Who said that the end of an era doesn’t mark the beginning of another? Widely known as Pallas’ leading singer, Alan Reed has now taken one step ahead on his own and has delivered a truly marvelous album. It had been more than a compelling need to find out all we could about Alan, his awesome work and his plans for the future.
Hi Alan… I’m glad we’re given the chance to speak about your wonderful debut solo album.
A: The pleasure's all mine
First of all, please tell us … when did you start writing music for your solo work? Did your departure from Pallas play a major role on the music you composed later or not?
A: I’d accumulated a lot of the basic ideas over the years - songs that I didn’t think would work with Pallas. I had the thought at the back of my mind that maybe one day I’d try and record them somehow. When I was sacked from Pallas, I found myself wondering what to do. For a while I wasn’t even sure I wanted to continue with music, but then I thought perhaps now was the time to look at some of the ideas and try to record a solo album.
I bet it was more shocking for you than us, the fans, to see yourself separated from Pallas, especially after 25 years! What happened?
A: It’s a very sad story really, but a simple one. I got a phone call from the bass-player announcing that they’d decided it wasn’t working out and that I was out of the band, and that there was an e-mail in my in-box explaining their reasons. I hadn’t seen it coming, and it was the most terrible blow. I’d worked with these people for more than 25 years. I regarded them as my closest friends. That they didn’t even seem to think enough of me to talk to me face-to-face about whatever problems they thought there were, was just unbelievable. I couldn’t believe they’d done it. And when I discovered they’d actually already been working with someone else for some time behind my back… then I was just devastated!! (i.n.: What an unprofessional behavior… I haven’t heard of such an incident before… it’s so sad.)
After the first shock you decided to move on and that was a smart move to make. Do you feel sadness about the way you parted ways with Pallas?
A: Terribly sad. I’d always believed in the band and the music we made together. To be dumped in that way after such a long time without proper explanation seemed petty and childish. Their subsequent behavior over royalties etc. only compounded the insult. I thought we had the kind of relationship that we’d be going to each other’s funerals - instead I’m now trying to arrange theirs… J
It just made everything we did together seem worthless, and somehow false. I can finally listen to the music again without wanting to be sick, but I could never have anything to do with those people again. The sense of betrayal runs too deep. (i.n.: I’d better not speak at all… what a shame for those who did that things!)
Do you feel more freedom now when it comes to the ways that you’re expressing your creativity than before?
A: In some ways yes. It’s liberating, but also terrifying. I’ve always worked with other people. I'm used to having other people to bounce ideas off. It’s odd when you’re on your own. On the one hand, you don’t have the arguments about which bit goes where, but on the other you don’t have someone to say '”that bit could be better, or why don’t we try this”?
Hence, you came up with "First in a Field of One". What are the emotions & the moods this album evokes?
A: It’s just me letting things come out naturally. The only bounds I set myself were that it should sound different from Pallas. There was no point trying to do a pale imitation of that, although it would have been the easiest course to take. The music was mostly written acoustically, so that’s a thread running through most of the album. Because of that, it felt like the music should be emotional and intimate - very much on a human scale.
Oddly, very few of the lyrics are directly about the situation with the band. The only one that really explores that is “Darkness has Spoken” which is more an exploration of how the break-up left me feeling than directed towards what they did. There’s a lot of self-doubt on the album. A lot of self-examination, and perhaps a sense of dissatisfaction with what I found. I wasn’t a happy person, and that’s leaked into the lyrics.
Besides the album being a very emotional work, it is also sad and a bit esoteric. What do you think?
A: I’d agree to a point. It’s very much me working out my demons, and some of the things I found out about myself weren’t good. I found I had the capacity to hate, which surprised and frightened me. I was determined to be honest musically and lyrically, and expose what was going on in my mind - positive and negative. I’d felt Pallas had lost sight of the human voice, and I was determined to redress the balance.
What does the title "First in a Field of One" imply?
