Can you tell Ink Pantry about your Video Theatre?

My Video Theatre project had varied reasons for its emergence; personal and professional reasons dictated a new start. When I left Sheffield, I no longer had a band or studio. I’ve always wanted to ‘get on with it’, and also finding the right band can be a long and disappointing task. Moreover, studio allows for your full imagination and bands have been a skeletal idea – like acoustic versions of an idea. I wanted to draw on all my musical inspirations in a flexible, eclectic way. It has allowed me to explore with complete freedom from classical to dub, prog and pop. Anything! I like the holistic, and wanted to explore my interest in the elements of all the arts, hence each song has its own symbolic video that relates to the lyrics via a collection of animated stills. I play with the relationships relating the translation in a kind of vice versa symbiosis. So metaphors become literal and so forth. It’s fun!

I didn’t want it to be a simulation so I make it obvious that it’s a studio production. I mix the tracks via PA at volume; very dry so it has a live flavour. The beats are basic and percussive and the sounds are cut and paste loops, like how dance music is created. The bass parts are BIG and done as performance with traditionally played bass, which for me is crucial. The organic flavour creates the juxtaposition against the laptop; the irony – Primitively Modern: the title of the project. The overall content explores this concept throughout from Mayan history to modern issues. The stuff we talk about round the campfire!

You have been writing lyrics for many years. Can you give us a history of your journey as a songwriter? 

My journey as a lyricist has emerged from the punk ideal. Allowance to speak. Having something to say was the motivation to play. An observational approach has diversified over the years and inspiration now comes from spiritual issues and imagining being born under a paving slab!

Can you share with us a couple of your own favourite lyrics?

There are many of my lyrics I like. The crap gets thrown away. One of my faves is anecdotal; simple but big like a haiku. ‘Rooms in houses uncannily did this to me.’ This comes from a focus on idiosyncrasy/constructs. ‘Rooms in Houses’ is from a collection of songs called ‘Common Scenarios of Quite a Strange Man’.

Who inspires you, lyrically? 

Again, loads of inspiring lyrics and writers. Peter Gabriel’s US album is lyrically beautiful, and the Lighthouse Family say some nice things. In contrast, I like the inarguable and simple statements that Discharge used to make too. Hawkwind’s single sentence ‘Space is there’ is, of course, implosively poetic.

Do you read a lot? What book has affected you the most?

Never get time to read. A Kestrel for a Knave has done much to shape the way I think, particularly the implications in institutionalised learning. Billy’s skills and motivations are not on the curriculum. When he finds his true interest, he’s an A-star pupil.

You live on a boat, away from the rat race. Is this the perfect, peaceful setting for a creative person? 

Paint a picture of your day for us.

I live two lives on the boat; week on, week off with my boys. This is a good symbiosis because my domestic week grounds me from a workload that has me awake at ridiculous times and drinking too much coffee. It is delightful when I get to do boater things. I like the resourcefulness such as having solar energy, sawing logs, etc. The relaxing moments with candles, fire and hooting owls are well earned. Of course, my ever changing ‘garden’, I’ve no doubt, is unconsciously calming and inspiring.

Do you think like a poet, perhaps in images, or do ideas come first, then images?

I think in an integrated way, but the visual arts have much to do with the abstraction. It’s all about juxtaposition, texture, composition. I work lyric to maximise meaning in a mind map way and choose words that strengthen a previous reference; like an echo. Put simply…moon, dark, night, stars, etc. It seems obvious but clearly when writing it’s more interesting than that. It has to be, of course!

How do you motivate yourself to write? Or is it an innate passion that constantly needs release?

I used to sit and sing nonsense with guitar and catch/shape lyric as it spilled out. These days, I build soundscapes starting with experimental sounds and loops as well as conventional playing. The ‘painting’ in turn inspires lyric and story.

What do you care about? Which themes keep cropping up in your work?

Spiritual freedom, harmony, peace and being happy. I used to have a lot to say. Now I change the world from where I can actually do something about it – from within. I trust my feelings. I try to be nice. I’m absolute about boundaries. If I’m uncomfortable, I have the right to leave and not have to answer for it.

Tell us about one of the best days of your life.

I have two best days: the days my boys were born. I love them to bits – as you do! They map my future and fill me with purpose. They grow and provide me with continually changing interest.

Any plans for future projects?

Every intention for continual future projects. I have irons in a few fires. I’ve been enjoying writing top lines with harmony for some great producers recently and now have an opportunity to travel too. The variety is great stimuli and takes me to fresh musical/lyrical places (mainstream with a touch of craft). Such co-writes yet again present new landscapes from the imaginations of other artistes, thus stimulating new lyric territory. It helps give my own work a rest and recharge. My Video Theatre remains paramount as it is the vehicle for my deepest thoughts and experiences. It also grants poetic licence unlike the former, which comes with a label brief. Quite difficult at times.

https://www.facebook.com/thevideotheatre/?fref=ts