have any resolutions for 2010?
Gonna start working out. My figure has gone to shit over the last few years. I used to be a real piece of ass but these days i just feel bloated. I'm skipping meals and as a result I'm over eating when i get the chance. Sustained exercise is key really when you think about it. I´ll just feel better in myself if I shed a few pounds. Take a few notches off the old belt, get back to the original holes if you get my meaning. When I look at my high school photos I think to myself "who does this guy think he is?" and I get really jealous of him. Fuck. I'm sorry. I just get so frustrated sometimes.

This may be my favourite interview so far. Hilarious. Loved the D:Ream comment. Totally inspired. I'll post up news about the new album as soon as I get it.

Interview: Codes

I got the chance to talk to Daragh Anderson, the singer and frontman for upcoming Irish band CODES. They've had a hugely succesful year, so Daragh took some time out of his busy schedule to talk about signing to a major label, supporting Keane, the power of reviews, and how their shows cause riots (kinda). Oh, and he also spoke about his work with the Sligo tourist board (not really), and how upset he was that Olly didn't win the X Factor last night (definitely not).

Firstly, thanks for giving me the time for this interview. You've probably been busy promoting the album for the past few months, has it taken over your life?
No problem sir, yes I guess it really has properly now. Not that that's a bad thing!

Ah that's good. So then what is the worst thing about being in a succesful band?
I suppose all the crap food you get accustomed to when your usual ports of call are garages and rest stops at 3am. That and sleeping in a van. Doesn't do wonders for your well being, especially for prolonged periods, but it's all part and parcel until we can afford nutritoinists and Beyoncé's tour bus! *laughs*

The really great music requires a lot of suffering! You play a lot of live dates, have you any weird or interesting stories?
You know, we probably have a story from everywhere we've played so far, all the nooks of Ireland have thir own little bit of character. For me it's gotta be playing in Ray's hometown of Ballymote in Sligo.
The venue was way over capacity, all hell just broke loose really, people were invading the stage and breaking glasses over each other's heads. There was one poor bouncer tring to get people in order, it was a right riot. I don't think we were meant to be on the recieving end but Paul did get a punch in the face accidentally...and that was just the women!

Nice. You must have some hardcore fans! Has anyone asked you to sign a body part yet or has fame intruded into your life at all?
Nah, I'm not going to pretend it's like that for us. Usually just people politely approaching us. After shows we try to get out and say hello as much as we can. I've signed someones face though, in permanent marker. I bet the next day they were like "who ?"!

You must feel you've come up in the world since signing with EMI. How did that come about?
It's nice to have to opportunity, yeah. Well we started working on the record around November last year on our own budget, with a view to pitching the finished work to a label of some kind. So, we put our eggs in the one basket so to speak. We couldn't afford to do anything really after spending all our savings on the record. It was risky, but we believed in it so much and had put every effort into the musicianship and organising it so we could get it recorded the way we wanted as quickly as possible. Luckily for us we had a few offers in the new year and we went with the EMI deal because they seemed to "get" the record a lot better than some other labels, as well as not wanting to change any of the work we did, which is utterly flattering and affirming I guess.

Yeah, a lot of artists suffer from too much label involvement, you were one of the lucky ones. But then again, the album is so good, why would you want to change it? Or is there anything on it you wish you'd done differently?
There are always parts I suppose, you wish you'd done one or two little things differently, but that's the beauty of capturing a moment in time, be it a photograph or a recording. It's never perfect, sometimes the discrepancies are what make it beautiful. Our producer, Greg, kept reminding us that in the studio. We're keen perfectionists, but sometimes that can just seem too laboured and un-human, he taught us to just play and let him do the worrying!

Greg produced the Manics before, and you've supported Keane. Is there anyone you'd love to work with or tour with?
I'd love to tour with NIN, just to see how all that works, the stage set up, the interactivity. I know U2's stage is visually amazing but I don't think anyone else is doing what NIN are live.

