Fred Abbott And The Wild Unknown Are Unleashed
Words by Glenn Sargeant
Photo Credit: Amy Walters
Singer-songwriter, musician and producer Fred Abbott has returned with Fred Abbott + The Wild Unknown and their album ‘Shining Under The Soot’. He spoke to us about the record:
Your new album “Shining Under The Soot” is out now on Lojinx under Fred Abbott & The Wild Unknown. Can I ask who is in the band with you and how did you want to approach the making of this record?
The band on the record is largely made up of me! I played all of the guitars and keyboards, some of the bass and most of the drums. A great bass player called Silas Maitland played bass on a number of tracks and there are 2 tracks with other drummers, but apart from that the music is pretty much all me. Not by choice I should point out, I would much rather have recorded an album in a studio with a whole band playing but I made the album during the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 when such a thing was not possible. The approach to making the record was really just to go to my studio on my own whenever I could during the pandemic and layer stuff up on these tracks, really for my own enjoyment and to keep myself active musically during a time when all my gigs had been cancelled and all the projects I was producing for other people had been put on hold. So the album has been made for the pure joy of making music and I hope that shows.
Where did you record the album?
Most of the album was recorded in my old studio in Vauxhall known as “Renegade Studios”. It no longer exists sadly but it was in the basement under an Eritrean Cafe on Wandsworth Road. I rented the studio for 6 or 7 years and made many records there.
Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?
I was born in London but I grew up in Bath so I would consider that my hometown. In five words I would describe it as “most beautiful city in England”.
Who did you bring into sing lead vocals on the album? How did you meet?
There are 4 lead vocalists on the album apart from myself: Steve Llewellyn, Dave Burn, Rich Evans and Tom Figgins. I know Steve and Dave through a band called Orphan Colours that I play guitar in. It’s kind of a UK Americana supergroup. They are both first class singers and songwriters. I first heard Rich Evans singing in a church in Devon and was immediately struck by what an extraordinary voice he had. He sounded like Janis Joplin, if she was a pirate. Tom Figgins is a friend of mine who I met through the bass player in my old band Noah And The Whale. Again he is a fantastic singer/songwriter in his own right, and also an actor and photographer. All four of them recorded their vocal parts at home and sent them back to me so they really have done a great job considering we weren’t even in the studio together and they’d never heard some of the songs before.
Do you have any favoured stage instruments/pedals/effects?
I use a lot of different guitars in the studio but onstage these days you will normally find me playing my late 70s Gibson 335 or my double-bound black relic telecaster with a bigsby. My favourite pedals are my original 80s TS9 tubescreamer and Roland Dimension C Chorus. Nowadays I use a Cornell 20 Watt Plexi Head onstage, but I have a number of louder amps that I used to tour with that I record the whole time. On this album most of the guitars were recorded with either my 62 Fender Tremolux or my 30 Watt Bad Cat Head. Is that enough geekery? I could go on…
How do you look after your voice?
I drink a whisky mac every night of the year, for medicinal reasons. (Stones Ginger Wine and Scotch Whisky)
What is the story/inspiration behind the track ‘One More Roll Of The Dice’?
There is a wonderful album by William Shatner and Ben Folds called “Has Been”, and the title track includes the line “Has been, might again”. I always liked that. I consider myself a proud has been, who maybe might again one day? Everyone who features on this album has had their chance at the big time at some point in the past, and been left bitterly disappointed. But despite all the knocks, the rejections and the ridicule we all keep coming back for one more shot at the prize, even though we know we will almost certainly fail. So I suppose that’s what the song is about.
Could you please tell me about your fourth single from the album ‘Where No Shadows Fall’?
Where No Shadows Fall was one of the first songs written for the album. Although extremely simple in form it actually took me many months to finish writing it. The first half explores the fantasy of life after death, the second half exposes the desperation behind that dream, the inescapable feeling that deep down, we know there’s nothing.
Do you have plans for any live shows to support the release?
No concrete plans at the moment but I would dearly love to play this material live with a rocking band, and I’m sure it will come to pass in due course. There’s some potential for shows in the Autumn so keep an eye out for that.
Which of the tracks on the new album hears you at you’re a) Angriest, b) Happiest c) most reflective?
a) Nothing Left
b) Shining Under The Soot
c) Where No Shadows Fall
What makes Fred Abbott happy and what makes you unhappy?
What makes me happy – hanging out being silly with my wife and daughter, watching Wimbledon, pizza, flapjacks.
What makes me unhappy – injustice, cruelty, stickers on apples.
Photo Credit: Amy Walters
Fred Abbott & The Wild Unknown’s new album ‘Shining Under The Soot’ out now via Lojinx. For more information visit:
Join Fred Abbott online at: https://www.instagram.com/fredabbottmusic https://www.facebook.com/fredabbottmusic
Find Lojinx at:
