How did you come
to music? What is your musical background?
I kind of fell into music relatively late in life, around
the age of 27. Although I’ve got no formal training
I’ve always understood music and have always been
interested in unusual music of all kinds. I gave myself
a year to try and achieve something in music and ended
up with my first 3 EP’s being released. In this
busy, short attention-span world, I would absolutely
recommend anyone to take time away from financial pressures
to do something creative.
Who are the artists that have influenced your
work?
Well I’ve grown up on jazz music, but
I first realised what could be done when I heard Endtroducing
(like a lot of people). Hand on heart, I really couldn’t
say that there are particular artists that I aspire
to. There’s music that I think is wonderful, but
I really am trying to create a unique sound. Particularly
when you are making a collage of sound, you’ve
got to work very hard to put out something unique from
those ingredients or it’s purely pastiche. That’s
the deal I’ve made with myself anyway.
What made you decide to start Broadway Project,
and what would you say defines the sound of this project?
I started all of this off for the same reason
as I do it now... to try and create the perfect track.
Everything that I’m drawn to is always pretty
deep, emotional and intense. I try and create little
perfectly formed epics. So they can be quite melancholic
and challenging, but always have that uplifting vibe.
Lots of aural information… it takes a few listens.
Melody is very important, but I’m a break fanatic
at the end of the day. Broadway Project is just the
name I put to my first tracks. Not really expecting
anything to come of it. And I’m still waiting
(haha).
How did you come to work with Memphis Industries?
Did you know Matt & Ollie (Jacob, founders of Memphis
Industries) before working with them?
It was a simple demo situation. They got what
I was trying to do at an early stage and now let me
do whatever I bloody like. Which is nice. Eventually
they are going to make me a millionaire, apparently.
Hmmm…
When Compassion was released, there
were comparisons with Tom Waits, Boards Of Canada, Portishead,
Erik Satie… How did you react to this?
Errm.. fair enough. I mean join the list…
there’s so many things that you can compare it
to because there is so many different styles swimming
around together in the tracks. Good luck trying to categorise
it… that’s not my job.
Did that impact on the work for the new album?
Did you feel you had something to live up to?
No because you can’t repeat history.
I tried to move on and create something as good, but
different. Compassion was very intuitive…
it just kind of happened. I put a lot more thought into
The Vessel. Like how do I want it to sound,
I want this kind of track, etc… I much prefer
intuition, but it is second album syndrome. You have
to start from scratch again, so you give it lots of
angst and humming and aahhing. Well, I did anyway.
On the new album, you’ve relied on more
vocals than on the first album. Why? Did you feel there
was something missing on Compassion?
No, I wanted to go through the whole song writing
process to help me focus down the sound more. Compassion
is chaotic and that’s why some people like it,
but I wanted to focus more to try and create something
a little more accessible. You know.. like Broadway Project,
but with songs!
How did you meet Richard, and how did the idea
of working together come up?
We met through a mutual friend. I was looking
for a vocalist and Rich seemed to fit the (rather bizarre)
bill. He’s a unique character and has an amazing
voice. There was quite a bit of experimenting or faffing
about and then it just clicked. Basically when I trusted
Rich enough to get on with it. He wrote most of the
vocal melodies and we both had a hand in the lyrics.
Is Richard now a full time member of Broadway
Project, or are you considering collaborating with other
people in the future?
Working with a vocalist was a one-off project.
I think it needed to be done for my music and it’s
taught me so much. But in the near future I’m
going to try to get a band together focused on the more
jazzier side of what I do, with the intention of going
out live in the next year.
The Vessel is as
dark and murky as Compassion. Where do you
think this comes from?
I prefer to think of the mood as deep rather
than dark. And I try to get feelings of hope and uplifting
tones in there too. I’m not sure where it comes
from, but I guess my partner would tell you that I feel
things in general pretty deeply. I also hate irony in
art (in particular in music), so it’s all for
real, as they say. For good or bad. People seem scared
of reality these days. I don’t mind if it scares
people. Pussies!
Did working with Richard change the way you
approach your work in any way?
Oh yes. Bloody vocalists. Awkward buggers,
all of them. We had a year of swapping tapes and then
2 months of fraught sessions. I had to think about structure
and chords for the first time. Like I said before, more
analyzing.
There were some vocals on Compassion.
How different was it to work with just one person?
Pretty intense. Rich is a great guy and a good
friend, but we were both very passionate about the album
and there were a few battles of will. I am quite a loner,
work wise, so it was difficult for me. That’s
not to say it wasn’t worth doing or that he wasn’t
right in the end.
On the new album, there is a reworked version
of For The One. Why re-do the song with Richard?
Good question. I thought the version on Compassion
wasn’t finished, so I finished it with Richard.
To me it sounded like a different track and it fitted
on the album beautifully. I hope you don’t feel
short changed by that because we dropped other tracks
to make room for it.
You say on your website that both you and Richard
wanted to make an honest and heartfelt album that worked
on people’s deeper emotions? Do you think you’ve
achieve this and how did you ensure you did?
I think we achieved an honest and heartfelt
album. But I think it’s flawed in a beautiful
way. Like we went for some takes where Richards vocal
cracks because it had the feel that we wanted and sometimes
I cranked up the sounds to the point of meltdown. But
hey, we gave it a good go. We achieved this sound be
punishing ourselves ritually on a daily basis.
There are a lot of expectations from this second
record. Is that a daunting thing to finally release
it?
Not at all. Wait until you hear the next one.
On the For The One EP, you worked
with a full band. How did you find working with other
people affected your work?
It all takes a lot longer. I don’t play
much so there was a lot of humming and whistling of
melodies. I worked the amps. I think on that EP you
are hearing me work it all out… which leads me
to your next question..
Is it an approach that you’ve carried
on with the album?
Yes and no. Too a lesser extent, maybe. Sorry, I’m
getting tired.
Considering the cinematic nature of your music,
would you be tempted to work on a soundtrack? If yes,
for what kind of film?
I’ve done a couple of things. I’d
love to soundtrack one of those old Le Carré
spy/political intrigue movies. Based in the old USSR
in winter. Or horror. Cool.
Do you think that, if you were given the opportunity
to work on a soundtrack, you would work with vocals
in the same way?
No way. It’d be all moody twangy guitars,
echoed Fender Rhodes, deep spare bass and heavy beats.
Mmm…
You contracted ME some time ago. How does it
affect your work, and does working on Broadway Project
affect your every day life?
I wouldn’t say that I have ME anymore.
I do have a wonky immune system, but I carry on like
everyone else. I’m quite driven, so I have to
slow myself down from time to time and try not to get
frustrated. A good exercise in remaining humble. Not
for everyone, though.
Are you planning any live shows, and if yes,
what can we expect from Broadway Project live?
This is my new pet project. I’ve got very strong
ideas and I’m currently looking for some help
sorting them out. Managers. Focusing on a deep, heavy,
funky jazz. I really want to do a full live set led
by piano… something that can stand on its own
free from electronics. Thus allowing the musicians to
improvise around the structure of the songs. Wish me
luck. By the way… if anybody knows an experienced
jazz pianist who’d be interested in the above
get in touch.
How do you see Broadway Project evolving in
the future? Do you have some ideas on where you want
to take your project?
See above. Every day I make music is like the
last day and that’s the way I’m going to
continue.
Email interview July 2003
Thank you to Dan and Matt.
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