So what was it like to support Keane?
Again, it's one of those landmark moments of the past year. When you're part of the production line at a show like that, you see how all the hard work can pay off. You know: 90 crew, 3 articulated trucks worth of gear, nutritionists, Beyoncé's tourbus etc. It's a great learning process no matter what. They were really nice lads too,treated us really well.

Excellent. Speaking of huge productions: what do you think of X Factor and shows like that? Admit it, you watched it, didn't you?
Not one second of it! I'm slightly proud not to be sucked in but I guess it's not really having the time. I have 2 seasons of The Wire to watch on DVD you see. Oh yeah and being in a band. That too!
It's funny to me though, I find that people watch it more for the failures and the car-crash value than for any real musical merit. It showcases the worst sides of people really. Their desire for instant acclaim at any cost, and their lack of shame. At the end they're just marionettes in a big ridiculous pantomime.

Last year's Norn Ire contestant Eoghan's album was called "the worst ever" by critics. Do you pay much heed to album reviews? Your own got some damn good ones (myself included).
I'd like to say no. But I think I do. The other lads not so much, they're always reassuring me and telling me not to take heed but I have let bad reviews get to me in the past. We have gotten some really great ones for this record, and I'm glad because we're all so proud of it, but it's funny how with maybe 50 good reviews I always manage to dwell on the few bad ones.
Being in a band sometimes feels like you're on the defensive, because you put so much of yourself into it and you wait for the critical onslaught to hit. It's a good thing I have the other 3 guys to give me that reassurance sometimes.

That's true, but it also means you'll be working doubly hard for the second album. Should we be expecting that any time soon? Or do you have any plans for it at all?
Our plans are to get TreesDream released in as many territories as possible before we star working on the next album. I've got maybe six or seven new tracks that are contenders, and some pretty good ideas about where we want to go with it, but we're sort of sidelining those at the minute to focus on playing live and getting as many people to hear the current one. People can expect less guitars!

Next stop America?
UK tour in Feburary. We'll see where that takes us!

Excellent. You have some Irish dates this weekend, including one in Dublin on Monday. Tell us about that? (Encourage us to go!)
We carry on the tour this week with Dundalk on Thurdsday in the Spirit Store which is a lovely intimate venue only an hour's drive from Dublin.
We play Sligo on Friday Night in The Clarence. Bound to be a packed out night so get some tickets early. Sligo tourist board had this to say "Remember when the beaches went on forever, when the sea glinted in the sun, when you could smell the green of the woodland after rain, well that’s Sligo" sounds good!
We then head offshore to Shirken Island (Off the coast of West cork) In what promises to be one of the most memorable shows this century. See shirkenisland.eu for boat times, we play The Jolly Roger pub at 8pm, it's going to be a pretty crazy night. Not one for the sea-sick!
And on Monday we headline The Button Factory with special guest Gemma Hayes in aid of the Dublin Simon Community, which is a really great cause, and of course more pertinent at this time of year and in this climate with homelessness on the rise see www.dublinsimon.com for info on the great work those guys are doing.

Last but definitely not least, what is your favourit album of the decade? And favourite Irish album of the 00s?
Wow, a lofty question. Kid A - Radiohead (2000), and Irish... Adebisi Shank - self-titled (2008).

Upcoming gigs:
Thursday, 17 Dec: The Spirit Store, Dundalk
Friday, 18 Dec: The Clarence, Sligo
Saturday, 19 Dec: Shirken Island, Cork
Monday, 21 Dec: The Button Fatory, Dublin with Gemma Hayes

Watch a acoustic version of 'Starry Eyed', one of my favourite songs of the year:

Interview: Mick Flannery

Another day, another interview. If only every week was like this! My latest victim is one of Ireland's finest young songwriters, Mick Flannery. The Corkman speaks about recording with a big label, the joy of playing live, Christmas albums, and how he approaches songwriting. He also shows his own love for fantastic music by picking his best album of the decade.

Did you find it a very different experience making White Lies with EMI after self-producing your debut?
I did yes. I was very much out of my comfort zone, a bit lost really. I was working with a new band and even though they were great I realise now how long it takes a group of people to actually become a band. I find we play the songs a lot more interestingly now at gigs than we did at the time of recording. EMI, Willie Kavanagh in particular, were very patient and understanding during that time, I suppose down to having seen it all before. I definitely learned a lot from the experience so I have no regrets really.

'Mad Man's Road' is one of your oldest songs, will we ever get to hear a studio version?
There is a recorded version from those sessions we did for White Lies. The recording is fine we just felt it didn’t fit in with the rest of the album so we held it back. It may be released later on sometime.

There's a song on your self-titled EP called 'Christmas Past', would you ever have an inkling to make a Christmas album?
I don’t think so. I’m not averse to themed albums but nothing as pansyish as a full dose of festive drivel.

Do you pay much attention to awards? You were nominated for Choice, and won at the Meteors. Were these proud moments?
I’ve forgotten about them. It was nice to have been nominated. No matter how modest or humble any band is, us included, they still want recognition for what they do and it is nice when it comes,

You lived in New York for a few months to try your hand at making it as a musician over there, what happened?
Mostly drinking to be honest. Very little in the way of ambitious endeavour.

You now play all over Ireland, do you enjoy touring and playing live?
I do, very much so. I’m very lucky that we all get on very well and have a good time in each other's company.

You've often spoken of your love of Tom Waits, Kurt Cobain, Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams etc. Who is the best act you've ever seen live? And have you taken anything from their show to put into your own?
Waits and Leonard Cohen are the best I’ve seen live. I don’t consciously rip any specific things off for our gigs. I’m always aware of the need for a few more upbeat songs to make a gig enjoyable for an audience.

How do you feel about collaborating? Is there any act you'd love to work with?
I’ve tried it in the past with no real results. I think I’m too shy really to write with other people.

How do you approach songwriting?
I have no particular approach. Ideas come at strange times so I keep a recording thingy with me and then work on the idea when I have the time. Mostly music first lyric afterwards.

How important are reviews to you? Do you google yourself to see what people are saying?
Reading a good review is nice but I don’t really pay a whole lot of attention to them.
I’ve never googled myself no, but now you asked I might, strange.

Do you ever get recognised in the streets?
Only by people I know really.

What advice would you give for younger musicians trying to make it?
A good manager is extremely important, someone who looks out for your interests no matter who they have to go up against.

What's next for Mick Flannery? More touring? A new album? An EP? A rest?
All of the above really. We’ve started doing demos for a new album. Hopefully we’ll be able to release next year.

I'm asking everyone this at the moment. What's your favourite album of the decade? And your favourite Irish album?
Ryan Adams, Heartbreaker. Van Morrison, Tupelo honey

Mick Flannery currently has a deluxe re-release of his excellent White Lies in stores. It includes an extra special bonus song, as well as Mick's entire live performance at the Opera House in Cork last year. The bonus song, 'Christmas Past' with Kate Walsh, can currently be heard on Mick's MySpace:
www.myspace.com/mickflannery

And you can buy the deluxe edition White Lies here:
iTunes

Interview: Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers

My year end and decade end lists are coming up very shortly. You should expect the Drive-By Truckers to feature on both (especially the decade end one). So imagine my delight at being able to interview Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers. Here is what he had to say about returning to Ireland, new albums The Big To-Do and Go Go Boots, his favourite lyrics, his early band Adam's House Cat, working with Booker T, and even selected his favourite albums of the decade.

Firstly, thanks for taking the time out to do this. With three main songwriters in the band, how do you decide what gets on the albums and what gets cut?
Patterson Hood: There always seems to be a few dominant songs which kind of establishes a theme or running thread the it is a matter of what songs fit and what songs don't.
Everybody is really tough of themselves so the songs are generally really strong before they come in to the band. It is almost always the dominant writer who pulls a song out of running.
We all really love each other's songs so it is often me or Shonna arguing in defense of a song Cooley wrote and vice versa. There is no room for ego or hidden agendas in this band. We always say "song is king" and every decision is based upon that premise. I think that is a bog part of what makes our band as good as it is.