A: That the album is out there on its own – it’s not an attempt to be like anything else, or in competition with anything else. It is what it is - nothing more or less. As I worked on it, I felt that it might possibly be the last thing I ever did, so there’s also a bit of a joke that it might be my first and last solo album…
Please tell us a few things about each one of the songs…
A: “Begin Again”: All about the complications of Scottish national identity. We all get swept away with national pride, but it’s a double-edged sword, and it can often be one of the things that holds our nation back. Particularly when we measure ourselves against the English in what the Australians call a “cultural cringe”. I’m proud of being Scottish, but I’m aware there are negative elements to that too.
“Kingdom of the Blind”: It’s a sort of ‘spin the wheel of karma’ cod-philosophy. It’s about how we get distracted from our goals in life and end up somewhere other than where we planned to be.
“Never too Late”: A sort of eco-warrior song. Mike Stobbie and I wrote the original version of this back in the early 90s when we were both in Pallas. The band even performed it a few times. But it wasn’t properly finished and I wanted to record a proper version. I wanted a long, soaring build-up, and adding Kalle’s (Wallner - RPWL) guitar solo gave it the grandeur and power it needed. The end section is completely new.
“The Bottom of the Bottle”: This was a song about a friend who committed suicide. He was suffering from a long-term illness and chose to end his life rather than face a long, slow decline. I thought he was incredibly brave.
“Darkness Has Spoken”: A song about how I felt after the break-up from Pallas. Musically it’s also the closest to the things I did with the band. I nearly just wrote a short song based on the opening section, but I thought I’d try and see if I could write a longer piece. It evolved over a period of months, with each section leading naturally to the next. It was odd doing it all on my own, rather than by committee.
“The Real Me”: A song about the darkest side of the psyche. About the selfish boor inside all of us, who uses people to their own ends. I may have been thinking of some other people too!
“Teardrops in the Rain”: This song had been around as a classical guitar and voice piece for some time. It’s about a troubled relationship. Somehow it’s much more positive and upbeat as a band arrangement.
“The Usual Suspects”: This was an experiment to see if I could write a piece that was just vocal sounds. I started it as a sort of 'doo-wop' which I intended I’d get lots of musician friends to contribute to. That proved impractical, but I kept going and somewhere along the way it became this weird R&B/Prog hybrid with a cool organ solo and a section in 9/8. It shouldn’t really work - and I’m sure some people really hate it - but I’m very proud of it.
You have released the album through your own Red Dwarf Recordings. Do you believe it’s better to control your own music and sales as well? Didn’t you think of cooperating with any label at some point?
A: Actually I’ve released it through Rob Reed’s (Magenta) White Knight label, but it’s pretty much a direct release with me getting most of the money. It’s a lot of extra work and stress, but to be honest I think releasing in this way was the best possible solution for me. I did have offers of deals from specialist labels, but the money involved wouldn’t have covered my costs. I found it financially difficult to cover the costs of recording the album up front, but it did mean I knew exactly how much I’d spent and how many I’d need to sell to break even.
Major label deals are almost pointless these days unless you already have a huge fanbase. I’m realistic to know that my music is very unlikely to be on the shelves at Tesco or played on mainstream radio. I had to make it work on a much smaller scale, and I think I’ve managed to do that without compromising the quality of the recordings. I’ve been really lucky with the help I’ve had from Mike Stobbie. We recorded most of it in his home studio which is very well equipped. I only really spent money on recording the drums and mixing it properly. The rest was done on an ad-hoc basis when Mike and I could find time to work together. It meant it took a long time, but I think the results speak for themselves.
You worked with another ex-Pallas member Mike Stobbie, with whom you produced the album as well. I have to tell you that the production is crystal clear in every part. Did you invite Mike right after you'd started working on the album?
A: I’d spoken to Mike sometime in the past about maybe working together if I ever did a solo album. After the bust-up with Pallas he was one of the first people I told - because he’d been through a similar situation. I asked if he’d work with me and he said immediately that he would. He’s always said he thought he could make my vocals sound better than they had on Pallas albums, and I think he was right. He managed to get the character of my voice to sit better with the music than had ever happened on the band’s albums. It helped that it was all my music of course, but he also made a lot of helpful suggestions in terms of getting the best out of the ideas I had. His keyboard playing on the album is spectacular. He’s very flashy, but only in ways that sit within the songs. He never got the chance to do that with Pallas.
