For tonight's interview, I'm heading out of Lancaster to the More Music Songwriter's Circle over in Morecombe. Coming fresh from the WiredIn event yesterday (catch my review on the Litfest site), I'm really excited about the words and music side of this week. And on Thursday evening, there's more coming. More Music are presenting an evening of songs and stories from some of the area's finest songwriters. I've been having a chat with Pete Moser to find out more:
Pete, I've been having a look around your website, and you
have such a great mix of things going on: I really wish I lived closer! Can you
tell us a little bit about the Songwriter's Circle?
For years we have worked here with inspiring songwriters who are often working in a context and writing about things/topics that are relevant to their lives. With Litfest we have the opportunity to focus on the words and stories behind the songs and ask people to chat and share their thoughts. This is the first of a new season of events in our great new venue, and we are very excited that this is happening with Litfest.
How does the glimpse into the process of songwriting, and the storytelling involved, enhance the experience of listening to the songs themselves?
I hope that through the sharing of the thinking behind the songs we will help people to listen to and identify with the songwriters and their stories. It may inspire people to think that they can write songs themselves because they understand where the songs have come from. They may also realise that the craft of songwriting is not impossible but also that getting a good rhyme, a good rhythm in the words and a great structure takes a little work!
Can you tell us a bit about the artists who will be involved in the evening?
Dan Haywood is great local singer/songwriter who has run his own bands and has great following. Comes back from a European tour that morning! http://www.myspace.com/newhawks
For years we have worked here with inspiring songwriters who are often working in a context and writing about things/topics that are relevant to their lives. With Litfest we have the opportunity to focus on the words and stories behind the songs and ask people to chat and share their thoughts. This is the first of a new season of events in our great new venue, and we are very excited that this is happening with Litfest.
How does the glimpse into the process of songwriting, and the storytelling involved, enhance the experience of listening to the songs themselves?
I hope that through the sharing of the thinking behind the songs we will help people to listen to and identify with the songwriters and their stories. It may inspire people to think that they can write songs themselves because they understand where the songs have come from. They may also realise that the craft of songwriting is not impossible but also that getting a good rhyme, a good rhythm in the words and a great structure takes a little work!
Can you tell us a bit about the artists who will be involved in the evening?
Dan Haywood is great local singer/songwriter who has run his own bands and has great following. Comes back from a European tour that morning! http://www.myspace.com/newhawks
Joe Kondras is the songwriter and drummer from local
band The Heartbreaks, and follows a great songwriting tradition from the Kinks
through to Morrisey via the The Libertines and with taste for Northern Soul and
the Boss. http://theheartbreaks.net/
John Fox is a poet, theatre director and visionary
artist who has worked in site-specific theatre and civic and personal celebrations
since the '60s. A long time collaborator with me, we have written many shows
and songs together including The Hollow Ring and The Golden Submarine (in Barrow) http://www.deadgoodguides.com/
Katy Pickles is a young person who has developed
through working here at More Music and at local college music courses. A very
talented performer and writer who is now playing regularly on the local circuit.
Kate Howden has been performing on the folk circuit
for years with a band and also with guitarist Paul Jones http://www.howdenjones.co.uk/
Gary Bridgens is my secret weapon - a performer
with a gift for the gab with a million and one stories and a great sense of
comedy and entertainment. He will be hosting and asking questions and making
everyone feel at ease!
When did you first get interested in music, and who was the first songwriter to grab you with their narrative voice?
I’ve been listening and playing since I was very young, learning piano and trumpet and then guitar, and busking my way through my teens. Dylan, The Beatles, CSNY and a lot of 60's bands! Always a great lover of political folk songs - Woody Guthrie etc. Then really inspired by a few poets especially Adrian Mitchell, Boris Howarth and John Fox, who told joyful and powerful stories through verse that I was privileged to turn into song.
When did you first get interested in music, and who was the first songwriter to grab you with their narrative voice?
I’ve been listening and playing since I was very young, learning piano and trumpet and then guitar, and busking my way through my teens. Dylan, The Beatles, CSNY and a lot of 60's bands! Always a great lover of political folk songs - Woody Guthrie etc. Then really inspired by a few poets especially Adrian Mitchell, Boris Howarth and John Fox, who told joyful and powerful stories through verse that I was privileged to turn into song.
If you could create your own band/ensemble/collective
with musicians from any time or place, who would be in it? And where would your
dream venue be?
Ouch - hard one. Dream venue - a living room or a round tent. Somewhere intimate and with a place within a community and a context to work in! Outside by the River Amazon, in an amphitheatre by the side of the sea in Cuba...
The band - Charlie Haden on bass, Miles Davis on trumpet, Greg Allman - guitar, my friend Ben on drums, Adrian Mitchell singing and declaiming words, Luk Mishalle on sax, Stevie Wonder - keys and vocals....
Ouch - hard one. Dream venue - a living room or a round tent. Somewhere intimate and with a place within a community and a context to work in! Outside by the River Amazon, in an amphitheatre by the side of the sea in Cuba...
The band - Charlie Haden on bass, Miles Davis on trumpet, Greg Allman - guitar, my friend Ben on drums, Adrian Mitchell singing and declaiming words, Luk Mishalle on sax, Stevie Wonder - keys and vocals....
Pete, it's been great talking to you, and it sounds like Thursday is going to be a fantastic event. I'm going straight to have a listen to all of the songwriters - thanks for the links!
The More Music Songwriter's Circle will be happening at The Hothouse in Morecombe at 8pm on Thursday 18th October. Book tickets by calling 01524 831997.
You can find out about everything that happens at More Music by visiting www.moremusic.org.uk, and don't forget to follow the rest of Litfest's events this week at www.litfest.org. There will be reviews and more information about what's going on for the rest of this fabulous week.
Tomorrow, I'll be talking to the short story writer Zoe Lambert, so see you then :-)
