Afterhere

Real Time

When you write about music, you are always looking out for a release that makes you want to play it to everyone you know…everyone who might appreciate the magic that you have picked up on. Even after many years of journalism, it is still a thrill when this happens. For this scribe, this year one of the most impressive sets of songs I have heard are on the debut album from Afterhere. Having created a track-by-track appraisal of the disc, I wanted to meet up with the group’s female singerBerenice Scott so we hooked up in my beloved Soho and headed for my suggested eaterie…

Cards on table, Berenice – I am overwhelmed by the vibe attained on this first collection. I get a lot of records through my letterbox and I’m always looking for atmosphere. Having played your record a few times, I have become fascinated by the overall sound, the lyrics, your voice and you. Hence the invite. What intrigues me is how your sound has evolved and what role soundtracks have played…

Soundtracks in terms of what we were working on, me and Glenn Gregory?

I’m thinking of the Liar TV series and now Vanity Fair

Well Glenn and I were working on the music for Liar and when we started work on our album all that was a huge influence, what we had created for the TV producers. The atmosphere that works on soundtracks, the world that you build. We loved that little world that we created, Pete

The way I’d put it – you can enjoy the music from say, Superfly or Shaft without seeing the films. But the films wouldn’t work without the music.

(Ponders) No, it probably wouldn’t have the same impact. You have to work with the director and get inside what they are really after

With the TV series Liar, what was the brief?

It was very important NOT to give any hint as to who did what, in the narrative. You ca really do that, can’t you? You can fall into that trap and it will detract. So it was quite interesting, pulling back from over-emphasising. We could stay energetic, but not give any hint on where the action seen was going.

The polar opposite of pantomime!

(Laughs) Exactly!!

On comes the villain and the brass descends!

So that really shapes everything and how you approach it all

There are clichés in thrillers and dramas..the sustained synth chord..

Sometimes you need that, it is going to work with the scene. I didn’t study composition at college but I feel like I have by being hands on with music. Being taken with films and the music used

You never stop studying, learning

You shouldn’t, you should always be learning.

Because you go into this tunnel to your own world and what you do stops being relevant to other people

Yes, you should maybe find your own style of creating and pursue that

Let’s talk about some songs – Addict got to me immediately. Lyrically it strikes a loud chord, for reasons I won’t explain. In my review –

I liked your review!

Thanks. I said it had a soft vulnerable sound, wistful. Reminded me of Vanessa Paradis. That sensual undertow

I think it has that – the ethereal presence. I like that sensitive but strong thing.

That’s right – it doesn’t shout.

(Smiles) Sometimes that’s needed!

The shouting female vocal is very old. And far too prevalent.

I was never allowed to do it, my mum was very strict about that. A classically trained singer and artist herself so that was not allowed.

Just can’t listen to that! who is that girl on The Voice? Was in DreamGirls..dreadful twisting of every phrase..what about the Addict video? Was that done in the States?

Yes, we’d been doing a tour ..been out for some weeks

We being?

Holy Holy…with the Bowie songs and players. Glenn and myself were on the tour. It’s quite gruelling being on the tour bus, especially in America where there’s a lot of time travelling distances. Pit-stops here and there. Then we had the other tour booked which was going to be longer. We thought we’d better be busy with something with our time or you can end up just sleeping, drinking or eating all the time!

The drummer in Teenage Fanclub used to send me tracks about cities he put together on his laptop in hotels on tour!

Absolutely, I took my laptop everywhere, to be able to complete or work on things. Always trying to do something instead of just looking out of the window.

Anyway. Addict is likely my song of the year…

That’s amazing! You hear everything…

Pretty much. Blackout ..has slivers of what sounds like duck noises…I wrote that maybe it was a drug reference..this is the one I thought would be a great duet with Gary Numan..

Yes, I remembe! It’s definitely dark. I’d just watched something which was staying with me. It was so dark and harrowing, I didn’t know how to deal with what I’d just seen.

What, a horror film?