A: The pleasure's all mine
First of all, please tell us … when did you start writing music for your solo work? Did your departure from Pallas play a major role on the music you composed later or not?
A: I’d accumulated a lot of the basic ideas over the years - songs that I didn’t think would work with Pallas. I had the thought at the back of my mind that maybe one day I’d try and record them somehow. When I was sacked from Pallas, I found myself wondering what to do. For a while I wasn’t even sure I wanted to continue with music, but then I thought perhaps now was the time to look at some of the ideas and try to record a solo album.
I bet it was more shocking for you than us, the fans, to see yourself separated from Pallas, especially after 25 years! What happened?
A: It’s a very sad story really, but a simple one. I got a phone call from the bass-player announcing that they’d decided it wasn’t working out and that I was out of the band, and that there was an e-mail in my in-box explaining their reasons. I hadn’t seen it coming, and it was the most terrible blow. I’d worked with these people for more than 25 years. I regarded them as my closest friends. That they didn’t even seem to think enough of me to talk to me face-to-face about whatever problems they thought there were, was just unbelievable. I couldn’t believe they’d done it. And when I discovered they’d actually already been working with someone else for some time behind my back… then I was just devastated!! (i.n.: What an unprofessional behavior… I haven’t heard of such an incident before… it’s so sad.)
After the first shock you decided to move on and that was a smart move to make. Do you feel sadness about the way you parted ways with Pallas?
A: Terribly sad. I’d always believed in the band and the music we made together. To be dumped in that way after such a long time without proper explanation seemed petty and childish. Their subsequent behavior over royalties etc. only compounded the insult. I thought we had the kind of relationship that we’d be going to each other’s funerals - instead I’m now trying to arrange theirs… J
It just made everything we did together seem worthless, and somehow false. I can finally listen to the music again without wanting to be sick, but I could never have anything to do with those people again. The sense of betrayal runs too deep. (i.n.: I’d better not speak at all… what a shame for those who did that things!)
Do you feel more freedom now when it comes to the ways that you’re expressing your creativity than before?
A: In some ways yes. It’s liberating, but also terrifying. I’ve always worked with other people. I'm used to having other people to bounce ideas off. It’s odd when you’re on your own. On the one hand, you don’t have the arguments about which bit goes where, but on the other you don’t have someone to say '”that bit could be better, or why don’t we try this”?
Hence, you came up with "First in a Field of One". What are the emotions & the moods this album evokes?
A: It’s just me letting things come out naturally. The only bounds I set myself were that it should sound different from Pallas. There was no point trying to do a pale imitation of that, although it would have been the easiest course to take. The music was mostly written acoustically, so that’s a thread running through most of the album. Because of that, it felt like the music should be emotional and intimate - very much on a human scale.
Oddly, very few of the lyrics are directly about the situation with the band. The only one that really explores that is “Darkness has Spoken” which is more an exploration of how the break-up left me feeling than directed towards what they did. There’s a lot of self-doubt on the album. A lot of self-examination, and perhaps a sense of dissatisfaction with what I found. I wasn’t a happy person, and that’s leaked into the lyrics.
Besides the album being a very emotional work, it is also sad and a bit esoteric. What do you think?
A: I’d agree to a point. It’s very much me working out my demons, and some of the things I found out about myself weren’t good. I found I had the capacity to hate, which surprised and frightened me. I was determined to be honest musically and lyrically, and expose what was going on in my mind - positive and negative. I’d felt Pallas had lost sight of the human voice, and I was determined to redress the balance.
What does the title "First in a Field of One" imply?