Mythology is featured in many of your songs, do you have a favourite story or folk tale?
PH: I do love myths and legends. Folklore, storytelling, etc. All of these things are a big part of what we do and things we apply to our music. It's a grand old tradition that isn't done as much nowadays as in days past. We are all very much into the idea of keeping that old tradition alive as best we can.


You released B-Sides album The Fine Print earlier this year, do you have any plans to ever release other outtakes and unreleased songs, such as Neil Young's Archives?
PH: We don't really have that many outtakes. We do edit ourselves very heavily, but usually before the recording process begins. Usually if we like a song enough to actually record it, it's considered a keeper. If we don't get a good enough take for it to make the album we can it and try again the next album. There is a good bit of live archives but we don't have any plans for them at this time. We do have our first live album (Alabama Ass Whuppin' from 2000) that has been out of print for several years. I'd like to reissue that one day as well as the old Adam's House Cat album that Cooley and I recorded in 1990 but right now our main concern is with our new material going forward.


What is your favourite lyric you have written? And what is a lyric you wish you had written yourself?
PH: Right now probably a new song (from the next album) called "The Wig He Made Her Wear" about a murder a few miles from where I grew up. I've always been really proud of "Heathens" "The Living Bubba" and "World of Hurt". I wish I had written "Zip City" which is my all time favorite DBT song, but of course no one on earth could have written that except for Mike Cooley. I'm just lucky I got to play on it.


A lot of your shows are available online for download for free (such as on archive.org ), do you feel this helps your fans to connect with the music better?
PH: It seems like a good thing. Our fans like it and I would think it has helped to grow our fan base. It kind of fills the void from all of the radio play that we don't get.


And how do you stand on the whole issue of online music piracy?
PH: There are certainly abuses but I don't think there's any plausible way to fight it. I sure don't believe in suing our fans. We try to go the extra mile with our packaging and artwork to entice people to actually BUY the album. I would hope that by making it an appealing thing to actually own it would help sales. I would hope that people realize that we're very much a working class band. We make a lot of our music available for free but I would hope that people who enjoy those freebies would at least support the cause by actually buying that new album that comes out (even if they downloaded it earlier before it came out). As I said, even if it's to have the packaging. Our albums are packaged very beautifully.


Who are your influences, other than the groups and artists usually connected with you?
PH: Far too many to name. Todd Rundgren was a huge influence on me. All of us really love old country and soul music as well as punk rock and 70's arena rock.


You played a co-headline tour with the Hold Steady this year which was fantastic. Are there any other artists you'd love to share a stage with?
PH: Tons of great bands out there. Band of Horses, My Morning Jacket, Wilco, M Ward, Radiohead, Any Jack White project. If the Stones were to ask, I wouldn't say no.

And any you'd rather never play alongside again?
PH: No one I can think of. We've generally gotten along well with everyone we've ever toured with.

Since you spend a lot of time touring and playing live, surely there must be some really memorable concerts or concert moments that stand out. What has been the best concert? And the weirdest thing to happen at a gig?
PH: I have no idea. We've played way over 1,000 shows and I'm usually happy with them unless I'm sick or there's some bullshit technical thing that keeps us from doing what we want to do. Obviously the audience has a lot to do with it, but were very fortunate to usually have very kick ass audiences. I always long for that moment of transcendence where we all lose ourselves in the moment. It happens more nights than not. There have been nights where we played more or less perfectly, but that wasn't there and so I didn't like the night. Other nights that might have had plenty of technical fuckups but we all lost ourselves in the moment and were very happy at the end.


Are you still friends with Jason, and do you listen to his albums?
PH: Yes and Yes. We don't see each other very often, but I keep up with what he's doing. He's an amazing talent and I think his best days are still ahead. I'll probably see him over the holidays.


