Thanks so much to Richard for the interview! Not so long ago I was interviewing Richard about the great band he is in these days (since the 90s actually!) The Relationships! But as I am a big fan of all the records The Anyways I realised I needed to ask him questions about his previous band and he was up for the challenge! So here are his answers, please sit back and enjoy!
++ Hi Richard! Thanks so much for being up for this interview! How are you? We were just talking about The Relationships some days ago, now it is time for The Anyways. How different or similar do you find the two bands?
Hi Roque, and many thanks for inviting me! I’m well, thanks, if a little deaf after many decades of amplified music. (Pardon?) The Anyways lasted from 1986-1994 and encompassed many different people and musical styles in that period. Meanwhile The Relationships have been going since 1994 (25 years old – how did that happen?!?). Again, there have been a few line-up changes, but maybe the musical feel has been slightly more consistent. The main similarity between the two is that I was/am the main songwriter in both bands. The main difference is that The Relationships – while influenced by a wide variety of acts including many fine American ones – has a more British approach. I admit it, I frequently used to sing in (my version of) an American accent in The Anyways, which I probably wouldn’t do now.
++ Was The Anyways 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?
The Anyways wasn’t my first band. I’d done cover versions in a school band, then had a one-gig punk incarnation in 1978 (Dick Terminal and the Deathbeds, no less). Things really got going when I joined a local Oxford band called Discontinued Lines, which morphed into Ward 10 in the early 80s. After the demise of that, Pete Lock (the drummer from those two bands) and I got together with Angus Stevenson, Peter Momtchiloff and Valerie Howell – Here Comes Everybody was the result. It was kind of a springboard for Angus joining Razorcuts, Peter M forming Talulah Gosh with Amelia Fletcher, and Pete L and me starting up The Anyways. As for recordings, I believe there might be one track by Here Comes Everybody on a MySpace site if you can still find it! There is also some footage in Jon Spira’s 2009 Oxford music film, Anyone Can Play Guitar.
++ Where were you from originally, Oxford?
No, I was born in Woking, Surrey, home of Paul Weller and The Jam! I came to study in Oxford and stayed on.
++ How was Oxford 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?
There was quite a polarised scene in Oxford when I first arrived here. On the one hand there was a hard rock basement venue called The Corn Dolly – I went there once, but didn’t have a dirty denim jacket, so didn’t feel at home! I preferred The Oranges and Lemons, which hosted punk bands. But I wasn’t really punky enough to fit in there either, so didn’t go very often! There was a tremendous chain of record stores called Music Market, which I used to hang around in. Later I used to go to The Cape of Good Hope and the Caribbean Club, both to see other bands and to play gigs with my own groups. Good local acts? The Stereotypes, Strange Fruit, the Leather Fish, The Communists, The Mistakes.
++ When and how did the band start? How did you all meet? How was the recruiting process?
In 1986 I recorded some of my new songs – literally in my bedroom – with Pete Lock and a guy called Ste Nunn who played amazing orchestral keyboards. Ste was staying there temporarily, having moved up from a house-share in Bristol with one of my friends. He was involved in making videos for the Jesus and Mary Chain, and wasn’t up for forming a band, so Pete and I started looking around. We met Alan Buckley through HCE fans who’d become friends, Chris Hill and Tim Breadin, at a gig in an old converted church in Oxford. Alan played bass and really liked the Velvet Underground – so he was in! Then my friend Susan introduced us to Jennie Crisp and Trudy Aspinwall – who joined on keyboards and vocals/tambourine. Our first gig was a kind of a warm-up, just to the members of an Oxford college. Trudy stayed in the audience – she wasn’t quite ready to perform yet! Later she became an enthusiastic onstage presence, and she used to bring along quite a following to gigs!
++ Were there any lineup changes at all?
Jennie – who started dating a member of Talulah Gosh – left after about a year, and Ali Day joined on keyboards. Lead guitarist Hamish Ferguson joined a couple years later, then Karen Cleave came in on keyboards when Ali and Trudy left. The final incarnation saw Mark Price on lead guitar after Hamish and Karen left to form their own country band! Pete, Alan and I were the constants throughout.
++ What’s the story behind the name The Anyways?
I suppose it was a word I liked, and it seemed to convey the slightly amateurish nature (in a good way) of what we wanted to do!
++ How was the creative process for you? Where did you usually practice?
I enjoyed – and still enjoy with The Relationships – the whole phenomenon of bringing a song along to the rest of the band and seeing what they do with it. We rehearsed mostly in the same place where The R-ships still rehearse – South Oxford Community Centre!
++ You were around in the late 80s and early 90s in the UK and there was an ebullient scene of pop bands and labels. Why do you think that happened at that time? Did you feel part of a scene?
As an older pop/rock fan [puts on tweed cap and puffs at briar pipe], I think that there seem to be waves of creativity in the world of music. Or at least used to be in the late 20th century… about every ten years. The late 60s/early 70s revolution was one. Then the punk phenomenon in the late 70s/early 80s. Then the indie explosion in the late 80s/early 90s. Yes, we felt like part of a scene – certainly at first, playing at the Black Horse and The Falcon in Camden, chatting to Bob Stanley when he still ran a fanzine (long before St Etienne), receiving advice from Bobby Gillespie about having more guitar solos in the band!
++ And who would you say were influences in the sound of the band?