A: That the album is out there on its own – it’s not an attempt to be like anything else, or in competition with anything else. It is what it is - nothing more or less. As I worked on it, I felt that it might possibly be the last thing I ever did, so there’s also a bit of a joke that it might be my first and last solo album…
Please tell us a few things about each one of the songs…
A: “Begin Again”: All about the complications of Scottish national identity. We all get swept away with national pride, but it’s a double-edged sword, and it can often be one of the things that holds our nation back. Particularly when we measure ourselves against the English in what the Australians call a “cultural cringe”. I’m proud of being Scottish, but I’m aware there are negative elements to that too.
“Kingdom of the Blind”: It’s a sort of ‘spin the wheel of karma’ cod-philosophy. It’s about how we get distracted from our goals in life and end up somewhere other than where we planned to be.
“Never too Late”: A sort of eco-warrior song. Mike Stobbie and I wrote the original version of this back in the early 90s when we were both in Pallas. The band even performed it a few times. But it wasn’t properly finished and I wanted to record a proper version. I wanted a long, soaring build-up, and adding Kalle’s (Wallner - RPWL) guitar solo gave it the grandeur and power it needed. The end section is completely new.
“The Bottom of the Bottle”: This was a song about a friend who committed suicide. He was suffering from a long-term illness and chose to end his life rather than face a long, slow decline. I thought he was incredibly brave.
“Darkness Has Spoken”: A song about how I felt after the break-up from Pallas. Musically it’s also the closest to the things I did with the band. I nearly just wrote a short song based on the opening section, but I thought I’d try and see if I could write a longer piece. It evolved over a period of months, with each section leading naturally to the next. It was odd doing it all on my own, rather than by committee.
“The Real Me”: A song about the darkest side of the psyche. About the selfish boor inside all of us, who uses people to their own ends. I may have been thinking of some other people too!
“Teardrops in the Rain”: This song had been around as a classical guitar and voice piece for some time. It’s about a troubled relationship. Somehow it’s much more positive and upbeat as a band arrangement.
“The Usual Suspects”: This was an experiment to see if I could write a piece that was just vocal sounds. I started it as a sort of 'doo-wop' which I intended I’d get lots of musician friends to contribute to. That proved impractical, but I kept going and somewhere along the way it became this weird R&B/Prog hybrid with a cool organ solo and a section in 9/8. It shouldn’t really work - and I’m sure some people really hate it - but I’m very proud of it.
You have released the album through your own Red Dwarf Recordings. Do you believe it’s better to control your own music and sales as well? Didn’t you think of cooperating with any label at some point?
A: Actually I’ve released it through Rob Reed’s (Magenta) White Knight label, but it’s pretty much a direct release with me getting most of the money. It’s a lot of extra work and stress, but to be honest I think releasing in this way was the best possible solution for me. I did have offers of deals from specialist labels, but the money involved wouldn’t have covered my costs. I found it financially difficult to cover the costs of recording the album up front, but it did mean I knew exactly how much I’d spent and how many I’d need to sell to break even.
Major label deals are almost pointless these days unless you already have a huge fanbase. I’m realistic to know that my music is very unlikely to be on the shelves at Tesco or played on mainstream radio. I had to make it work on a much smaller scale, and I think I’ve managed to do that without compromising the quality of the recordings. I’ve been really lucky with the help I’ve had from Mike Stobbie. We recorded most of it in his home studio which is very well equipped. I only really spent money on recording the drums and mixing it properly. The rest was done on an ad-hoc basis when Mike and I could find time to work together. It meant it took a long time, but I think the results speak for themselves.
You worked with another ex-Pallas member Mike Stobbie, with whom you produced the album as well. I have to tell you that the production is crystal clear in every part. Did you invite Mike right after you'd started working on the album?
A: I’d spoken to Mike sometime in the past about maybe working together if I ever did a solo album. After the bust-up with Pallas he was one of the first people I told - because he’d been through a similar situation. I asked if he’d work with me and he said immediately that he would. He’s always said he thought he could make my vocals sound better than they had on Pallas albums, and I think he was right. He managed to get the character of my voice to sit better with the music than had ever happened on the band’s albums. It helped that it was all my music of course, but he also made a lot of helpful suggestions in terms of getting the best out of the ideas I had. His keyboard playing on the album is spectacular. He’s very flashy, but only in ways that sit within the songs. He never got the chance to do that with Pallas.
Tell us also about the other guest on the album: Scott Higham (Pendragon) on drums, Christina Booth (Magenta) on backing vocals, Jeff Green (lead guitar) & Kalle Wallner (RPWL). The line-up of the album is rather impressive… that's why the result is so good.
A: Well I knew I wanted to work with Scott the first time I saw him play. He’s a bit special. I wasn’t sure what he’d make of my stuff, but he brought a real lightness of touch to the material and had some brilliant ideas that I would never have thought of. Tina’s a good friend, and we’ve worked together quite a bit now. I only asked here to help out quite late on once I’d recorded all my vocals and realized I could do with her voice to lift it in a couple of places. We’ve never had much of a chance to sing together, but I always thought our voices would work well together and I think they did.
Jeff was Mike’s suggestion. He’d worked a lot with him over the years, and played keys on his first solo album, “Jessica”. I’d demoed all the electric guitar parts, but Mike thought it’d be better with a seasoned, more fluid player, and suggested Jeff. He nailed it very quickly.
Kalle was another person I knew I wanted to work with if I ever got the chance. I love his guitar work, and I thought he’d be perfect for the guitar solo on “Never Too Late”. I sent him the track with some suggestions as to what sort of thing I wanted, and back it came a few weeks later. He’d done exactly what I wanted.
Have you planned to give some gigs with this line-up or there will be any changes?
A: Well everyone has their own commitments, so it’s unlikely to be the same line-up. I’m hoping Scott will be able to play (Pendragon commitments allowing) and I’m on the point of settling on the rest of the line-up. Some of the songs will have to be quite different live - and then there’s the matter of the back-catalogue. That’ll have to be a bit different too!
How did you come up with a video for the song “Kingdom of the Blind”? Do you have any thoughts of releasing any other videos in the future?
A: That was Rob’s (Reed) idea. He likes to make videos, and suggested doing one for “Kingdom..”. Originally he wanted me to go to Wales to shoot it there, but I remembered this isolated church near to where I live and thought that would make the perfect location. We shot it in about three hours one rainy afternoon. I’m really pleased with how it turned out.
So, what do you wish to achieve with “First in a Field of One”? The fans have already embraced it. Do you feel kinda vindicated with that?
A: I feel relieved mostly. It was an exhausting project to complete. It took a long time, and it’s so much harder when you’re doing it mostly on your own. I feel liberated by the process though. The music turned out so much better than I’d hoped and I feel more pride in this album than anything else I’ve been associated with. It’s very much a personal thing. I did this primarily for me, because I needed to prove to myself I could do it. I’m really pleased that so many other people seem to have taken it to heart. I hoped and believed the material was good, but you never really know what other people are going to think.
I’m sure that you are aware of the new releases as well. Can you say that 2012 is a prog rock Year? I do believe so… we have so many great releases from old and new bands every month or so.
A: Certainly seems to be a lot going on. I’ve been amazed by how many other strong releases appeared this year. Bit more competition than I was expecting...
What are the secrets of composing interesting progressive music? What are those things that inspire you?
A: I just set out to write what I like the sound of. Mostly it’s about tapping into a feeling and seeing where it takes you. There’s a lot of trial and error involved. It’s important to keep the piece developing musically, so even if you repeat a section or an idea, you need to change it somehow so it moves forward. I’d say the one thing I avoided (mostly because I’m not a great solo player) is big instrumental sections. For me, everything had to be carried by the melodies rather than by flash playing.
Musically I’m influenced by all sorts of things. My idea of prog is that it’s music without rules - that any style or instrumentation can be embraced if it fits what you’re trying to achieve. I don’t see it in terms of having to be played in uncommon time or having to have mini-moog or mellotron on it (though we did end up using a fair bit of both!). (i.n.: That’s the actual term of prog music…)
We see lots of new progressive rock bands… mostly inspired by the 70s/80s prog rock bands and some "borrowing ideas & themes" from them. Why do you think this is happening? Does progressive music rely on going back to take some things so as to progress eventually?