Southern Rock Opera is a concept album about Skynyrd, any intentions to do any more records like this in the future?
PH: For starters, It's only loosely based on their mythology and how that interacts with people's perceptions of the part of the country we come from. It's more printing the legend as John Ford would have said than a literal history. It could be argued that all of our albums are somewhat concept albums, even though some of them were not planned that way at all. The lines become very blurry, which of course I think is a good thing. I've come to terms with the fact that all of our albums deal with concepts, even when they're not concept albums. There is always a running theme (or joke, or both) that ties all of it together.


What can you tell us about the new album, The Big To Do? Will it be a change in direction, or what are your main influences for it?
PH: It's very much a Rock album. Very melodic and more Rocking than anything since disc 2 of Southern Rock Opera. We're very proud of it. We actually recorded two complete opposite albums this year. The second one will come out sometime later. It's called Go-Go Boots and is what we affectionately refer to as our R&B Murder Ballad album.


How did the album with Booker T come about?
PH: Booker T signed with ANTI Records, which put out the Bettye LaVette album that we played on (and I co-produced). Andy Kaulkin from ANTI asked if we'd like to do another project and we all said yes. Booker had always wanted to make a guitar based album and Andy played him some of our material and he thought it might work. We got together last fall and made the album in four days. I really hope we can make another one with him. We toured together some this year and I feel that we could really delve much further than we've been able to if given a chance.


Did you learn anything from working with Booker and Bettye LaVette that you have brought to your own shows or songwriting?
PH: We learned a lot from both of them. I think our last album (Brighter Than Creation's Dark) was heavily influenced by having made Bettye's album earlier that year and likewise I think working with Booker really influenced The Big To-Do. Booker's album being all instrumental taught us a lot of how to nuance things musically in ways that really paid off when we started writing our new one. it made us all better players also.

And should we expect any guests on your own upcoming album?
PH: No, not on this one. David Barbe plays on a few things (like he almost always does on our albums) but otherwise no guests. We would like to do a guest laden album at some point, but this wasn't the time.

I'm asking everyone this at the moment, but if you had to choose, what is your favourite album of the 00s?
PH: The Glands - The Glands (2000 - Capricorn Records) and Gillian Welch - Time The Revelator. I'm pretty obsessed with both of those albums.


Also, one last one, any chance of an Irish date in the future? You haven't been here in years, and there's a lot of whiskey here waiting to be drank...
PH: I can't wait to play Ireland again. Hopefully next spring after The Big To-Do comes out.

Interview: The Dutchess and the Duke

The Dutchess and the Duke are one of the best young bands around these days. They've followed up the excellent She's the Dutchess, He's the Duke with the even better Sunrise/Sunset. I was lucky enough to get the chance to introduce the Duke himself, Jesse Lortz. Here's what he had to say.

How is Sunrise/Sunset different to your quasi-self-titled debut? Do you feel that you have honed your craft?
We did a month long tour playing acoustically with no vocal microphones or anything to hide behind or separate us from our audience, and I think that made us alot more confident with eachother and our songs.

You've supported Fleet Foxes in the past, but now you're having more and more headline shows. Are there any acts that you'd love to have support you, or that you'd love to support?

We would love to do a Dutchess and the Duke / Gris Gris tour. But for now we'll just have to settle for having half that band with us onstage. We would tour again with Fleet Foxes in a heartbeat. When we went on that tour we had literally played 4 or 5 shows, and I dont think we appreciated or took advantage of it as much as we maybe should have.

Pitchfork gave your first album an 8.2, getting something like this must be a real boost to the band. Do you feel that things like this have helped you gain a wider audience?

Definitely. This is our first experience in being in a band with any sort of label behind it. So seeing how the machinery of the music industry works has been pretty interesting.

Are there any reviews that really hit home? Do you concern yourselves much with what is said about your records and shows online?
We read it and its interesting, but for the most part it doesn't really matter much. I like reading reviews that say our record is difficult to listen to, because that means it is doing it's job. It's making people react. And not to just noise or offensive lyrics. They are reacting to the way our songs make them feel about their own lives.