No, a TV series. It was traumatic, emotionally. Fairly violent. I don’t know, I had my laptop out and I thought well, this mood, I just want capture it somehow.

It’s OK – it’s a beauty of a song. And it’s got this semitone shift which introduces unease, musically

I really like that you mentioned that. I thought ‘Oh yes! It does’

That goes back to the likes of Eddie Boyd and his Third Degree song. The A goes to B flat and back which isn’t what you’d expect in a twelve-bar blues..but there is the menace established..the song here put me in mind of Vanessa Daou in New York

I don’t know her…

I will send you something by her…real night music, breathy and erotic. Most female artists I meet look up to Suzanne Vega and Bonnie Raitt. Stylistically different, but real. Yours is very much music of the night..

When we work in the studio, we put out all the lights, we have a blackout. We might have pictures showing if we are working with them, but otherwise we record in the dark..

Is there A Place To Be?

I hope so, yes. Can you capture it? Can you keep it forever? Is it a moment in time?

Is it intangible?

I don’t know..that’s the question, isn’t it? Is it there the next day?

Ha! Like your audience – I always tell my players it’s no good having been good last show, here we are at tonight’s! Breaking Rules. This is the one where I dubbed it The Vaselined Cameo Beat…a bit like early Madonna

(Happily) I’ll take that! I love Madonna…

So this is where we are in different worlds.

So you don’t dig it?

I think she made the music business take is mind off music and become obsessed with visuals

You’re right in that respect, but I still enjoy listening to her sing her songs..songs Like Papa Don’t Preach. And she worked with such good producers, too

But that’s good – for someone else it will be Tracy Chapman, say.

Oh I like that too!

Darkstar – this is the one I stressed was NOT the Grateful Dead number! But I had to grab a guitar at home and play along! Where does it come from?

It’s really about betrayal. In a relationship. It’s where you have really tried and yet you still feel betrayed.

We’ve all been there, we can all feel that. Having guitars around stops me from grabbing weapons!

(Rueful) Wouldn’t be here, if I didn’t write songs!

You’re wise to face up to that…what is writing but an outlet? A release? It’s your paintbrush

It is! Totally..your therapy

Sounds like your heart’s in it with your mind following – and not the other way round.

After The Night seems to be about resigned regret. The recording quality on that is first class. Again, how does that song come about?

Now if I picture that one as a kind of video, it’s really quite sad. It’s not sad really, it’s suppose to be positive.

It has a monochrome vibe to it..

It’s after the initial contact with something or someone and it goes wrong..

There’s so much gameplaying when relationships start and you are mentally feeling your way..on to All Along The Watchtower, the Dylan song. I like the way the tempo is slowed right down. Makes it your own. I will by the way send you the Michael Hedges version I referred to. Why that song?

We were working with James the Vanity Fair series director about the mood he wanted for the series and he had that song in his head. We thought about it for a while. It evolved to the version they use on the opening credits

Unbroken – that’s the one that to me hinted at The Eurhythmics in approach

Hard to avoid hearing them when I was growing up! I am so familiar with her voice….I like Walking On Broken Glass. Dave Stewart’s a great producer.

I love Dave – we always end up sitting, talking about The Blues. I do Here Comes The Rain..I like doing songs that girls sing.

Well why not? Takes them somewhere fresh

Worship – for me, not far from a country heartbreaker!

Yep OK – the traditional songwriting approach

Other stuff – I had a chat with Holy Holy drummer and Spider From Mars Woody Woodmansey – how do you get on with him?

(Brightly) Oh he’s just a lovely, cheerful baby of a man!

A Northern Lad who hit the big time!

He is so cheerful, upbeat. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him grumpy.

Tony Visconti – under-rated bass player

Yes, a fine musician all round – vast knowledge

What’s your role in Holy Holy?

Playing keys, especially piano

The keys parts on Bowie stuff are generally interesting

Yes they are, that’s true, I give them what they want…

Pete Sargeant