A: I think musicians get bored easily and like a bit of a challenge. Prog is certainly a bit more of a challenge to play than many genres, and satisfying as a result. The prog greats wrote some wonderful music and it’s a fabulous range of influences. The difficult part for too many bands is to get beyond the influences and do something that’s unique to them. I think the audience can be quite prescriptive too sometimes – I’ve seen too many heated and destructive arguments online about what is and isn’t ‘Prog’. From my point of view there’s good and bad in all musical genres, and the trick is to synthesize something distinctive and new using the examples of what’s gone before as your guide. It’s not supposed to be easy...
What do you think of the Internet as a means of promotion & distribution? Conversely, it is also a way for people to get music free & illegally. What's the right way to control it so as not to lose time & money as a musician/band?
A: The internet is a truly double-edged sword. While it’s undoubtedly true that it provides hitherto unthought-of avenues for promotion and distribution it’s meant a hemorrhaging of income for those trying to sell their music. Even my album was available via multiple torrents within days of me making it available to buy online. No matter how hard you try you just can’t fight it, and it really affects your opportunity to recoup the (still substantial) costs of recording. I’m resigned to never making any money out of this, but I can’t afford to keep losing money on recordings that people see it as their right to take without asking (or paying).
There will always be people making music, but if the audience aren’t willing to invest the relatively paltry sums in buying their music or going to their gigs, then they shouldn’t be surprised when it’s difficult to find the kind of artists they claim to like.
How can we make people love and buy music in this time-period with all the financial problems and the easy way of getting it for free with just a few clicks? Some say that going back to vinyl is the answer… but there’s not only that. What else can the labels and the bands do?
A: I don’t think there’s any way of going back. There are many people out there who assiduously follow their chosen artists, buy their music and merchandise and support the creation of the music. But there are far many more who see music as a (relatively worthless) commodity which they can access as much of as and when they like without paying for it. Even legit streaming services such as Spotify etc. pay meaningless royalty rates, itunes takes a big cut of sales etc… The means for artists to make a realistic return on use of their work are vanishing fast. I certainly wouldn’t recommend this as a career choice for anyone starting out!!!
It’s time for the Weird Questions now!!! What are those bands that stigmatized the progressive rock movement?
A: ‘Stigmatized’ sounds pejorative. If you mean which band caused most negative reaction in the world at large, I would hold ELP up as the band who wrote the book on prog-rock excess. Much as I love some of their work, they didn’t really know when to stop. Pompous, overblown, pretentious and often difficult to listen to. It’s not for the faint-hearted!
Were you obliged to give just one album to extraterrestrials that would represent the whole human music evolution, which album would it be and from which band/artist?
A: That’s a tall order. I’d cheat a bit and use a Led Zeppelin best-of (probably Remasters). Blues, prog, rock, folk and something decidedly their own.
Which is the record you wish you had written and why?
A: “Moving Pictures” by Rush - the perfect balance between musicianship and songwriting, between heavy rock and prog, between ambition and accessibility.
Who is your favourite philosopher and why?
A: Kierkegaard - No idea what he thought, but he’s got a cool-sounding name…
Which of the Seven Wonders of the World would you like to visit and why?
A: Ancient world: It would have to be the library at Alexandria. With some sort of translation device obviously.
In the modern world, Uluru (Ayer’s Rock). Because I’ve never been, and I think it would be terrific to see.
If you could be born as any famous person in history who would it be and why?
A: I’m quite happy being me really…
If you were a God's messenger what would you tell Him to do for the well-being of humanity?
A: I don’t believe in SkyFairies. People just have to do the best they can with what they’ve got.
