Interview: Mr. Andy Wells Multi-Instrumentalist, Songwriter, Producer
Greetings Andy, thank-you for taking time from recording your second Pilgrym album to answer this e-mail interview.
Since in the first interview we discussed your background, the band, your first album and hobbies, we’ll get straight into what’s new.
Your first Pilgrym album - ‘Pilgrimage’ received excellent reviews. How critical of the album are you? Do you listen or are you influenced by critics?
98% of reviews for the album came back positive - although I do have my own criticism of the album due to the time it was recorded in, we could have done better but we tried to en-capture a progressive album that incorporated accessibility as well as technicality. (Some people didn’t like this). Yes, to a certain degree I am influenced by critics but as musicians we tend to blaze our own trail regardless of the opinions of the modern music industry. Your second album is called- ‘The Great Divide’. Is it part of a concept? Why that particular name?
I suppose I was looking at the Divides that happen in life. All life itself is split into divides; Religion, Black/White, Rich/ Poor, Ground/Sky, Fire/Water. The divides are endless. The basic opening tracks on the album are the divide that divides us all. I suppose, therefore, it is a concept of sorts or at least some of it is. Two tracks, it is said, does not a concept album make. ‘The Great Divide’ album art seems much darker this time- more earth tones, more epic-looking… is the album darker in tone than ‘Pilgrimage’? What did you intentionally try to change or explore that you didn’t on `Pilgrimage,’ any new approaches or directions?
No darker in tone but more on the lines of earlier progressive music. We have had a lot of criticism crossing classic rock with progressive - but I don’t see the problem with crossing the two. In the world we live in today, you have got to cast your nets further a-field to draw in new listeners, (that’s the music industry) like it or not, the new album will incorporate a new musician, Rob Jarvis, who is classically trained. Rob will be an integral part of the band from now on and will add a new perspective to the future writing of material - as did Steve Howe to ‘Yes’ after the departure of their original guitarist. I don’t think progressive music can progress without change! Rob has given this change to our sound.
Any new keys on the new album? Any new instruments?
Oh Yes! We have acquired a few new acoustic guitars which will feature heavily on the new material and the EMU vintage keyboard which has enabled us to tap in to some of the old 70’s classic keyboard sounds. I really can’t describe the difference it will make but have a listen to the new album when it is released. Additionally, Rob Jarvis, being a guitarist/keyboard player- has brought on board further modern keyboard equipment.On Pilgrimage, guitarist Tony Drake has created some amazing emotional guitar passages- how are the guitar parts shaping up? Tony’s voice was featured on a live track- (Reborn), will he sing on the new album? How much changes/improvisation is there when the band records?
Fine, Tony, as ever, is putting in some scorching guitar parts and yes, Tony will sing more, I think it makes for a more ecliptic sound to Pilgrimage as a band.As regarding improvisation, we don’t tend to improvise when recording. I usually structure the songs and then get the rest of the guys in when required in the studio. A variation of the classic deserted island question- You can only have one CD, one type of food, one magazine, one type of drink, one book, one movie and one type of pet on this deserted island- what would you bring and why?
Mozart’s 40 – incorporates fantastic symphonic passages and also, I’m sure that if Mozart had his hands on a modern synthesizer, this would be a progressive classic. Bread – the sustenance of life, (unless your on the Atkins diet).Women’s Own –Terry Wogan, a UK DJ, has a fantastic spot in that magazine where he rants on about numerous issues within the world-wide media (bloody essential!!!).I suppose Water – because 90% of the human body is made up of this substance and I would die within 4 weeks without it. (Sea water is no good on a desert island and coconut water gives you the shits I’ve heard) oh! The coconut is seasonal in the tropics where desert islands usually exist; I’m only taking this on the premise that I would be stuck there forever, and not just a week or so!!! Butlers Biography of Keith Moon – This is so bloody funny, I suppose you’d need something to keep your spirit up when cast away on a desert island.Pilgrym has recently signed with the Swedish label- Transsubstance Records, a subsidiary of Record Heaven distributions. How did this union evolve? How much freedom are they giving you? Will we finally see Pilgrym albums worldwide?
The usual way that things evolve with most bands, they heard the demo’s for Pilgrimage and liked it. We have total autonomy and freedom to play whatever we want. The guys at Record Heaven ask nothing from us apart from the music we play. (Which I suppose is good).Yes! Record heaven do distribute world wide. Johnny and Anders emailed me and quoted, “They distribute globally with the exception of the North and South Pole” (and Atlantis of course which they have no postal address for.) Let’s go back to `Pilgrimage.’ One of the few negative comments that I’ve heard was that the album was split between classic progressive music and album-oriented rock. Can there be a union between these styles? Sometimes Prog-listeners can be quite snobby, do some of them think that melody is a nasty word?
