Issue 106 / Dec 2019/Jan 2020

STUDIO ELECTROPHONIQUE is the new project of
former High Hazels frontman James Leesley. The
first signing to Violette Records which isn’t a Micheal
Head project, the debut Electrophonique EP Buxton
Palace Hotel sees Leesley and his ‘imaginary band’ create a
microcosm which lies somewhere between kitchen sink drama
and The Velvet Underground. Balancing love and its inevitable
pitfalls with a raw yet delicate sound, the Steel City balladeer’s
first output has already captured the imaginations of the likes of
Richard Hawley and Pete Paphides.
On a cold Friday night, Matthew Hogarth caught him on the
other end of the line shortly after a winter evening kick-a-bout.
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Sonically, the songs sound a bit like The Velvet Underground
if they’d recorded in the North of England. Who and what
influenced you to start Studio Electrophonique?
I’ve been listening to music all my life, a lot of different varied
things. The Velvets kind of got me into music properly, but
growing up I listened to Oasis and Coldplay on the radio. They
were on the radio, but obviously you kind of get into the darker
and more obscured side in your own time. I’ve been playing
music for a long time with a band but that kind of ran its course,
quite naturally, and I just had a lot of ideas in my head that
weren’t complicated enough that they’d need a band. In a way
they were almost on a four-track up there, in my head. I felt like
my head only had enough space for the melodies and a bigger
accompaniment in mind. I’ve always wanted a four-track. I’ve
never been a technical wizard by any stretch of the imagination
and always stayed away from the likes of Logic and all that. I’ve
always focused on writing the songs and left the recording to
someone who knew what they were doing.
So what attracted you to recording on four-track?
It was only after I stepped away from being in the band that I
thought I could do with an easy bit of equipment to record on.
A lot of my favourite bands have used both four-tracks and
eight-tracks over the years, and some of them recordings I love.
I thought it must be a good enough place to start. So I just got
myself a knackered old Fostex X-15 just to play around with and
work it out. I’ve never worked with cassette before, and I thought
if I can get ’em down on tape it’ll feel quite nice, push me down a
route that I may not have gone down if I’d gone into the studio.
I recorded the tracks in the spare room in me house which made
it naturally a lot more hushed and quiet, because I couldn’t be
blaring the place down. So I got ’em down without having any
intentions of anyone hearing them; I know that’s a cliché, but I
genuinely just thought I’ve got to clear some space out. It were
just a bit of fun that I’d go upstairs in mine after work and just
get a few songs down. I’ve got a couple of little old Casio organs,
80s ones with only one or two good sounds on ’em. I just used
those and an old Philicorda organ which I picked up for about a
hundred quid, which provided a table for everything. I wanted to
limit myself to just that and record it to tape. Luckily, I got a few
tunes down and it echoed the old 60s recordings and modern
bands demos that I loved. It had a really nice warmth.
Lyrically, Buxton Palace Hotel seems to be a pretty personal
EP. Would you agree with this?
I’ve never been someone to overthink how it’s going to be
received. Through practising, over the years I’ve come upon a
style whereby it’s more the thoughts that people are having
that they would never say. It can be very exposing. It’s all about
putting your thoughts out there. If you look at the approach of
the likes of Morrissey, Stuart Murdoch of Belle And Sebastian
and Lou Reed, the thing they’ve all got is a really sensitive side.
I wanted it to feel like it was just one person listening to it. I
wanted it to feel very real. The fact that I was in a collaborative
band meant that occasionally I would maybe doctor a few lyrics
to make it more acceptable. There’s no reason for a filter, which
makes everything a lot easier.
When you’re on your own, there’s no one to stop it. The speed
I could work at was so much
quicker. It’s the first time I’ve used
characters in my work; a lot of the
stuff is personal but I’ve managed
to put it into characters and the
lyrics could be about anyone.
The atmosphere of some of the
tracks often feels quite isolated,
lyrically blending romance with
darker tones. Would you agree?
Subconsciously, I was always
trying to keep the balance between
the two. I was basically trying to
take you to a place for a moment,
however long that may be. If I’m in
the mood for a band I can create a
little world which I can just access. I wanted to take people away
for a little while.
The intention was to make it underthought. I wanted to get it
straight from my brain to the machine. I wanted to do it in the
now. It is quite warm sounding but when it gets quite bleak, I try
to bring it back. I wanted it to be so intimate it could fall apart at
any point. All my friends who were into stuff were really into it. I
didn’t have any idea if it was any good.
GIG
“The intention for my
music was to make it
underthought: straight
from my brain to the
machine. I wanted
to do it in the now”
STUDIO
ELECTROPHONIQUE
La Violette Società @ Studio2 – 20/12
Hushed, attentive tones crafted in the dead of night - James Leesley’s
new solo endeavour captures an honest, moonlit reflection of solitude.
You’re the first artist to release on
Violette Records who’s not Mick
Head. How does that feel?
I was a bit apprehensive because
they hadn’t released anyone else.
But I sent it to them because I
really liked what they stood for,
and obviously I’m a big fan of Mick
Head. I thought, ‘May as well, and
they might like it’. I don’t think they
planned to put it out to be honest,
but they just went, ‘This is alright
and we haven’t really got anything
else coming out,’ and it was doable.
I think I was quite quick and easy to
work with so it wasn’t a matter of
waiting around. It moved really quickly and I think that helped.
Matty [Lockett, Violette Records] said he just wanted to put out
good records that they like.
With High Hazels you’ve already got a decent fan base, but sell
out-shows are no mean feat in Liverpool and you obviously did
really well across the country and Paris. How does this feel?
We couldn’t buy a gig at times, it was really difficult. But with this
I kind of didn’t even plan to play live. The first gigs I did were with
Richard Hawley. My first gig was in Holmfirth supporting him,
and two gigs in London. Both were over a thousand capacity
each. Luckily, I had a bit of live experience but I had to play
quick and learn fast. If it went wrong I’d look the biggest fool in
the world. I think a lot of [the success] has been [down to] the
venues that have been dressed up nice. I wanted to do stuff
that was a little bit different. Luckily the Violette guys sorted the
Scandinavian Church in Liverpool and I managed to sort out the
Lantern Theatre in Sheffield. It took a good couple of months to
even get in touch with them. In the end, I went to this strange
gig on a Thursday night just to see a human who worked there.
I got chatting about Sheffield Utd and he passed me a number
and I eventually got in. Roy, who runs the live side of things for
Violette, played the show with me and did spoken word and
people loved it. It was more of an experience and people loved it
as a night. I think it was a bit of pot luck to be fair.
Paris was daft. They were so nice. There was a massive spread
and a bath of beer. I felt like this is how it should be. !
Words: Matthew Hogarth
Photography: Ryan Lee Turton
violetterecords.com/studio-electrophonique
Buxton Palace Hotel is available now on Violette Records.
Studio Electrophonique plays La Violette Società’s Christmas
Special on Friday 20th December, with Toria Garbutt, Daisy Gill
and Roy.
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