Imagine that your girlfriend/wife is selling your whole album-collection just to buy an expensive ring for herself. How would you react? J
A: Everything I need is on my laptop. Or I can just torrent it… Go ahead and sell if it makes you happy!!! (i.n.: hehehe…)
That’s all for now Alan. Wish you a Happy New Year! Thanks for the music, please leave a note to Grande Rock readers… Take care!
A: Happy New Year to you too!!
A: Well I knew I wanted to work with Scott the first time I saw him play. He’s a bit special. I wasn’t sure what he’d make of my stuff, but he brought a real lightness of touch to the material and had some brilliant ideas that I would never have thought of. Tina’s a good friend, and we’ve worked together quite a bit now. I only asked here to help out quite late on once I’d recorded all my vocals and realized I could do with her voice to lift it in a couple of places. We’ve never had much of a chance to sing together, but I always thought our voices would work well together and I think they did.
Jeff was Mike’s suggestion. He’d worked a lot with him over the years, and played keys on his first solo album, “Jessica”. I’d demoed all the electric guitar parts, but Mike thought it’d be better with a seasoned, more fluid player, and suggested Jeff. He nailed it very quickly.
Kalle was another person I knew I wanted to work with if I ever got the chance. I love his guitar work, and I thought he’d be perfect for the guitar solo on “Never Too Late”. I sent him the track with some suggestions as to what sort of thing I wanted, and back it came a few weeks later. He’d done exactly what I wanted.
Have you planned to give some gigs with this line-up or there will be any changes?
A: Well everyone has their own commitments, so it’s unlikely to be the same line-up. I’m hoping Scott will be able to play (Pendragon commitments allowing) and I’m on the point of settling on the rest of the line-up. Some of the songs will have to be quite different live - and then there’s the matter of the back-catalogue. That’ll have to be a bit different too!
How did you come up with a video for the song “Kingdom of the Blind”? Do you have any thoughts of releasing any other videos in the future?
A: That was Rob’s (Reed) idea. He likes to make videos, and suggested doing one for “Kingdom..”. Originally he wanted me to go to Wales to shoot it there, but I remembered this isolated church near to where I live and thought that would make the perfect location. We shot it in about three hours one rainy afternoon. I’m really pleased with how it turned out.
So, what do you wish to achieve with “First in a Field of One”? The fans have already embraced it. Do you feel kinda vindicated with that?
A: I feel relieved mostly. It was an exhausting project to complete. It took a long time, and it’s so much harder when you’re doing it mostly on your own. I feel liberated by the process though. The music turned out so much better than I’d hoped and I feel more pride in this album than anything else I’ve been associated with. It’s very much a personal thing. I did this primarily for me, because I needed to prove to myself I could do it. I’m really pleased that so many other people seem to have taken it to heart. I hoped and believed the material was good, but you never really know what other people are going to think.
I’m sure that you are aware of the new releases as well. Can you say that 2012 is a prog rock Year? I do believe so… we have so many great releases from old and new bands every month or so.
A: Certainly seems to be a lot going on. I’ve been amazed by how many other strong releases appeared this year. Bit more competition than I was expecting...
What are the secrets of composing interesting progressive music? What are those things that inspire you?
A: I just set out to write what I like the sound of. Mostly it’s about tapping into a feeling and seeing where it takes you. There’s a lot of trial and error involved. It’s important to keep the piece developing musically, so even if you repeat a section or an idea, you need to change it somehow so it moves forward. I’d say the one thing I avoided (mostly because I’m not a great solo player) is big instrumental sections. For me, everything had to be carried by the melodies rather than by flash playing.
Musically I’m influenced by all sorts of things. My idea of prog is that it’s music without rules - that any style or instrumentation can be embraced if it fits what you’re trying to achieve. I don’t see it in terms of having to be played in uncommon time or having to have mini-moog or mellotron on it (though we did end up using a fair bit of both!). (i.n.: That’s the actual term of prog music…)
We see lots of new progressive rock bands… mostly inspired by the 70s/80s prog rock bands and some "borrowing ideas & themes" from them. Why do you think this is happening? Does progressive music rely on going back to take some things so as to progress eventually?
