SPC ECO

Name: SPC ECO

Latest release: 3-D [2009]
File under: Shoegaze

"Right about/Right about
Right about/Right about
Right about/Right about
Now..."

That's the best refrain of 2009, from SPC ECO's "For All Time", a scenic waltz of a song.

3-D is the most relaxing album of 2009 so far. The entire album is awash with the shoegaze staples of dreamy vocals provided by Rose Berlin, bass and other noises provided by ex-Curve member Dean Garcia and shimmering guitar from Joey Levenson; it all comes together fantastically. Listen away and dream.

Q+A

Who are you, where are you from and what is your role in SPC ECO?
Joey: "I'm Joey, and I torture the guitar for SPC ECO. I live in South Korea, but I'm in Japan and the US quite often (I'm American). Dean and Rose preside grandly over London town."

Dean Garcia was formerly in dream pop group Curve. How has their music influenced SPC ECO?
Joey: "I think Dean would agree that Curve and SPC ECO share some sonic similarities, however, IMHO, I think SPC ECO has a lot more of a sonic assault than Curve. Rose is a different creature than Toni [Halliday, Curve vocalist] is (just as grand, an epic singer), and then there's my psychedelic input, so that makes a different beast altogether. A sonic juggernaut, if you will."
Dean [Garcia, bass]: "Obviously there are certain elements that are bound to cross over, like the bass and aspects of drums, but the voice is the thing that separates the two enormously. Rose's voice is just heavenly to me - the perfect touch, understated and pure; I can't imagine any other voice for SPC ECO, it just wouldn't work for me. Knowing that Rose will glide through the tracks makes it the best, most fully realised record I could ever make."

I haven't tried yet (I will soon) but I imagine listening to 3-D as I sleep is going to take me to some wonderful places in my dreams. Where does 3-D take you?
Joey: "Dean often says that 3-D really moves him, it moves me as well. Its not just shoegaze, its not just noisy or psychedelic. It's emotionally gripping and has such a fun groove at the same time. I think we did well our first time out. :)"
Dean: "I'm not sure, I'd probably just fall asleep in a very colourful way, deep into a multi-verse of dreams."

The band seems very much against the filesharing culture of the 21st century. I can see both sides of view. If I said that if it wasn't for an illegal download I would have never ordered the physical 3-D release, what would you say?
Joey: "Oooh... well, you can't deny that it's out there and a lot of people do it. Well, if I like it or not, musicians and listeners alike use filesharing extensively, so we have to just work with the situation. Oh, and thanks for buying the CD."
Dean: "One minute It pisses me off and in another I have to be more zen about it otherwise I end up in a bad, stressful place... I have never made music for money but have always made a living out of music and at the point of making what I believe to be the best music I've ever written and been involved with I make next to nothing financially because of the current trend and general thinking that music should be free of charge. I still believe people should pay for their music (even if it is donation based) and especially for CDs or vinyl. MP3s I can understand and accept more because they are generally shitty little hollow files that can't touch a full quality CD or vinyl version, so I understand and accept them as a promotional tool. I welcome people to donate what they can afford for the album MP3 version (however small) to check out the album, but when you get torrent after torrent linking you to full CD resolution versions of your original work(s) free of charge, it does piss me off. And you get the arseholes who think it's completely acceptable (their job even) to fuck over everyone and anyone they choose weather they're established or not by publishing and republishing endless host links to the work... it's stealing, whatever way you look at it, and it ain't right. I also believe that if you're interested in an artist and their related work you will find out about it one way or another (Myspace, Facebook, Twitter etc.) without illegal activity, but however it works for you is fine, I suppose, just so long as you do end up supporting the artist(s) by buying a CD (as you have) or by going to see them live. Unless, of course, you feel you could create and produce all of your own music to satisfy your needs... (end of rant) :)"