So have you ever got any really bad reviews that made you want to write a strongly worded letter to the editor?
Why bother? then they just know they have gotten under your skin.

Your album also featured on some Best of 2008 lists, and no doubt the new one will appear on many more next month, do you pay any attention to these?
If it helps sell some records, sure! And its nice to be appreciated.

The 00s are coming to an end, do you have a standout indispensible naughties album, one that if a gun was pointed to your head, that you could say "this is the best album of the decade"?
No!

Jesse, you have a beard, and in this month's Q Magazine, they categorised their best albums of the year in "With" and "Without Beards" categories. How integral are beards to indie folk?
Beards are about an unwillingness to shave. Folkies are lazy? I dont know. I have better things to do that shave.

Every band has a different approach to songwriting, what's yours?
I keep track of melodies on my cell phone. Something will come to me on the bus or walking around or something. Then when its time to do a record, I listen to them and add the rest of the parts. I then make demos on an 8 track in my garage while chain smoking and drinking tons of coffee until 3 or 4 in the morning. Then we go record and I give Kimberly her lyrics. She learns the song through a pass or two and then we record it. Done!

You guys grew up together. Do you find sometimes you're like an old married couple? Or Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon?
No, we keep it fresh by seeing other people.

Live shows take up a lot of artists' time these days, do you find it tiring? Especially being away from your families and significant others? Or do they ever travel along with you?
Fuck no!

Any plans to record new material in the near future? Perhaps an EP on the horizon? Or are you going to tour and take a break before anything new?
We will when we have to. I am working on a side project right now that I am gonna record with Greg from Gris Gris in the spring hopefully. We are touring the S/S record at least until March and possibly beyond that. Doing 3 two week tours regionally in the states. Then we will hopefully do the third album.

So hopefully we'll have two records from Jesse next year. 2010 is going to be great!

Interview: Glen Phillips of Works Progress Administration

he Works Progress Administration is not quite a supergroup (well it, is but...), instead they claim that it's an expandable collective, centred around Glen Phillips of solo and Toad the Wet Sprocket fame, Sean Watkins from Nickel Creek, and Luke Bulla who was a member of Lyle Lovett's large band. The WPA also features many other performers, including Sara Watkins (fiddle), Benmont Tench (piano), Greg Leisz (pedal steel), Pete Thomas (drums), and Davey Faragher (bass). The self-titled album also features some of the best album art/liner notes I have ever seen. Here is what frontman Glen Phillips had to say about his latest project.




It seems Americans have a fascination with FDR and his programs, Jason Isbell/Drive-By Truckers have 'Thank God for the TVA', and you've named yourself after the Works Progress Administration, why do you think this is? Has Obama's presidency invigorated Newer Deal thought, or is there a more personal reason behind the name?
I think people appreciate the idea of a nation seeing itself as a great community, as opposed to a collection of consumers. The US has confused democracy with unfettered capitalism over the last few decades. The New Deal was based on the idea that our individual labors had worth and dignity, and that our spirit and creativity mattered more than our incomes and possessions. I know that's a fairly basic concept in the rest of the world, but it's become revolutionary in America. I think Obama was voted in with great hopes for a return to those values, but I'm not sure how much change we'll really get. It would be an amazing step for us to get just get back to where we were under Clinton, but that's not quite the same as moving ahead.

When working in a collaboration like this, how do you decide who does what? Take the album for example, how was it decided what songs would appear on it? And when playing live, who orders the setlist? Is it arranged so everyone gets a turn?
Song selection was surprisingly democratic. The writers (Sean, Luke and I) brought in songs we thought would work for the project. We worked on the ones everyone favored. If someone thought something wasn't up to snuff it was shelved. There weren't any hurt feelings in the process. Ideas for covers would come from anybody who had a suggestion.
The three of us all chip in for set lists.