A: I think musicians get bored easily and like a bit of a challenge. Prog is certainly a bit more of a challenge to play than many genres, and satisfying as a result. The prog greats wrote some wonderful music and it’s a fabulous range of influences. The difficult part for too many bands is to get beyond the influences and do something that’s unique to them. I think the audience can be quite prescriptive too sometimes – I’ve seen too many heated and destructive arguments online about what is and isn’t ‘Prog’. From my point of view there’s good and bad in all musical genres, and the trick is to synthesize something distinctive and new using the examples of what’s gone before as your guide. It’s not supposed to be easy...
What do you think of the Internet as a means of promotion & distribution? Conversely, it is also a way for people to get music free & illegally. What's the right way to control it so as not to lose time & money as a musician/band?
A: The internet is a truly double-edged sword. While it’s undoubtedly true that it provides hitherto unthought-of avenues for promotion and distribution it’s meant a hemorrhaging of income for those trying to sell their music. Even my album was available via multiple torrents within days of me making it available to buy online. No matter how hard you try you just can’t fight it, and it really affects your opportunity to recoup the (still substantial) costs of recording. I’m resigned to never making any money out of this, but I can’t afford to keep losing money on recordings that people see it as their right to take without asking (or paying).
There will always be people making music, but if the audience aren’t willing to invest the relatively paltry sums in buying their music or going to their gigs, then they shouldn’t be surprised when it’s difficult to find the kind of artists they claim to like.
How can we make people love and buy music in this time-period with all the financial problems and the easy way of getting it for free with just a few clicks? Some say that going back to vinyl is the answer… but there’s not only that. What else can the labels and the bands do?
A: I don’t think there’s any way of going back. There are many people out there who assiduously follow their chosen artists, buy their music and merchandise and support the creation of the music. But there are far many more who see music as a (relatively worthless) commodity which they can access as much of as and when they like without paying for it. Even legit streaming services such as Spotify etc. pay meaningless royalty rates, itunes takes a big cut of sales etc… The means for artists to make a realistic return on use of their work are vanishing fast. I certainly wouldn’t recommend this as a career choice for anyone starting out!!!
It’s time for the Weird Questions now!!! What are those bands that stigmatized the progressive rock movement?
A: ‘Stigmatized’ sounds pejorative. If you mean which band caused most negative reaction in the world at large, I would hold ELP up as the band who wrote the book on prog-rock excess. Much as I love some of their work, they didn’t really know when to stop. Pompous, overblown, pretentious and often difficult to listen to. It’s not for the faint-hearted!
Were you obliged to give just one album to extraterrestrials that would represent the whole human music evolution, which album would it be and from which band/artist?
A: That’s a tall order. I’d cheat a bit and use a Led Zeppelin best-of (probably Remasters). Blues, prog, rock, folk and something decidedly their own.
Which is the record you wish you had written and why?
A: “Moving Pictures” by Rush - the perfect balance between musicianship and songwriting, between heavy rock and prog, between ambition and accessibility.
Who is your favourite philosopher and why?
A: Kierkegaard - No idea what he thought, but he’s got a cool-sounding name…
Which of the Seven Wonders of the World would you like to visit and why?
A: Ancient world: It would have to be the library at Alexandria. With some sort of translation device obviously.
In the modern world, Uluru (Ayer’s Rock). Because I’ve never been, and I think it would be terrific to see.
If you could be born as any famous person in history who would it be and why?
A: I’m quite happy being me really…
If you were a God's messenger what would you tell Him to do for the well-being of humanity?
A: I don’t believe in SkyFairies. People just have to do the best they can with what they’ve got.
Imagine that your girlfriend/wife is selling your whole album-collection just to buy an expensive ring for herself. How would you react? J
A: Everything I need is on my laptop. Or I can just torrent it… Go ahead and sell if it makes you happy!!! (i.n.: hehehe…)
That’s all for now Alan. Wish you a Happy New Year! Thanks for the music, please leave a note to Grande Rock readers… Take care!
A: Happy New Year to you too!!