What's next? A tour (come to Bristol)? A new album?
Joey: "We'd like to tour, but we'd prefer to have an extended tour, not just some shows now and then. Rose is in university now and Dean has some things on his burner, and I'm in Asia, but if someone has an attractive idea, we'd consider it for sure! A new album is not being considered yet, but we do have a 7" record with a new B-Side coming later this year. We're all really satisfied with 3-D, and we hope everyone (and a lot of new fans) will feel the same as we do. Thank you!"
Dean: "We would love to tour all over as Joey says... show us the itinerary and we'll be there :). But as ever you need funds to make this happen, without them you're pretty much fucked and not in a good way. Thanks to all those that have come to see us live and have shelled out for the record... it's very much appreciated and we love you for it... *raises glass and drinks heavily* ;)"

"Moving on slowly..."

website

TVÄRVÄGEN

Name: Tvärvägen
Latest release: Sånger från Tvärvägen [2008]
File under: Singer-songwriter

Yet again juxtoposed to the last entry, here we have some twee, folky, singer-songwriter stuff from Sweden.

Tvärvägen is one chap making delightful and happy music, in both English and Swedish. He reminds me of Sufjan Stevens, except he knows when to end a song rather than let it drag on and on. "September" is the phenomenal song that got me into this guy - go and listen to it on his Myspace. His debut album, Sånger från Tvärvägen, is packaged in a delightful manner, in a knitted pouch and an obviously lovingly handcrafted cardboard sleeve. More of this, please.

Q+A

Who are you, where are you from and what is your role in Tvärvägen?
Henrik: "I am Henrik. I'm originally from the north of Sweden, but now situated just outside of Stockholm. I am Tvärvägen's only member."

What does Tvärvägen translate to in English? Babelfish doesn't have Swedish yet.
Henrik: "Tvärvägen is a common streetname in Sweden. In direct translation to English it means "crossroad". And that's the name of the street crossing the one where I live."

"September" was one of my favourite songs of 2008. What is the song about?
Henrik: "Thank you! I'd rather leave it to the listener to interpret the songs, hope you don't mind. That's how I like listening to music myself as well. To be able to fill in the gaps in what you hear with yourself and your own feelings."

You write lyrics in both English and Swedish. Which are you more comfortable with and what are your views on language barriers in music?
Henrik: "When I listen to music myself, I almost never remebember the lyrics. When it comes to most of my favourite songs, I haven't got a clue what they're about. But at the same time I can't stand bad lyrics. That can really ruin a whole song. At the same time, I can really appreciate music in languages I don't know; for example I really like French hip-hop, even though I don't know a word of French. So with that in mind I can appreciate the melody of the words rather than the meaning. Myself, I'm more comfortable when I write in English - that's maybe why my Swedish lyrics are so short. And also, I'd rather make an instrumental song than put lyrics on it just for the sake of it. The vocals should blend together with the rest of the music naturally."

There are lots of famous musical artists from Sweden, from ABBA to Opeth. Which is your favourite?
Henrik: "There's a lot of good things going on, here's a few of them in no particular order:"

http://www.myspace.com/hajensmyspace
http://www.myspace.com/detektivbyran
http://www.myspace.com/opentrioswe
http://www.myspace.com/kunghenrybowers
http://www.myspace.com/sakert
http://www.myspace.com/tapesthlm
http://www.myspace.com/johnhenriksson
http://www.myspace.com/musettes

"And, of course, the other bands band I'm involved with:"

http://www.myspace.com/ironville
http://www.myspace.com/spunkproductions
http://www.myspace.com/amoksweden

Tack så mycket, Henrik.

AT THE SOUNDAWN

Name: At the Soundawn
Latest release: Red Square: We Come in Waves [2008]
File under: Post-rock/metal

As you can tell by the juxtaposition of the artists I've featured on this blog so far I like music with a range of emotions. So now we come to a genre that gets me hating everybody, especially you - the much maligned genre of "post-metal".

At the Soundawn know how to craft this kind of stuff, thankfully without going on for several minutes too long. The awkwardly titled Red Square: We Come in Waves is a steamroller of melodic guitars, pounding drums and harsh/clean vocals compacted into a half-hour. It's probably nothing you haven't heard before, but it's done really, really well. There's a new album on the way too, this year hopefully.

