Barrowland, Glasgow, Sun 28 Oct
‘There's alway', been a fight .‘.’l'tl'll ourselves between wanting to roll or it and also wanting to be totall, pop‘ says Tim Wheeler, grinning 1‘50 there' always a real t‘:ll',l()li to what we do
And there. in a nutshell, l‘, thr- ser/et of Ash's retriarlrahle ‘,u',r,r:'i‘. lie". talking about their fiftti albiirii, li‘.,ri'igtit of the Innocents. but could be referring to any of the W) hit singles the band have produced in an arria/ing career which started in the early ’90s when they were still at school. lhese days
sh are veterans of British indie rock. something WillfLil the (it) year old Wheeler finds hilarious
‘I keep rrieetinr; bands who are big fans and grew up with us, yet who are the sarrie age or older.’ he says "It's incredibly weird '
the band fuelled their own rejuvenation rerLetltly. for the making of fwr/ig/it of the Innocents, they reverted to their original three piece line—up. long terrii guitarist Charlotte Hatherley amicably leavuig to pursue a solo career. lhey also relocated to New York and produced the album therriselves for the first time.
‘l've always admired people who have a singular Vision like Brian Wilson,' says Wheeler. ‘Producing ourselves was a slow process, cos we were learning as we went along, but it turned out great. It was nice not having our ideas diluted by anyone else. And being in New York meant we felt isolated from the UK music scene in a nice way. That gave us freedom to do whatever we wanted.‘
The band recently announced that Twr/r'gtit of the Innocents is to be their last conventional album, future releases being conducted as indiVidual downloads. It's a move which has split opinion. but Wheeler is right up for it.
‘The album has been a sacred idea for such a long time. but it feels out of date now,‘ he says. “With the internet we can reach people a lot otiicker. People will be cont/inced soon, when they see how it works.‘
I suggest that if any band can pull it off, it's Ash. since every song they write SOunds like a hit Single anyway. Wheeler laughs.
‘What can I say. | just love hits' (Doug Johnstonei
58 THE LIST 18 Oct—l NO\ 2007
Al l (IOUNlliY IRON & WINE Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, Mon 29 Oct
It would be difficult to find a location more at odds with the music of Sam Beam than the London hotel lobby I meet him in. Swanky, super modern and decked out in stark white clinical decor and beautiful people resplendent in rock star chic and dripping with expensive accessories it is indeed a strange place to discuss the time-honoured, fragile folk of Iron & Wine with this big bearded and fiercely private chap.
Beam is now based near Austin, Texas ‘in the middle of nowhere', and although he clearly shuns the limelight, mumbling brief quiet responses throughout the interview in a charming southern accent, he finally opens up while talking about his stunning recently released third offering. ‘While I was mixing this record I mentioned that Tom Waits‘ Swordfishtrombones had been an inspiration for me, although it doesn’t sound anything like it,’ he chuckles. ‘The way that Waits fearlessly experimented with strange instrumentation on it was a huge influence because it made me think I
.JA/X LARRY CORYELL 8. BOMBAY JAZZ Tolbooth, Stirling, Sat 20 Oct
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who made his name in the first \.'.’zt‘.’(: of iaxx rm r ‘iisir iri 'l“ the
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felt like what we had to do as ‘.()llllt_l rniisir «ans at that "'llt' t‘iri'llt‘l‘ .-.-:re
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passed again. and after the (?X(Ililll(] part ' f the fiisirir mi ’firr’
ahead (a/x started sounding better again.' The giiitarist has straddled a whole range It rienw, it? til‘,
With symphony orchestras as t'i'ell as fellr guitar greats .lr hi‘ Mal itll’lili’l‘
1w: H it'ila. Jrf.'.' He Will be joined in that band it‘, Ariierir an ‘SttA’ittlitilllfiY tier irrie Br ink
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end. Happily. he worked through it. helped b. ttltlt‘ilrifl'itl Budrinisr" at the urglng of Herbie Hancock and Waxne Shr‘rter, rKr-nn. lulri‘Nl‘VR’i."
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could do anything and make it work, and as a result this album is very different to anything I have done before.‘
And innovative it is. The Shepherd’s Dog showcases a significantly more epic and luscious sound for the amiable singer-songwriter featuring elements of dub and African percussion, sitars and multilayered vocal harmonies while still retaining the bewitching delicacy of his previous work. Said to be borne out of Beam‘s confusion with modern day America and particularly at George W Bush’s re-election as US president in 2004, it features guest contributions from members of Lambchop and Calexico and is the sound of the Iron 8. Wine man reassessing his approach to record-making with glorious results.
‘Collaborating with people is a fun way to take songs to places you could never have imagined they would go,‘ he adds while, ironically, Alicia Keys serenades us from the Stereo. ‘Some people enjoy cloning what they do and doing it the best they can but I find that so boring. For me making music is definitely more about discovering something you didn‘t realise you could do.‘ (Camilla Pia)
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