You are releasing the decade spanning, The Woodentops ‘Before During After’ – Remasters, Remixes & Rarties 1982-1992 via One Little Indian, on May 27th How does it feel now that the release is ready to go?
Its exciting. Its so long since we put out a serious release I really had forgotten how it feels. It’s a little spotlight moment for us. Time to make a scene. hehe. Puts a bit more oomph into it all, We'll play harder live.
Is the release designed to be a history lesson on the band or, a long look over the shoulder, before looking forward again?
Well that’s how it looks. However in fact it was nearly compiled a couple of times before, just this time it went all the way to finish. I like the long look over the shoulder idea. Some truth in that. good one! You writers quite often help me figure out what it is I'm doing. 3cds long, a look!. Not too long I hope, neck ache..
When did the band originally get together and with what ambitions?
1982 it began as an idea and conversations and listening to tapes I’d done. It didn't take long to find people to come in the cocoon of hard work. We all loved to play as much as possible and we took a long while before we dared play in public. From then on the ambition was to play more and more get it better. That’s the drive. Still is.
How have the personnel of the band changed over the years to how do you look as a group today … are there any plans for new music?
For a 5 piece band essentially, I counted once 35 people have played in with us! Some for a while, some a short burst. The 3 of us Simon Frank and I are the longest serving from the beginning of it. We look like the Woodentops. We are pretty wirey and play fast for a long time. Seriously, the set is fierce at the moment. New songs are weaved with the originals and there is new album just about to step out the house. Because of ‘Before, During, After’, we have given ourselves a touch more time to tweak.
What was the biggest change you found in the recording studio when putting this collection together, from when you originally recorded the songs?
The answer to that is tricky. I’ll try. All the different records were recorded in different places so there’s no 'generic' sound so to speak. However Giant, our most well-known album was for me the most 80's sounding. It was astonishingly bright designed for radio. No bass at all under 50hz. So it cut like a razor on the little speaker with the bbd compression/limiting. That one stuck out for me as being a pointer to how things have changed. Also some of the instruments used on it, put it in a time period. Some of the other tracks are more timeless in audio history.
How long did it actually take from the original idea to the having the finished ‘Before During After’ album in your hands and what were the major steps in the process?
I think a year. Remembering, choosing, finding, working with ownerships, compiling, deciding how to angle it, restoring media, mastering, writing the booklet, and sleeve design. There’s a team of neat people working on it, I'm enjoying that. I’ve got pleasure from every aspect of it.
The remastering process was the biggest job. A few days on that. I was hearing moments I’d not noticed before on the system in that studio at Wired Mastering . I cannot deny I was in a heaven in there.
You are playing a show at Dingwalls in
Dingwalls, although, not exactly the same hall is a big one for us. We played many early support spots in there before we eventually headlined on many eventful nights. The show came out of the blue, connected with a cd compilation’ Sacred to get happy' about the early 80s indie period. Our first single is on it. It being Dingwalls we agreed immediately. We used to spend a load of time in
Do you think it's any easier starting off a band today than it was in the mid 80's, both from a getting your music heard and a making a living point of view and is there any advice you would like to share with these new bands and artists?
I think its the same to get going. Where I live there are tons of bands and cheap rehearsal rooms peppered about. You’ve got to find somewhere where you can bang away and contract a collective delusion. Once you're all excited about it as a group of people you need to infect others with it. Be annoying but worth it... There’s a lot of ways to do it that weren't there before. you tube for one. Anyone can be a star on you tube so off you go be one of those. Meanwhile find a manager infect him and have him/her infect the music biz. You must push hard. Budget is scarce. People who look like they are doing really well might actually be only scraping by. You must do pretty well to be able to play as much as you'd like to. So you must give it your best shot. Watch a lot of 60's 70’s James Brown. Are you trying hard enough?
What, we're the albums you where listening to during School / College days and do any of them still get played in your house today?
Yes, many. Now I can see them live online what I was too young to witness. I can spend hours looking at the history of music. The computer has replaced all other ways of listening to music. I can spend hours in the 60's+70's watching stuff I had albums of and stuff I wish I did.
Rock like the Black Sabbath the first band I ever saw, Grand Funk Railroad or Pink Floyd or Soft Machine or the German bands I loved then, Can and Neu and Kraftwerk Roxy Music ,Marley, Motown James Brown p funk. Suicide I could go on forever. Learn more about what I liked see the influences of them and so on. I love to watch old films but what’s great is you can check out the new, with ease also.
Has any other artistic medium – films, book, etc. – particularly influenced your music in the past or present?
All the other answers flowed easily but this one has me scratching my head looking out the window noticing its windy, fresh leaves rustling, got me vacant and thinking there must be, I read I watch movies .sheesh…. er…what about?..no..didnt I? must be something!
No. I think I'm making my own movie book animation soap opera drama. Ah wait oh yes!! early Dr Who and Dr Who music had me hypnotised as a youth . My teen ambition was to train to join the BBC Radiophonic . Failed! Got The Woodentops instead haha. Still got the freaky moments !
‘Before During After’ is released via One Little Indian on 27th May 2013 and there is a