"Big Ones" by Aerosmith was the first album I bought with my own money. The first album I really loved was Jeff Wayne's War Of The Worlds. My dad taped it for me when I was young, and I would just listen to it over and over again. It's safe to say that had a far bigger impact on Polypores than Aerosmith. It's music with atmosphere, telling a story. I loved that. It's always stayed with me.
What was the last record you bought?
Vic Mars - Curriculum For Schools And Colleges Volume 2. It's like going back in time to your very first science lessons.
What's one thing about you that very few people know?
I am at least partially responsible for the audio recording/production of a good number of television adverts in the UK.
If you could record with any one artist who would it be and why?
Nick Cave. His words are better than anyone else's words. I'd love to provide some weird shit for him to sing on top of. Also, I've noticed Mark Lanegan is getting remixed by a lot of dark electronic artists recently. If you're reading this Lanegan, get in touch. I met you once at Lancaster Library and told you a shocking anecdote.
Who should we be listening to right now?
You should be listening to Nurse Predator. It's actually a colleague and friend of mine. He recorded all this music years and years ago, but it's never seen the light of The Internet, until a few weeks ago. His stuff needs to be heard because it's brilliant, and way ahead of it's time. Bear in mind this was all made before people started making music with computers.
Those who decide to buy it may notice that the Paypal payment goes to me. This is because I set up the Bandcamp page for him, as he has far better things to do than set up Bandcamp pages. Be assured that I transfer all the money to him. This is not a scam on my part.
Vinyl, CD, digital or cassette?
There's no reason to limit yourself to one format. It's great that vinyl and cassette purchases have started coming with a digital download as well. That way you get the best of both worlds.
I walk and commute a lot so a lot of my listening is done by MP3, but I am a sucker for a hard copy. I'm 33, so I still remember and cherish that excitement.
Tell us about your latest release.
The Edgewoods EP. I read this fantastic book called "Edgelands" by Michael Symmons Roberts and Paul Farley. It's a sort of exploration of those weird non-places that are neither urban nor rural. Somewhere in between. Around the time I read that I was walking round a lot in these kinds of places, taking photos, making notes. That was what inspired the music. The way I tend to work is, I will collect a series of words, photos, concepts, and mental images. Then base the music around that. Edgelands was my starting point, then I ran with that and let my imagination take over.
I ended up with about 20 tracks. But I'd released an album about 2 months previous and I figured another album after that would be too soon. So I tried to edit it down to an EP. I was still left with 10 tracks, so I put 6 on the EP and kept 4 as bonus tracks, which people get if they pay for the download.
It probably took as long to decide on which tracks to include as it took to write and record the album. I thought they were all good!
What's next for you, musically?
Hmm, where to start? I will try to sum this up as best as I can:
I am going to be releasing an album through an independent tape label. We are currently discussing how it will all work. I am in the "research" phase of the album. As I mentioned above, collecting ideas, pictures etc. At the moment the vibe is looking sinister but rural. There is a lot of plant matter. I am picturing a hill covered in thick forest with a clearing on top. In the middle of the clearing there is a tower. Some kind of old radio transmitter. Or perhaps a searchlight. Sprouting from the ground around the base of the tower are hundreds of human hands. Does that help sum it up?
I am working on a live set. This is new to me, and it involves simplifying a lot of things, rather than trying to make it sound exactly like the recorded versions. But it's also opening up whole new avenues in terms of ways of writing, and improvisation. I won't be using a computer, it will be all hardware. I will be using tape players and loop pedals as primitive samplers. I love finding new ways to write, and this is no exception. I think a lot of this way of writing will inform the new album.
I am working on a collaboration with the man responsible for The Hatcliffe House Tapes. It has taken me a long time to do my parts, as I did them and then hated them within a week so scrapped them. Then I ended up recording/producing an album for another band, which became a priority for now. But I will get it done soon. If you're reading this John, I am sorry for the delay. I will send something soon!
I will be doing a remix for a band called Fighting. They have a sort of Death From Above 1979-meets-Post-Punk sound. I intend to warp that beyond recognition.
I will be doing another remix for a very evil band but I'm not sure I'm allowed to reveal that yet. I have seen their new album artwork and it is really really genuinely evil. Like, Wicker Man evil.
I will also be having one of the tracks from my last album The Investigation remixed by a guy called Impulse Array, who makes this vast deep-space techno. I'm looking forward to hearing what Polypores sounds like out of orbit.
I am providing the voice of a robot on a concept album a friend of mine is making. It's a concept album about a robot.
What's for dinner?
I'm not comfortable with that question.
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