4.52am Issue: 003 9th October 2016

Thinking about your approach to
songwriting. What comes first - words or
music?
“Music always comes first then I build the
vocal melodies around it and then fit the
lyrics in with the melodies. Or will
sometimes have to change the melodies
slightly to fit certain lyrics in but usually it's
just a syllable count change.”
How did you learn to write a song?
“I’ve been writing songs for years, I just
used to make up guitar riffs or chord
sequences and then the melodies and lyrics
came after that and throughout the years
my writings just developed, creatively and
dynamically.”
Which one are you proudest of?
“Veronica's Venom, it was one of the
simplest ones to write, but the melodies
and lyrics are so perfect and catchy that
everyone knows how to sing the chorus. As
soon as I wrote that song and called it
Veronica's Venom I thought that's the best
fucking thing I've ever wrote and it was
true.”
These days you can record a song at home
and have it distributed and heard around
the world in no time at all - what do you
think are the good and bad parts of the
ways things have changed?
“It's good because it's handy and you can
do what you like without having anyone else
do it for you but it takes the authenticity out
of it all, you really want to go to a studio
and use loads of cool equipment and make
it sound the best you possibly can.”
What gear are you using now?
“A load of dodgy equipment. My pedal
board has a cry baby, boss tu-3, EHX Soul
Food Overdrive, Tubescreamer mini and a
EHX Holy Stain. Isaac goes through a bass
Marshall head and cab amp (can't
remember the model) I'm going through a
fender deville. Joe's got his premier 60s kit.
I have a Fender 62 reissue Telecaster and
Isaac had a Fender Precision bass.”
Find out more about one wicked band, The
Orders are Here