Blues Bash Interview: No Questions Asked, They Are The Answer! - Page 3

This passion for the music and a love of playing is a major factor in the band’s appeal, with the band’s enthusiasm always transferring to their audience and reflected back at them. When asked where this passion comes from, Neeson puts it down to the songs.

“There’s no set structure in the band as to who writes the songs, and usually everyone’s involved. Generally, we just jam and let the tapes roll, then develop ideas into a song. Because everyone has put ideas into every song, they’re a part of that song and I think when we’re playing them, live and in the studio, everyone’s equally involved, equally passionate about the music they’re playing.”

The band’s debut album, Rise, has received worldwide critical acclaim. They are obviously very proud of what they’ve achieved in such a short space of time. “I’m proud of everything about the album,” says the frontman.

“There’s quite a variety in the songs, but all of them seem to represent the band well. If I had to choose two of my favourite tracks from the record, it’d be ‘Under The Sky’ and ‘Memphis Water.’ ‘Under The Sky’ because it just represents where the band is at this point in time, and maybe points toward the band’s future and where we might take the sound. I’d choose ‘Memphis Water’ because it was recorded after the rest of the album, in a small studio in Northern Ireland. It was written the evening before we went into the studio and recorded the next morning. It was recorded completely live with no overdubs, so it has this natural, live feel that’s just so hard to capture in a studio.”

Neeson goes on to sum up their debut effort and the message behind it. “We’ve made what is essentially a snapshot of where we are at the moment. We’ve made an honest record, representing what we believe in.”

The record was recorded at the legendary Olympic Studios, London; a place so deeply rooted in rock and blues history, with legends Led Zeppelin, The Stones, and Hendrix all having recorded there.

“There was no shortage of inspiration,” admits the lead singer. “You’d be sitting in the cafeteria and Eric Clapton would walk in. You just get this feeling that you’re in this historic centre of the rock and roll world, and it was impossible not to feed off that.”

Article Author: Rhys Williams

Rhys Williams is a journalist and musician from Wales, now based in Leeds. He is a avid blues, and rock fan with an eclectic taste that renders him an authority on all things music. Heavily influenced by the works of Lester Bangs, Hunter S Thompson, …

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