|
Feels like coming home My new material is best summed up as acoustic with a bit of Captain Beefheart bass, using bass drum and toms and a fair few handclaps muses John after a session, reflecting on where this past year has taken his new material and what has infused and coloured its shape and form. Its the first time I have had the confidence to allow the material to breathe and the songs find their spacewhen I write this stuff I had in mind John Steinbeck, rootsy rock and roll blues and traditional folk it feels like I have gone back full circle and I feel at ease with myself, he reflects. Its Folk in the way its story telling, craft in the way its what people do, tell stories and create, I guess its where I have always been somehow but prior to this I didnt know how to get there. History Lessons Johns new material may be of some surprise to fans of his previous bodies of work with The Las and Cast, because to all intent and purposes it seemed he had withdrawn from the music scene, appearing occasionally at bespoke intimate gigs, but in the main he had disappeared off the scene for a while. It appears this was all a necessary part of the process to get to be where he had to be at allowing the new material to develop organically and re-establish his voice and technique. Its closest to the music I listen to- its no longer about the youthful style where the tempo is faster the strokes are more considered crafted and temperate, and the dynamic now lies in the lyrics and form. I dont need to grip so hard and I can let go a bit more now and the guitar feels easier in my hand. So does he know feel like he has reached his peak and mastered his craft? Not so it seems remaining modest and stripping it down are key themes with this album. I feel like I am learning what I should have done years ago- what other people learn in their bedrooms from the start. With the Las I had to hit the ground running and I learnt as I went along. When I started playing with Lee (Mavers) last year I realised I needed to get back and learn the rudiments again without complicating the structure of the songsthese tunes are coming from that basic tradition which I think people seem to relate to. Its like going back to basics and learning traditional nursery rhymes, you know, telling stories. Musical Pathways When I look at artists musical careers its quite easy to see the Pop influence, the Rock, the Folk etc , look at Tim Buckley for instance, the pathway you are on weaves between all those genres and then somewhere along the line you find your niche, where you are at and supposed to be. So what have you been listening to? I have been checking out and giving a nod to Mountain Folk, American Depression Blues, Howlin Wolf, Beefheart and a big body of folk- thats not to say I am making comparisons, but thats what I have been listening to and have huge respect for. So does this mean he has changed his vocal style drastically-will we still hear the old John Power melodies? Well, for instance Willow Weep turned out to be more folk influenced I just tuned down to a D really and all of a sudden the picking and the general melody is warmer before you know it its reeling you in as much as you are reeling it in. The vocal style has developed naturally- it wasnt a case of standing back and deciding thats where I want it to go, its just where I found myself which is greatit feels like this is me just beginning Feels like coming home.
|