Q+A

Who are you, where are you from and what is your role in At the Soundawn?
Andrea: "My name is Andrea, I am from Modena (Italy) and I am one of the guitarists."

How would you describe your music? You're one of those bands with no obvious genre...
Andrea: "I would say that our music is heavily emotional and with this I don't mean emo at all! Indeed we try to avoid easy melodies and harmonies, looking for something more personal, something that could have more to say than the usual happily-sad melodies...you know what I am talking about."

I'm sorry for such a dull question but where does you bandname come from? It reminds me of Red Sparowes album "At the Soundless Dawn".
Andrea: "Well actually, our name is taken from that album, but it's not a tribute to Red Sparowes. It's just that we had their CD in our hands when we were thinking about a suitable name for the band. At the Soundawn sounded good and seemed to fit perfectly with the way we conceive music: as an emotional flow, a primitive pulse you cannot oppose to."

You are the kind of band I like to put on when I'm angry. Do you think your music is angry?
Andrea: "I think our music carries many different moods and emotions, but anger is not really among them. I'd rather say that we often get to release a feeling, that can be provided with heavy guitars and yelling vocals. This is the same feeling that I'm looking for, as a listener, when I am angry and I need to cool down with some music."

What other Italian bands should people check out?
Andrea: "Italy has many good bands, often involved in extreme genres...or at least more extreme than us. I would suggest you check out Donkey Breeder (we fucking love them!), Up There: The Clouds, Lento, The Orange Man Theory, Last Minute To Jaffna, Zippo, Three Steps to the Ocean and many more I actually don't remember right now."

Grazie, Andrea.

website

IROHA

Name: Iroha
Latest release: Iroha [later in 2009]
File under: Metal/shoegaze

I first heard Iroha at that Mono gig I posted about. I didn't realise it at the time, but the un-announced, un-named support act that did 3 or 4 songs was Iroha. The first thing that hit me, as a big Jesu fan, was "this sounds like Jesu". Of course, although I didn't realise it at the time, standing on stage in front of me strumming away was Diarmuid Dalton...of Jesu. That would explain the resemblance, then.

So I did some digging when I got home, found out they were called Iroha and checked out some familiar stuff on Myspace. If you like the shimmery guitar that's prominant in shoegaze then you'll like these guys. Add some heavier riffs more a metallic edge and that's where they'll appeal to the Jesu crowd. A self-titled debut album is on the way soon...and a lot of touring.

Q+A

Who are you, where are you from and what is your role in Iroha?

Andy: "My name is Andy Swan. I’m from Birmingham, England and play guitar and write songs for Iroha."

What kind of emotions do you try to convey in Iroha's music?

Andy: "There isn’t any specific emotion I deliberately set out to convey via the music and lyrics of Iroha although, if I take an objective view, I do tend to unconsciously lean toward themes relating to the passage of time and melancholic feelings of nostalgia."

You have worked with Justin Broadrick in Final and Diarmuid Dalton has worked with him in Jesu. How big an influence is Justin?

Andy: "I first met Justin when he was 14 or 15 and I was 16. We met, quite by chance, at a music stall in Birmingham’s Rag Market. Unbeknownst to eachother, we had both visited the stall on a regular basis but quickly struck up a friendship when the owner of the stall introduced us both to the music of Throbbing Gristle. We were both obsessive about music and quickly became immersed in the burgeoning experimental electronics scene of the early 80’s. We formed Final as a result and, being of such tender years, I guess we were both very receptive to new sounds and ideas but Justin was a huge influence on me personally what with his enthusiasm, love of music, endless ideas and friendship. And now, 25 years later, I don’t think there would be an Iroha if I’d not met up with Justin and Nic [Bullen, ex-Napalm Death, Final etc.] again in late 2007."

There are obvious similarities, but what do you feel are the main differences between Iroha and Jesu?

