Your music seems
miles away from your work with Fort Lauderdale. Is
Transverberations a sort of escape for you?
Before I go on I would just like to thank themilkfactory
for your review. I was so happy to read it. Most of
the magazines didn’t want to touch Transverberations
with a bargepole. It managed to get into the NME, they
gave it less stars than Blazin' Squad and said I had
made the music without any love. Well, I made this album
on a budget of zero over a period of two years, I played
every instrument and thought about every note. The dole
office man in Frome became my nemesis during the period
threatening to cut me off unless I got a proper job:
'don’t you want to be successful, Mr Jenkins?
Well the music doesn’t appear to be doing very
well, these reviews you keep bringing in are at least
a year old Mr Jenkins, they may be good but that’s
a year we've been paying you and you still haven’t
got a proper job. There’s a job at the chicken
factory and if you work hard there’s space to
move up Within the next fifteen months you could be
a general floor manager. I've already taken the liberty
to set up the interview, Mr Jenkins, because as you
are my designated jobseeker, I think it’s about
time we got things moving'. He may have a point but
as a struggling composer I would fart with terror at
his awful plans. For me, it is frustrating and painful
going through that every two weeks. This album wasn’t
put together by executives and corporate decisions like
much generic music now; it was put together with love.
Granted they are entitled to their opinions. If they
said it was just plain shit, that wouldn’t have
bothered me, but to say there’s no love in the
music is just not true. Whether the music’s good
or bad, I poured so much love into this album and I
hope that at least it shows. Back to the question, it
wasn’t an escape, its always fulfilling and interesting
working with Steve on Fort Lauderdale.
Although there are some guitar elements in
Fort Lauderdale, is it something you would like to develop
more?
We are writing more song-based material, so
guitars will be more prominent.
Is the inspiration behind Transverberations
very different from the music you play with Fort Lauderdale?
After several tracks have come together, an
album starts to take shape on its own. You then have
a subconscious line to follow. I suppose this is the
inspiration, and it’s always different whether
its Fort Lauderdale or the Squire of Somerton.
Transverberations
seems quite anachronistic in the way it is very much
rooted in 60s and 70s rock while everybody seems to
turn to punk these days. Is it deliberate?
No, I just didn’t have any punk songs
in me at the time.
How does your approach to your solo work differ
from your work with Steve?
I'm probably a bit more restrained on the crazy
side of the guitar when working with Steve, although
that’s not to say he does not like flamboyant
guitars. Because there are two of us, it is more a balance
of our individual elements.
The album has a real Summer Of Love feel. Was
it a conscious effort?
The music seems to be like a diary for me.
When I was working on Transverberations, during
two beautiful summers in Somerset, I met an amazing
lady. We would take some whisky and cola and cycle through
the Somerset levels between West Pennard and Glastonbury,
stopping in sun-drenched orange and purple fields along
the way. Those were some of the most magical and romantic
moments of my life. The photo on the back of the album
cover was taken on one of these trips. For me its impossible
for the environment in which I am working not to effect
the work, so I think it really is a summer of love record
Is love a good energy to write music?
Love is the pivotal point were all other emotions
orbit, like the planets to the sun. All emotions are
somehow connected to love or indirectly through the
absence of love. All the greatest songs for me, whether
they’ve been about rage, hate, angst, lust or
whatever emotion good or bad have all been done with
honesty. I think that’s the most important thing.
Rock music seems to have become rather stereotypical
and boring. What would you attribute that to?
Darwinism.
Is Transverberations a one off, or
can we expect more from the Squire?
The critics have given it such a bashing that
I’m positive he will return.
Are you planning to take the album on the road?
I’m deep in the middle of the next Fort
Lauderdale record, which would probably scupper any
plans for a Squire tour at present.
In the previous interview we did, you said
about the music of Fort Lauderdale: 'We try to make
something sensuous, even sexy'. Is it a motivation on
this album as well and how would you describe this?
I have always had an affinity with Impressionism,
from Degas to Debussy. The amazing colours and sounds
these artists and musicians blended must have been a
sensual overload in the minds of the post Victorians.
A sensual overload of ones mind is close to what I would
define as an erotic experience. I don’t just mean
in a sexual sense, but more of an all-encompassing awakening
of hither unknown senses dulled or maybe even forgotten
through the effects of every day life. With this in
mind I am always motivated while writing music.
This album seems more focused around a certain
musical ideal than your previous work. Is it difficult
to remain focused when working on projects as different
as Fort Lauderdale and The Squire Of Somerton?
It’s just the way I have developed musically.
My contribution to the new Fort Lauderdale album will
probably sound more related to Transverberations
than Time Is Of The Essence, although when
Steve and I work together, a strange alchemy does occur,
which dictates quite beyond whatever musical plateau
we are both individually on at the time.
Is The Squire Of Somerton another literary
reference?
No, while I was living in Somerton and travelling
up to London I picked up the name from my Croat buddy
who let me live in his garret. He proudly admits he
is from hard-working peasant stock and sees me as lazy,
vain and probably as a ponce. At first, I took mild
offence to his title for me but slowly I accepted it.
What’s the story behind Hollywood
Stud?
It’s a Carry Grant/Dirk Diggler-esque
tale of the rise and fall of a young man in Hollywood.
The choruses are nostalgic interludes were he remembers
more innocent days of true love and heartbreak .
The press release describes The Feminist Agenda
as 'a song about the eternal sexual unrest and battle
between sexes'. Quite a big subject to tackle in 3 ½
minutes…
It’s amazing what you can cram into 3
½ minutes.
Transverberations
is quite tongue in cheek in many ways, as much musically
as lyrically. Are you worried that some people might
not get the jokes?
I wanted to have a lot of warmth, humour and
imagination in it. I hope people will respond to the
twists and turns in the music and realise that the high
jinxes along the way are vital parts of the whole.
Was Transverberations very much a
solo project, or have you collaborated with other musicians
during the creative process?
I had Steve’s girlfriend come over to
lay down some violins but that’s about it.
Are you listening to a lot of music when you’re
not working? Does this influences you in any way?
Listening to music in the evening compartmentalises
my soul, which is usually dispersed through the day’s
craziness back into its correct position. My favourite
music always influences me because it becomes part of
me.
What’s next on the cards for you? Are
you returning to Fort Lauderdale? Any other project?
Yes I’m working with Steve on the next
Fort Lauderdale album at present. I hope this has shed
some light on the queer musical event that is the Squire
Of Somerton... good night...
Email interview November 2002
Thank you to Toby, Lauren and Tony |
