Thanks so much to Tim for the interview! A few weeks ago I wrote about Splendour in the Grass on the blog and happily Tim got in touch! So I didn’t miss out the chance to ask him a bunch of questions and learn more about his band who only got to release a shared flexi with the 14 Iced Bears back in the day!
++ Hi Tim! Thanks so much for being up for this interview! How are you? Are you all still in touch? Still making music?
Hi there. It’s my pleasure! I’m all good thanks. I’m afraid that I’m not really in touch with any of the original band members. One of those things – we all sort of went our separate ways and kept in touch for a few years but then drifted. I do still pick up a guitar every now again, but I’m not writing music any more.
++ Let’s go back in time. What are your first music memories? Do you remember what was your first instrument? How did you learn to play it? What sort of music did you listen at home while growing up?
My first musical memories…. ooooh, erm…. Probably my parents listening to jazz records and my older brother with his dub reggae record collection (not quite sure how this led me to indie music at the time, but it did!) My first instrument was actually the guitar. I taught myself back then, usually learning the chords of my favourite records in my bedroom. We were all heavily into the indie scene, apart from Christopher, who was more into heavy metal for some strange reason.
++ Was Splendour in the Grass your first band or had you been in other bands before that? What about the rest of the members? If so, how did all of these bands sound like? Are there any recordings?
Splendour In The Grass was my first band, and also for the other guys in the band too.
++ Where were you from originally, Croydon?
We were all from Croydon, yep.
++ How was your city at the time? Were there any bands that you liked? What were the good record stores? Or what about the pubs or venues to go check out up and coming bands?
Croydon was a strange place at the time. There were lots of small minority music scenes going on at the same time – indie, goth, rockabilly, and metal. Weirdly enough there were a few local venues around Central and West Croydon that used to put on bands, but to be honest we were more interested in seeing bands at the time in places like the Croydon Underground than putting on a gig ourselves back then. One thing that probably fuelled the vibrant music scene back then were that we had three really great record shops – H&R Cloakes and 101 Records – which catered for all of the indie record buying people back then, and also Beanos – which was the largest second hand record shop in England I think at the time. So were were kind of spoiled as to where to listen to and buy new music. I’m afraid that these have all closed now.
++ When and how did the band start? How did you all meet? How was the recruiting process?
The band started in 1987 when we were 15 years old. Me and James went to one school in Croydon, and Nic and Christopher went to another school, but we used to see each other when we’d get the bus and the train to London when we used to go to the same gigs most weeks up in London or Brighton. So we knew we liked the same sort of music, and then we started hanging out and from there it was natural for us to start our own band. Once we’d agreed to start the band, it was pretty easy to work out who was doing what – Christopher had a bass, James had a guitar, and I had drums and a guitar – so that we me and Nic sorted!
++ Were there any lineup changes at all?
This version of Splendour In The Grass kind of split up in 1988, but I did carry on the band with Nic and some new members – Dan, Chris, and sometimes Jonny – who strangely enough, we also used to see on the bus and train going from Croydon up to London to go to gigs. We didn’t release anything else, but we did a few gigs around Croydon and did record a rather good DAT in a studio around 1990, but as I say, we never released it.
++ What’s the story behind the name Splendour in the Grass?
The name came from the classic black and white film with Natalie Wood. It seemed to fit at the time, and the other guys in the band were happy to go along with it.
++ How was the creative process for you? Where did you usually practice?
In the beginning, we used to practice in Christopher’s parents garage at his house. I remember our first practice session and I was actually singing and playing the guitar – and I’m afraid to say that my singing wasn’t quite up to much, so we decided to let Nic have a go, so I took his place at the drums, and Nic started singing. Which kind of worked out for the best at the time really – Nic was a much better singer than me…! Up to that point, I was writing the songs (including Twist Me), but when I moved on to drums, Nic took over with the lyrics and the rest of us wrote the music.
++ You were around in the late 80s and in the UK there was a great explosion of guitar pop bands, why do you think that was? Did you feel part of a scene?
There really was – and that was the reason we wanted to be in a band! We all used to go to gigs up in London and Brighton when we were 15, and because the scene was so small and accessible, it was easy to get to know the bands that you loved! We never really gigged a great deal, so we were never really part of a scene in that sense.
++ And who would you say were influences in the sound of the band?
At the time, we all loved listening to The Velvet Underground, The Byrds and the Rolling Stones, but I would say that we more influenced by what was going on at Creation records, Subway records and early Sarah records releases.
++ As far as I know your only release was a flexi that was shared with the 14 Iced Bears. This was released by Penetration Records. Who were Penetration Records and how did you end up working on this flexi?
We actually set up the label Penetration Records ourselves! And the release with The Bears was actually the only release that Penetration put out. The idea behind the flexi came around through my friendship with Rob from 14 Iced Bears. I mentioned to him that we were looking to do a flexi and asked if he had a track he could let us have – and he gave me the tape for the different edit of Lie To Choose. Funnily enough, I seem to recall that when Christopher went up to the flexi plant to get the flexi pressed, he was asked what the label was called – which we hadn’t given any thought to – so he just made up the label name as Penetration Records on the spot.
++ And you were friends with the 14 Iced Bears, right? How did that relationship happen? Did you play many gigs together? With which other bands in town you had also a good relationship?