Andy: "I think Iroha’s songs are more traditional in a verse-verse-chorus sense whereas Jesu’s songs seem to be less defined in their structure; almost like abstract poetry. I’ve tried writing like that but have always ended up frustrated and have had to revert back to a regular structure."

You supported Mono on some dates here in the UK earlier this year. How were you received and how was the experience?

Andy: "It was an incredible experience and one that we wouldn’t have had without the generosity of Mono who are amongst the most humble people I’ve met. Playing only our third gig at The Scala was a little daunting although nowhere near loud enough for our liking!"

Cheers Andy. Good luck with the touring and new album.

THE OWL SERVICE

Name: The Owl Service

Latest release: The Fabric of Folk [2008]
File under: Folk

I love throwing arbitrary adjectives at music, so here's a few for The Owl Service - rustic, medieval, nostalgic and whimsical. I hope that gives some idea as to the sound.

I also love music that transports you to another world. The Owl Service really manage to take me back to, say, the 1800s or something with their old English folk music, but you do get flourishes of anachronist electric guitar and suchlike which fits in superbly well and gives the music extra character. The vocals are gorgeous and enchanting and fit the stories told perfectly - almost narrating in places. Their second album, A Garland of Song, is full of wonderful stories, singalongs, interludes and wonderful acapella. You can check out a live album they released freely here.

I want to meet Pretty Susie and Katie Cruel.

Q+A

Who are you, where are you from and what is your role in The Owl Service?

Steven: "My name is Steven Collins, I'm originally from London but now reside in the town of Leigh-on-sea along the Thames Estuary. For live shows I play electric guitar, on our records I play a bit of everything."

Your music seems very focussed on telling stories. Your upcoming release, The Pattern Beneath the Plough will be released in several parts. How important do you think storytelling is in music?

Steven: "For the last year we've focussed mainly on playing traditional British songs, and for that particular genre the storytelling aspect is everything. It's the reason the songs were written in the first place, and the primary reason they've survived for so long, and continue to be sung and to have resonance today. We've all adapted a bit of that into our own songwriting too. I expect the third Owl Service album might be a set of original songs in the traditional style, retaining the strong storytelling angle."

Who or what is the bands biggest muse?

Steven: "The English folk revival of the 1960s and '70s is the thing that continues to inspire us most. With the exception of Nancy [Wallace], who has English folk music in her blood, it's the route which we've all taken to discover this wonderful music. The passion, excitement and devotion felt by those young artists, who were all on their own journey of discovery, is a very tangible thing and it still emanates from the grooves of their dusty old LPs and continues to spur us on in our own exploration of the material."

There are a few other UK artists using folk elements in various ways - Phelan Sheppard, Sons of Noel and Adrian etc. - what are your favourite artists in the genre, old and new?
Steven: "See above; our favourite artists are those that we discovered 10+ years ago when we began listening to folk music; Shirley & Dolly Collins, Anne Briggs, The Watersons, The Young Tradition (particularly Peter Bellamy), Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, Trees and (perhaps more than all of the aforementioned combined) Martin Carthy. In terms of newer folk/roots acts, we like Alasdair Roberts, Sharron Kraus, Micah Blue Smaldone and Ellen Mary McGee."

Last year you released a free live album, Field Music. What are your views on distributing music freely?

Steven: "I think that the free distribution of music via the Internet legally is always a good thing, and that occasionally even 'illegal' filesharing can have positive effects. I can understand how World famous artists and their multi-billion dollar corporate labels feel that unlawful sharing of their music is tantamount to theft, but for new artists it can actually end up being a useful promotional tool. Look at how The Arcade Fire exploded once kids started sharing Funeral on the Internet. I know plenty of people who use blogs and filesharing networks as a means to discover new music - the vast majority of these people then go and buy the albums they like, as well as t-shirts and concert tickets. So it's not all bad. Even if the big distros do get ISPs to work with them and even if we do see a drastic reduction in Internet-based activity, at the very least file-sharing will still exist in a similar way to how home taping did prior to the advent of the Internet, but with much better sound quality and portability."

