This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Artist Interviews
Q&A: Ardentjohn
By CMU Editorial | Published on Wednesday 17 February 2010
Edinburgh-based Ardentjohn began back in 2005, following an unexpected reunion between two former primary school pugilists. Currently a six-piece, the band make music on a variety of instruments and record anywhere they can; including loch-side cottages, friends’ box rooms and church attics. They’ve performed throughout the UK as well as spending some time in Italy as the resident band at Club Bianconigilo. The band’s new album ‘On The Wire’ is out now on Fandango. Ahead of their Lexington gig on 18 Feb, we caught up with Mark and Seth from the band to ask the Same Six.
Q1 How did you start out making music?
Mark: Keiron [the main song writer] began making music on the Isle of Bute with childhood friend Roy Hayler [Ardentjohn’s allusive fifth member] a while back on an old four-track tape recorder in their tiny flat. Early efforts were interesting, sometimes hilarious. However, I first heard ‘Orange Nights’ [a track from the band’s previous EP] in this very flat and fell in love with it. This song gave us the confidence to move on. The heart has been there from the very beginning, that’s why I joined the band.
Q2 What inspired your latest album?
Mark: We recorded ‘On The Wire’ in a cottage on the shore of Loch Fyne. Being in a place like that with your friends and with nothing to get in the way of doing what we love doing (making music) was very productive. The setting of the recording links very well with the songs/lyrics since a lot of them come from a childhood and upbringing and then a detachment from similar surroundings, ie the Isle of Bute.
Q3 What process do you go through in creating a track?
Seth: More often than not a song comes from Keiron and his acoustic guitar. He’ll bring it to a rehearsal and then we’ll all jam it and try out different vibes. But we always seem to make it sound like an Ardentjohn song, which is sometimes different from what was brought in originally due to the rest of the band’s different influences, although the melody is key to what we do. The new addition of strings to the live set-up has made the process a bit longer but we are loving their involvement. We’ve got a pretty big live sound right now.
Q4 Which artists influence your work?
Mark: It’s hard to pin point particular artists that influence what we do, they all just seem to overlap and bleed into each other. Like any music fans we’ve always listened to as much music as possible no matter what genre it is. If it does something for me then it’ll go in my collection. There are far too many to list here but I’ll have a go at giving a cross section from the band. We have quite a crazy mix of styles from country, Americana, folk, pop, classical etc etc. As for specific artists, the three big B’s go without saying, Nick Drake, Johnny Cash, Pink Floyd, Peter Green, Radiohead, Stone Roses, The Coral and Midlake. We are also currently enjoying The National, Wild Beasts, The xx and Justin Townes Earle.
Q5 What would you say to someone experiencing your music for the first time?
Seth: Thank you!
Q6 What are your ambitions for your latest album, and for the future?
Seth: We’ve just done our Edinburgh and London album launches for ‘On The Wire’, which was amazing. The atmosphere at the Bull And Gate blew us away. It was a great moment for us! Now that the album’s out, we just hope that who ever gets to listen to it will enjoy it and maybe come and see us play live. This will hopefully then enable us to keep playing, developing, writing and recording more.
MORE>> www.myspace.com/ardentjohnmusic