I was friends with Rob from 14 Iced Bears, yes. So firstly, I was a massive fan of their first two releases they’d had at the time and went to their gigs as much as a 15 year old could. Then one day I saw an ad for a drummer in the back of the NME (which back then was how bands recruited new members). Anyway, I called Rob and went down to Brighton to meet up. It didn’t work out with me joining the Bears, as I was still at school, and they had been used to better drummers than me in any case – my drum set up was just two drums (like Mo Tucker from the Velvets and Bobby Gillespie from the Mary Chain). Anyway, we stayed in touch and when we were thinking of putting out the flexi, I asked Rob if he had a song that we could use, and he gave us the version of Lie To Choose that you hear on the flexi. We were from Croydon, and so were Loop, so we got to know them a little bit – Robert Loop formed Main with our friend Scott. The indie scene was so small and welcoming, that you’d always end up chatting to bands at their gigs, and I also got to know The Field Mice as they were from Croydon too.
++ The song “Twist Me” was included in it, I was wondering if in a few sentences you could tell me the story behind that tune?
I think I wrote it about a girl who had just split up with me, but then kind of messed with my emotions afterwards – pretty much standard reference for songs back then!
++ Where was the song recorded?
The track was recorded at James’ bedroom – his dad was a vicar and he lived in a vicarage in Croydon. James basically had the biggest bedroom out of all of us.
++ I looked at the credits on the sleeve and I see that you thank a Laurence for the gear and Robert Black for living. I thought these were odd, or enigmatic thank you notes. I don’t know if you could tell me a bit about it?
Haha. Lawrence lent us some equipment, and perhaps something else that we used when we rehearsed…, and Robert L Black was just a friend that used to hang around with us.
++ Why didn’t you get to release any proper records?
I’m not sure really. We didn’t really gig enough or generally try very hard if I’m honest. It’s a shame looking back, as we certainly had the creativity. Later on, when it was me, Nic, Dan and Chris, I do believe that our music could have got released, but Chris went off University and we just carried on rehearsing with no real aims for a gig – we’d go to a rehearsal room and have a bit of a party instead of going to the pub.
++ Was there any interest by labels to put out your records?
Not for us, no. Like I say, unfortunately we were too lazy and didn’t do enough to push ourselves.
++ And did you appear on any compilations?
Again, I’m afraid not.
++ I suppose you must have many unreleased songs, is that so? Maybe in demo form or perhaps studio recordings?
We do have quite a few tracks – certainly a few as demos which are probably in a box in someones house somewhere. The DAT tape did contain the other studio recordings that we did – 4 songs from memory.
++ If you were to choose your favourite Splendour in the Grass song, which one would that be and why?
Apart from Twist Me, as it was the only release we ever made, I’ve always had a soft spot for the track we did called Razors Hutch – which was written about a friend we had back then.
++ What about gigs? Did you play many? All over England?
We did play a few gigs, but these were only ever in the Croydon area.
++ And what were the best gigs you remember? Any anecdotes you can share?
I do remember that at most of our gigs we liked to turn up the volume – so there was always this competition between band members about who could get the amp volume the highest – not the most professional I’m afraid, and usually with the venue threatening to pull the plug on us unless we turned the volume down…
++ And were there any bad ones?
At a very early school gig that me Dan and Jonny did, (when I was singing) I remember having to encourage Dan to come out from behind the curtain where he was playing – Dan was a bit shy back then!
++ When and why did Splendour in the Grass stop making music? Were you involved in any other bands afterwards?
As I said earlier, when Chris left for University, we carried on with the rehearsing, but it was generally just a bit of a party in the rehearsal room with our friends – with no real agenda to record anything else or play out live again. I did audition to be the Field Mice drummer a few years later, but the chose to stick with their drum machine…
++ What about the rest of the band, had they been in other bands afterwards?
Im afraid not – we all kind wasted our opportunity and as far as I know, none of the others have been in any bands since.
++ Has there ever been a reunion? Or talks of playing again together?
I am still friends with Dan, Chris and Jonny, and we did do an acoustic set to some friends a few years back. It was totally unplanned, and it was surprising how much we could remember of the old material.
++ Did you get much attention from the radio?
Afraid not. Again, we didn’t really push ourselves enough so the radio probably never even got to hear about us.
++ What about the press? Did they give you any attention?
Only really by the association with 14 Iced Bears. The Bears really should have got better recognition for their records – even though they had records out and did gig a lot, they were massively under appreciated for what they did.
++ What about from fanzines?
I don’t remember any fanzines showing an interest – but if they did, I’d imagine it was because we had the Bears on the flexi with us!
++ Looking back in retrospective, what would you say was the biggest highlight for the band?
Releasing the flexi – quite an achievement for a 15 year old to get a flexi out with their band on their own label, and also with an unreleased song by one of their favourite bands.
++ Aside from music, what other hobbies do you have?
I’ve always loved old campervans – and have just set up a business to rent out vintage VW campervans.
++ I’ve never been to Croydon, close though, to Brighton once, but it is always good to hear from a local for some recommendations! What are the sights one shouldn’t miss? Or the traditional food or drinks that you love that I should try?
Croydon is a bit of an odd place really. It’s all a bit non descript. Probably the same as a lot of other town centres I’d imagine. I know that there’s been a pretty decent underground dance scene going on there for a few years.
++ Anything else you’d like to add?
No, just that it has been nice to answer your questions!
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