Thanks Steven. Keep an eye out for their next album, The Pattern Beneath the Plough: The View From a Hill later this year.

FIST IN FETUS

Name: Fist in Fetus
Latest release: Fist in Fetus [2007]

File under: I really should drop this part

Well...crap. I'm stumped for words at the moment. Ahem.

Fist in Fetus are 2 seemingly bi-polar men that couldn't decide whether to be melodic and peaceful or abrasive as all holy fuck. So they decided to blend these traits together to create something that can only be described as classical death/grind (I swear to God I need to stop featuring bands that I can't describe easily). Best of all, their only release so far is completely free, so you can download it and see for yourself.

One minute you're being serenaded by an angel's harp and the next minute Satan is raping you. Fist in Fetus are the equivalent of a long walk on a beautiful Summer's day only to fall into a spiked pit with shit smeared all over the walls.

Q+A

Who are you, where are you from and what is your role in Fist in Fetus?

Perttu: "I believe I am Ruler of the Great Borderline, Prime Minister of the House of the Hats, promoted by the blessing of the Gathering, who some call Christopher - the Passionate, the One From the Woods, the One Who Walks at Night, the Servant of the Lilys; but the people surrounding me call me Perttu, so I have to assume that's my name. Though I really prefer the previous. I also thought I was raised by wolves on a riverbank, but I've been told I live in Helsinki, Finland.

My role in FiF - well, I compose all the music and arrange it, write the lyrics, handle a part of the vocal duties, program all the computer stuff, produce the stuff together with Matias [Kupiainen, other half of FiF] (he's the sound guy, I'm the substance guy), probably play some guitar on the future releases and so on, so I pretty much do a whole bunch of things."

Where did you get the idea to blend classical music with death metal/grindcore?

Perttu: "Mm... I guess there's not a real key moment with that one; ever since I can remember I've been trying to combine different things together and figure out how it could be done properly. I've always hated the way bands combine 'classical' elements to metal and pop music all in all, taking only the irrelevant, superficial things like the orchestral instruments and leaving out the real core, the music. You can play Bach with electric guitar and the music's same, it's still classical music if done properly, you can play Necrophagist with French horn and still the riffs are the same, the music is Necrophagist. The superficial things don't make a style, it's more about the way you think, the way you compose, the way you approach the whole subject of music. Chick Corea has composed classical music, even though he's a jazz player, Mozart has composed pop music, even though... well, you know.

So, all in all, the concept of combining classical MUSIC to metal is something I've wanted to do for a long time. Only band I've heard to even come close to something like that is Waltari with their Death Metal Symphonies. Only problem with those was that the music wasn't really approachable for the audience - it was too metal for classical people and too classical for metal people - all in all, it's not so nice to listen to. So, what I decided to do was to try to make everything as "clear" as possible, not forget the listener, make the beautiful parts as beautiful as possible, brutal parts as brutal as possible, artsy-fartsy parts as artsy as possible, add some melodic elements to the whole as a kind of reward to the listener, and at the same time try to tell a story. And of course, there is the acrobatic virtuoso element, the kind of idol-worshipping you can't forget, music is played by people and people like to see the people playing it are good at what they're doing. Of course this sounds like it's very well planned ahead but it's not, it just sounds like that when you put everything you've thought about throughout the years in a few sentences. I just make music I'd like to listen to myself. I like a lot of different kinds of stuff."

Classical conductor Osmo Vänskä and piano player Iiro Rantala both feature on the release. How did these guest appearances come about, and what do they think of the more extreme sections of the album?

Perttu: "Well, Osmo happens to be my father, so he wanting to participate is not a miracle. I guess your father would help you out with this blog if you asked? He happened to have a few concerts with some Finnish orchestras when we were recording the stuff, and when we spoke, he asked if I needed help with something. Well, being the opportunist I am... Osmo actually likes FiF very much, and amazingly most of the classical musicians I've spoken to seem to like it also. In fact, I've met some players in the Minnesota Orchestra who like our stuff also... scary, huh.