Mmmhh!!! I think it’s difficult in the modern day an age to isolate progressive music into one narrow marginal area. You have to cast your nets further a-field, as I have said before, to gather a wider audience who will appreciate your music or you’re dead in the water. You have to keep up with modern times, it’s a sad fact. Crossing melody with the complexity of traditional progressive music is a good thing I would have thought. Actually 1 of our 2% steadfast prog snob critics has backed down and confessed to actually liking the album after several listens so maybe they are warming to the fact that melody isn’t a bad thing.Let’s go to a side project of yours- `Lost Toys.' You said before that it was influenced by an Edwardian children’s book. What motivated you to try something different than the norm? What is your favourite track and why? When will it be released and by whom?
I’m always trying to push boundaries musically in different areas. I try to keep them all tied together in some way as lost toys is to ‘The Great Divide’ via the use of orchestra. I’m a great lover of the classic composers, as you may have gathered in my last interview, Mozart / Bach / Beethoven etc. and have studied the music of these many classic composers in the past. I suppose it just sticks with you having been brought up with it. My father had a great passion for classical music also. My favourite track on the album is track 2, Harlequin being a piece of music divided into sub-sections, which I spent a lot of time on. I suppose it’s a bit progressive in some ways which is where it ties in with the grand order of things and Pilgrym.‘Lost Toys’ will be released in August 2004 on Holyground Records, who also released ‘Pilgrimage’ originally. I will be working with Mike Levon at Holyground records to sonically re-master the original recordings before it is released.You have a passion about your music (as well as the way you explain and discuss it). This emotion comes out in your expressive keyboard work. What influences (for example- the news, everyday life, tragedies, etc.) You’re playing as well as your compositional process?
Everyday goings on in the world influence me in a big way. News - personal life etc. all have a subliminal effect on my composition. Not only issues of today affect my compositional process but the events of the past also. Furthermore the literature that I read invokes inspiration in my writing. You’ve have a few line-up changes in the group. Who’s in the band now? And will any of these changes change the direction of the music?
There as been a slight line up change since ‘Pilgrimage’. Our original Bass player, Mike Sislo had a terrible accident with his arm and can no-longer play at all. Tony Drakes son Oliver has stepped in to fill the gap. The only other addition to the line up has been Rob Jarvis on guitar and keyboards. Rob has already started composing to contribute to the next album ‘The Great Divide’. The musical direction of Pilgrym will stay transparent.Band line up is now, my-self, Tony Drake, Kevin Mulvihill, Oliver Drake and Rob Jarvis.
So when is Pilgrym going to tour? And where? How about a video release after the tour?
At the moment we are in negotiation with our new record label, Transsubstance in Sweden. I suppose they will decide if they want to put money into the band touring. Other negotiations regarding live appearances are also being undertaken within the music industry. We’ll see what happens! We’ll see?So let’s again hop back to `The Great Divide.’ I heard that one of the tracks is rather lengthy. What is it called? How do you deal with the monstrous feat of creating a long piece of music and the problems that it can entail?
‘The Great Divide’ is the long piece and yes, surprisingly, it is divided into two parts. ‘The Great Divide’ Part 1 and Part 2.Creating lengthy pieces of music is just a process of hacking away at ideas that come along on a day to day basis. As Mike Rutherford (Genesis) once said to me (and I agree with him totally),- "It’s easier to create a lengthy, twenty minute piece of music than it is to create a three minute pop song. "I suppose you have to cram all your ideas into a short space of time with a catchy single and stick to a format rather than being given a huge blank canvass to create something which potentially can take you anywhere, as did the classical composers during the great age of enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries.So when will the new album be released?
There’s a possibility that it will be released before Christmas but I would like to ensure that this album is a marked improvement from ‘Pilgrimage’ as far as production and compositional input goes so who knows, this might take a little longer. The first album, ‘Pilgrimage’ was written in just under two months but it has given us the foot hold in the music industry that we require to move things forward with the next album. We would like to take advantage of this. You are recording the song - `Unknown Soldier,’ with a full orchestra. How did this work out? Tell us about the experience. Would you like to work with an orchestra again?
‘Unknown Soldier was originally recorded a couple of years back. We’ve gone back and recorded lots of the parts with the exception of the lead vocal and lead guitar passages. We’ve also included in the new mix some orchestral passages which I would have liked to have included originally. These passages were recorded in the Theatre auditorium at HSA School for the Arts. We’ve added woodwind, strings and brass parts, which I scored and utilized the students at the college.Work is proceeding with the new album and we will probably, where possible, use an orchestra again.So let’s zap into the near future- Lost Toys is released, The Great Divide is pressed and in record shops. What’s the next project?
Probably a third Pilgrym album - lets see how the world music scene opens its mind?
Thank you so much for this interview, Andy. Keep on creating amazing music. Best Wishes and thank you for sharing your answers and thoughts.