Is it easier to record an album without record company pressure? How does it differ from the usual process?
It's great recording without a company (aside from the lack of funds)- the musicians just choose the best songs and get them the way they want. Then again, I haven't been on a label for a long time, so for me, it's pretty standard. Back with my old band, Sony allowed us to do what we wanted. I didn't realize how unusual that was until later. The idea of signing a writer to a contract and then not trusting them to do good work is bizarre to me. Not that there aren't talented A&R people with good ideas and taste. I just trust musicians more to know what they're doing. We produced this as a group, and managed to put the record together with just 3 days of rehearsal and 5 days of recording. We re-recorded a couple lead vocals and overdubbed some harmonies, but what you're hearing is 99% what came out of us live.

Many of you have had solo careers alongside being in a band, has that helped you all bring something different to this record?
I suppose...I think the group's breadth experience has shown us all that there's no one way to do things, and that we can trust our instincts to lead us where we need to go. The focus is always on the song itself - nobody was concerned about how big their piece of the pie was, so people worked more to create space instead of filling it up. If everyone was showboating, it would be cacophony with eight people wailing away. By always keeping the song in focus, we were able to lay back and keep things from getting too dense.

And how is this record different than the Mutual Admiration Society album that some of the members made a few years back?
First of, Chris Thile isn't a part of it. MAS was Nickel Creek plus me, while this is a completely different monster. With WPA there were eight people with equal power in the studio, multiple lead singers, many more instrumental textures. There's also a lot more energy - MAS was a beautiful record, but a little sleepy. WPA drives a lot harder.

There's some cover tunes on the album, how did these come about?
Some of the covers had been played at Watkins Family Hour shows for a while, others we just picked up along the way.


Who are your main influences on the album?
Each other. The songs cover a lot of ground stylistically, and by sticking to the attitude of being individually minimal but large as an ensemble we fell into our own sound pretty quickly. There's influences from XTC to Hank Williams, Dylan to Radiohead. We're pretty omnivorous.

Do you feel that the WPA is a one-off, or should we expect future albums and tours after this one?
We'd like to do more records. The next one will likely have a slightly different lineup. We've been touring as a five piece, due to a combination of logistics and finances, and have been having a blast. We'll see how things evolve. This has been a real labor of love, and we'd like to keep it going. We'll all be getting back to other projects, but I think there's more to come.

You can find out more about WPA, as well as download their album here:
http://www.wpamusic.com/

Stream the album here:

Interview: The Chapters

I've been lucky enough to get to talk to Turlough Gunawardhana from the Chapters, who is having a very busy week this week promoting their excellent new single 'Moving' which was released over the weekend. Here he talks about making their album Perfect Stranger, supporting Neil Young, playing the o2 Blueroom, new single 'Moving', and headlining Dublin's Academy.

Your debut single with 3u came out in April, and the album followed soon after, has everything seemed to happen together? Have you had time to look back on it and think how far you've come already this year?
Everything has happened quite quickly. From signing to 3u - recording the album and then releasing it. It all happened within 4 months. I guess we're always striving to be better so we have to look back and review things but I'm never happy with how things are going. I get a bit anal about things. And if I was 100% happy I'd give up!

The 3u deal was a defining moment for you, especially after all the false starts. You've been together since 2007 and relentlessly touring, was there a time when you felt you'd never make it?
I guess for every Musician/Artist there are always setbacks. It's how you learn form them and move on in the hope of not making similiar mistakes. I think I still have times when I get disillusioned but I think that's all part of being a Moody Musician. Ha. I dont think we've made it. It's just the start and i hope we can grow from here.

You don't think you've made it yet? What about when you supported Neil Young? Surely that was a "we're here" moment?
That was definately a moment I'll never forget. However, I'll be saying we've made it when our Music becomes as timeless as Neil Young's!

Haha, very true. Not many artists make it that far. For now though, you have one excellent album under your belt. Tell us about that.
What would you like to know about the album?

Perhaps about the process of writing and recording it. How you already had some of it done before your record deal fell through.
Well we had around thirty tracks already written before we recorded the album. However, a few weeks before we recorded the album we wrote 'Videotapes' (the first single from the album) and also 'Ukiyo'. We all write together. When we first started playing we agreed that everything would be split equally. We all trust each other's ability musically and when composing. A bass line is just as important as a lyric. Thats our motto! We recorded the album with long time friend and producer of the band, Ciaran Bradshaw. We had approached a lot of producers before one of the deals broke down. But when we signed with 3u we knew there was only one man who could put up with our banter... and it was Ciaran.

Was that an issue with 3u? Were you allowed to choose your own producer or did you agree beforehand that Ciaran Bradshaw would be in control of the album and no-one else?
3u were magnificent when it came to the creative process. They left us alone. They wanted us to go with someone we were happy with. The label didnt listen to the album until we had to decide tracklisting after mixing. Once we chose the track listing it was off to New York to get it mastered. When we gave them 15 tracks... Joe O'Reilly (the head of the label) turned around and said he absolutely loved it! He said "Every song is a single"

What have you done with the tracks that didn't make the cut? Will we see a Neil Young-aping Anthology released way down the line with a bunch of outtakes? Or have those songs been scrapped forever?
Well some of them are played live. We have a song called 'Heart of Glass' which is a alot of peoples favourite song. We had it on an EP and did an Acoustic version of it and had it as a B-side. it got great feedback. But it didnt make the cut as we felt we didnt do it justice when recording it. I would like to think it'll be on the second album, but not sure yet. The new material is slightly different to the first album. I am sure we'll try and do something with the songs that didnt make the first album.

Are there any plans to record that second album in the near future? Or are you going to push Perfect Stranger as much as possible before moving on?
We definately plan on recording the second album very soon. I think the plan is to record it next Summer. But we still plan on pushing 'Perfect Stranger'. We've had alot of interest abroad including Film and TV. So if things work out in that area it might be a good opportunity for Perfect Stranger to grow outside of Ireland.

Yes, I heard about the TV interest. You're going to have some songs on Emmerdale, isn't that right? How did that come about?
Yes Videotapes will be played on Bonfire night on Emmerdale. Our album was passed onto a Script Writer of the show by a friend, and they liked it.

As easy as that! TV is a great way to increase your audience, but has there been any TV or radio shows that you'd never go back to?
Well I have always enjoyed Interviews and playing acoustic sets. We did an Interview with Tony Fenton. And we also played a tune. He was a lovely man. I have to say Today FM was a great studio to be in. Also the staff were very very nice. I've been in a good few stations and some of them have a stale Corporate feel. iRadio 102 Breakfast is great too. The lads and Lass are greta in there. I don't know how they get away with some of the stuff on that show. We just recently did a Live Set in the O2. Which was some experience. It should be online soon. But the crew at the O2 Bluerooms are lovely. I think its its one of very few production companies who know what they are doing when it comes to Live Music on TV.

Hopefully one day you'll be headlining the main stage at the O2, but you do have a huge headlining gig coming up at the Academy. Are you looking forward to that?
Yeah, I can't wait for that one. We've been thinking of ways to make the show interesting. We have a few interesting tricks up our sleeves. I guess we always work hard on our Live show. And we want to make our shows value for money. Only recently Ross (the band's lead singer) has come out of his shell and started running into the crowd. So I/we promise an Entertaining show!

Sounds like it's going to be a fantastic night. Your latest single 'Moving' was released over the weekend, and is getting a lot of airplay. Do you feel it's your best work?
Yeh 'Moving' is regarded by some as the best song on the album.. For me I am a favourite of 'Black Room'. We actually wrote 'Moving' three years ago. But like us it matured.

Like this interview, the decade is just finishing up, so I have to ask: What has been your favourite album of the decade? And do you have a favourite Irish album of the decade?
Good Question, I have to dig deep. Best Irish Record in the last Decade: Fionn Regan The End of History. I love this album. Overall it'd be Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago. The first time I heard his voice I thought it was an African-American from the 60s. I've loved it since.


The Chapters will be playing the Academy on November 20th. Tickets are on sale now and cost €14.50.

Buy the single 'Moving' here:
iTunes

Watch 'Moving':