With Iiro it's a bit of a different story. A few years back I had this manic transcription phase, I just wanted to see what my ears are capable of. So, I notated stuff, listening to records like a lunatic, all these crazy lightning fast, insanely difficult solos from Richard Andersson, Jens Johansson, Michael Romeo, Steve Vai, Guthrie Govan, Alexi Laiho, Pat Metheny and so on, and as my ears got better, as a challenge I decided I'd try to notate everything on a Trio Töykeät song called "Etude". The drum solo was the only thing I didn't transcribe fully, some 32 bars or so, but the transcription turned out pretty fine. Somehow Iiro heard about this "super-eared guy notating everything you play" and wanted to see my transcription. After that he wanted to hire me to do a sheet music book for him, which unfortunately has not been completed (actually it seems like we're finishing it this month), but at least I got to know him. So, as we sent e-mails, I asked if he'd be interested in playing a improvisation on the EP - and he was. Iiro is a very open-minded and he seems to understand the aesthetics of about every style, so he never questioned the rest of the music. He also featured Matias and Risto [Kupiainen, guests on the EP] in his TV show after hearing FiF."

The song titles on the EP indicate that there is a concept to the album - is there? If so, what is the story?

Perttu: "Yes, there is a story behind the album. This is a topic I'm not too keen to talk about, as it kind of takes away the mystery and the freedom of interpretation, but since you asked: it tells a story about an ordinary person turning to a kind of murderer believing what he's/she's doing is justified. You know this "God told me to take the life of these 147 people"-category of murderers who seem to actually believe they were only doing good. And what do we know, is it really wrong or right? Of course it's not too nice a thing to do to your friend to take his life, but what the hell - world's a shitty place anyway, you're better off dead, that's a very justified point of view although it's not the only one.

Well, anyway, feeling the weight of the world, the feeling of not having a purpose, being cast away alone to this world is just too much for the FiF-character to handle. This escalates into schizophrenia and mental breakdown, and the character gets the pieces of his/her life together after listening to the voice in his/her head. The voice seems to have a plan to make all the pain, all the anxiety go away by giving a purpose to the character's life. This purpose is to release everybody else from their pain by taking their life. Of course, it remains a mystery who the voice is, and how does the voice know who's feeling the pain, that is, how the victims are chosen etc., but the point of the story is to tell it from the main character's viewpoint, not from the spectator's. This might help you understand for example the song "Emancipation", in which the main character is given birth. And I do mean an actual birth with machines that say BEEP and stuff."

When we hopefully see another release from you guys, are there any more instruments that you hope to feature?
Perttu: "After the EP and all the projects around it, we've drowned in work, it seems everyone wants a piece of us. Which of course is happy for our careers, but not for FiF. Matias is on tour with Stratovarius at the moment, I'm producing an album for a band called Whispered, among all the freelance stuff I do, those transcriptions and such - we're working on the stuff whenever we have spare time, but there hasn't been much. But, in order to get all the ongoing projects done, we actually decided to turn down a few job offers to finish the stuff, so I'm pretty sure we'll get the album done before the end of the year. Hopefully Stratovarius won't do some gigantic 2 and a half year tour after Polaris...

To the second part of your question, for me, music is not just music, it's not just what's on the outside, it's what's inside. I want my music to be like a good book, that is not just words or sentences, but what comes out of them. I honestly feel like I'm reading a book or watching a movie when I listen to music - I'm following a storyline as an abstract concept, which applies also to documentaries and other non-fictional stuff. A good book is like another world you can enter again and again, and forget the real world surrounding you. That's what I want albums to be like - a world in which the different situations, in this case parts of music, follow each other naturally, like in a story. Absurd and surprising situations can also be natural, if they lead to something interesting. That's why I really try not to think about what instruments, players or styles of music should be covered, I hope the music will tell me that."

Thanks to RotGB, PMotHotH, PbtBotG, WSCC - TP, TOFtW, TOWWaN, TSotL aka Perttu for his time.

website

PHELAN SHEPPARD

Name: Phelan Sheppard

Latest release: Harps Old Master [2006]
File under: Folktronica?

Back to something more serene now. Phelan Sheppard are a duo that create electronica-tinged folk music (with some ambience thrown in for good measure). They have 2 albums to their name, the most recent of which, Harps Old Master, I just had to purchase based solely on the strength of the divine "Weaving Song", one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard.

The rest of the album is very strong as well - an album of choice for taking to bed and falling asleep to. I've not yet heard their debut album, O Little Stars, but I certainly will do, as will I look forwards to more dancing cellos and violins on their upcoming third album.

Q+A

Who are you, where are you from and what is your role in Phelan Sheppard?
David: "I am David Sheppard. I play a few different instruments, guitars, bass and drums, mostly. I also make the tea."
Kieron: "I'm Keiron, from London. Well, Dave plays drums, which I don't, and I play woodwind, which Dave doesn't. Other than that we play all the same instruments so, in a way, our roles are indentical. Except that I nag a lot."

Instruments are at the forefront of your music, and vocals used sparingly - though when they are used, they are to great effect; "Weaving Song", for example. Was the minimal use of vocals a concious decision or was it just natural?
David: "Neither Keiron nor I are distinctive vocalists (although we can both sing, after a fashion, contrary to rumour!) so we've tended to use specific 'guest' voices when that seemed appropriate, or just a fun idea. Sometimes a voice is 'just' an instrument, it has the specific tone or timbre that works with the existing music. Doing the Smile Down Upon Us project last year (with Japanese singer Mooomloo) was a further extension of that. We're working on some new material now which features various voices, including our own."
Kieron: "When we first started it seemed that purely (or mostly) instrumental music was where is was 'at', or should be 'at'. Now it's a far more crowded field, so looking to have a vocal presence becomes desirable. That's certainly why I kicked off Smile Down Upon Us with Moomlooo. I really wanted to work with a singer and think of the voice in a primary role (after ten years of not thinking that way)."

You are both part of various other musical projects. How do you think that having several different outlets as opposed to just one has shaped you as a musician, and can it be difficult to juggle several ventures at once?
David: "I think it's the other way round. Being versatile has shaped the nature and range of the musical projects we're involved in. Personally, I'm interested in lots of different areas of music and I like exploring... what usually happens is that you start two different projects at wildly different times and, by hook or crook they end up being released on the same day!"
Kieron: "Hm, difficult. It is musically rewarding to be involved in many different projects, but the downside is that some of these projects never quite get promoted to the extent they deserve, because one ends up hopping onto the next project. So, there's a lot of pressure on each album to just stand up for itself without any furthur assistance. It's a bit like sending your kid out for a long walk without any shoes on... actually, on the whole I'd advise people not to do it. Rather; do one big project, stick with it and then do your side projects later. Still, we are what we are. :)"

How do you feel the 2000s in music has compared to other decades?
David: "I'm not so keen on dividing music up into convenient, decade-long blocks like this. Somewhere music is always evolving, always in flux (even if the conservative mainstream says otherwise) and pays no heed to calendars. There have been some spectacular records in the 2000s, as there were in the 1990s, the 1980s etc... latterly it could be argued that there is simply too much music being made, that there's a glut of mediocrity obscuring the gems. More significant, perhaps, is the way recordings are being disseminated, marketed and consumed in the 2000s - that's the real historical sea-change."
Kieron: "The best music is always 'now', whatever the decade or year is!"

What is the future for Phelan Sheppard?
David: "We're making a new record right now. Hope to finish it this Summer and have it out ASAP."
Kieron: "We are recording a new album. But, as is usual for us, the parameters keep changing, so God knows when it will see the light of day. Hopefully this year. Oh, and there will be singing!"

Thanks guys. Keep an eye out for their next release!