The Othyrs Talk New Album, Single And More

The Othyrs are built around the family unit of Andy Golding (guitarist of indie- noise/pop mainstays The Wolfhounds) and his children Alice and James Golding, plus bassist and brother/uncle Richard Golding and violinist Paul Warwick. The latter two are also members of The Wolfhounds. With the release of their third album ‘Science Sunday’ scheduled for October 2024, Andy Golding spoke to us about the new record, single and more:

Who is in The Othyrs and what do they play?

The Othyrs are a 5-piece family band consisting of me, Andy Golding, my children Alice and James Golding, my brother Richard Golding, and long-time friend and associate Paul Warwick.

When did you begin songwriting?

Alice, James, and I started making up songs when Alice and James were still children. Once we started singing three-part harmonies, we realised that it was quite an interesting sound, so we started to write music for three vocal parts. We did our first home recordings on 4 track, but then elevated to Logic and released our first album in 2020.

What is your earliest musical memory?

As The Othyrs, we used to play other people’s songs in our kitchen (Kirsty MacColl, The Beatles, Elvis) but the first time we started making up our own songs was on a holiday in Wales in 2012.

 Your new album ‘Science Sunday’ is released on 18th October 2024. How did you want to approach the making of the album?

It’s a mix of new songs and old songs from the kitchen days. We have a huge back log of songs we want to record, but as James and Alice grew older, they naturally moved on in life and left home. At the start of the Covid lockdown, we found ourselves all living back in one house again, so we finished off our debut album and set about recording tracks that have appeared on the next two albums. Our last album ‘Functional Family Unit’ was released in 2022 and features another Golding brother, Micheal, on drums, and my niece Billie Jones on harmony vocals.

Where did you record the album and who produced it?

It was recorded at home. James has a qualification in Music Technology, which is very useful, and is a great arranger. For this album I let him mostly guide the direction. James plays most of the instruments, and I recorded them. It was an interesting experience to let someone else arrange my songs. Once we had finished the recording, we had a couple of sessions with Ant Chapman to get the mixes right.

One of the tracks is the new single ‘Nobody Knows’. What is the story/inspiration behind the track?

It’s one of the songs we wrote in Wales. The lyrics are random, so if you find a meaning, please advise. The music is a cross between Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, and Clinic.

The single is accompanied by an official music video. What was the thought process behind the video and who created/directed it?

My wife, Helen, and I make our videos. Helen is an artist and is excellent at putting my stupid ideas down on paper. We mostly use iPads to make the images and then mix down the videos using Video Pad on the Mac Mini. The best ones are when the ideas come quickly, and we just do it. It’s not like they are ever going to get played on MTV, so we just try to have fun.

Do you have any interesting, funny, or memorable stories from the album recording sessions?

Apart from all nearly dying from a global pandemic, not really. It gave us a focus to get through it We remembered that we all love each other, and even in the most trying of circumstances, we get along very well. Music and cooking and great ways of bonding. ‘Science Sunday’ was actually the name we gave to our Sunday cooking sessions while we were recording. We’d try to come up with food combinations that would not get past the censor in more normal times. Jacket Potato & Jam was a big hit. Most things ended up being a combination of pastry, mushrooms, beans, soya, and potatoes. It was good fun.

What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?

Live, we have moved on a bit from ‘Science Sunday’. James is playing drums, Alice has started playing percussion as well as singing and it has moved us in a louder direction, mostly as the rest of us have to play louder so we can hear ourselves over the drums. So, the two things would be that I hope the audience can hear us, and I hope they like our new direction.

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?

Our favourite instruments are borrowed amps and drums, so we don’t have to carry too much. Paul plays electric violin, and I am playing lead guitar more, so a lot of the new songs meander at volume with Alice driving it with her floor tom. We tend to keep it simple, but anything that makes noise usually gets in.

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

We live in Chadwell Heath in East London: Desolate, Changing, Near to London

 Which of the tracks on the new album hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?

a) Happiest: Nobody Knows – it’s a simple song but was one of the first we wrote that I thought actually might work on a record.

b) Angriest: Forming – It’s about watching the rise of the bad ideas, right before my very eyes.

c) Reflective; Helper – It’s about trying to help people in trying circumstances.

How do you look after your voices?

Cider, veganism, and blush

You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?

‘The People of the Abyss’ by Jack London. I reckon I could make it even darker.

Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?

Everything and nothing. I always go back to The Velvet Underground & Nico, Bowie, Hawkwind and The Beatles when I get lost. You can normally lay a new path out from there.

Do you have any live dates planned in the UK/Europe in 2024/2025?

We have few London shows in October and hopefully we will get some offers to play elsewhere next year.

Was it a difficult album to write?

No. It was a challenge to record, but the writing is the fun part.

What makes The Othyrs happy and what makes you unhappy?

Playing makes us happy, trying to get everyone together now we are scattered around the UK is a challenge, but I don’t think anything makes us unhappy. We’re just your average family who happen to make music.