Hmm, let me answer that by telling you some of the songs we covered at gigs during the days of The Anyways. Sweet Jane by The Velvet Underground. See My Friends by The Kinks. I’m Free by The Rolling Stones (long before the more famous chart version by The Soup Dragons!). Call On Me by Captain Beefheart. Codine as interpreted by The Charlatans (original American ones). Circle Sky by The Monkees. The Beatles’ If I Needed Someone. The Bangles – Going Down to Liverpool. I Can See For Miles by The Who. Robert de Niro’s Waiting by Bananarama (with Amelia Fletcher on vocals).
++ Your first release dates from 1987, the “Confession” 7″ that was released by Notown Records. I have never heard of this label, other than on your release. Was it your own label? Or who was behind it?
After our low-key college debut, our first ever public gig earned us a review in Sounds, a national music paper! We were supporting Talulah Gosh at the Jericho Tavern, Oxford. The reviewer, Roger Holland, later set up Notown Records. He released our 7” Confession/Now You Are, followed by a 7” by another Oxford band, Shake Appeal (who later morphed into Swervedriver), a few months later. Then he ran away to Bologna with an Italian waitress he’d met – so that was the end of Notown Records!
++ The two songs on the record were recorded at Union Studios in Oxford. How was that experience? Was it your first time at a proper studio?
It was very, very exciting. Yes, first time in a proper studio. (Actually in the basement of a terraced house in East Oxford, a few streets away from where I lived). There was a squeaky door at the top of the stairs. As I finished my vocal take on Now You Are, someone opened the door. You can hear it at the end of the track. Hence also the message scratched on the run-out groove of the 7”.
++ I suppose you did release demo tapes? I saw one on Discogs with “Some Psychedelic Song”, “Painting the Desert” and “Silver” on it. A green cassette. Was this the only one? Or were there more? Did you sell them or were mainly for promoting the band?
We did some more recording for Notown at Union Studios, but then Roger the Notown man disappeared off to Italy. We eventually released three of those songs on that green cassette – just on sale in local shops and at gigs. Meanwhile we appeared on an Oxford compilation album, The Jericho Collection, in 1988. Dave Newton who later became Ride’s manager was behind it. Shake Appeal and The Anyways had a track each on the album proper, and were also featured on a free single given away with the album. Some more recording followed at Union Studios, including a session engineered by Tim Turan – who now drums for The Relationships! Then we recorded a whole lot more – at Dungeon Studios, out in deepest rural Warwickshire – with the Hamish/Karen line-up. Only one song from those sessions got released at the time, on Revolution No 9, a charity Beatles compilation which also featured my fellow Woking-ite Paul Weller!
++ Then it took 5 years for your next release, the “Sunshine Down EP” on Marineville Records. Why did it take so long? And how did you end up signing to Marineville? How was your relationship with them?
I suppose it didn’t seem that long, given all the line-up changes and recording sessions and compilation and cassette releases in between! The lead guitar player in our final incarnation, Mark Price, lived in Brighton. I can’t remember how he came across Marineville, but they were based down there too. The Marineville guy was nice, and worked as a baker! I only met him a couple of times, and we exchanged some cassettes of music we liked. I recall he was very into obscure glitter rock – the kind of stuff later compiled by Bob Stanley on his ‘junk shop glam’ albums.
++ Tell me a bit about the photo on the sleeve. Is that you all? Where was it taken?
Yes, that’s the final line-up. You know what – I have no idea where it was taken. Probably outside the South Oxford Community Centre (like the picture on the Confession/Now You Are sleeve).
++ Then the next year your album “Older than Yesterday” was released. It took me a while to find a copy 10 years ago or so, because I think only 400 copies were pressed. Why so little?
Thank you for your kind words about Older Than Yesterday! Yes, it was a compilation of recordings from 1987 to 1993, which we put together in the final days of the band. Mastered, incidentally, by Tim Turan (R-ships drum dude!). It came out after the band was over. That fact plus financial considerations meant only 400 were produced.
++ Tell me about the photo on the front. Is it Marston Street in Oxford? Does it have any particular meaning?
The little girl pictured is Helen, daughter of Pete Lock. Yes, Marston Street is in East Oxford – it’s where a few of us lived at different times, in a legendary shared house which I moved into in my final year as a student (Amelia Fletcher, Peter Momtchiloff and Chris Scott from Talulah Gosh spent some time living there too). It was unofficially known as Indie Central for a while in the late 80s! The cover shot has no particular meaning – just a fun image.
++ It is hard for me to pick a favourite song but I really like “Silver” and “Sweet Marie”, was wondering if you could tell me the story behind these songs? Was Marie a real person?
Oh thanks. Silver was kind of a reaction to seeing My Bloody Valentine play at The Wheatsheaf in Oxford. Maybe the first time we tried mixing the vocals way down low, so they just peeped out of the guitars. Modern psychedelia! Sweet Marie was influenced by the Country Gothic end of what was going on in American alternative music at the time – Violent Femmes, The Gun Club, later stuff by The Dream Syndicate. I’d like to say Sweet Marie was a real person… maybe she was Sweet Jane’s country cousin!
++ If you were to choose your favourite The Anyways song, which one would that be and why?
It changes from week to week. Special One had a real enthusiasm to it – possibly the best interplay between Trudy and me on vocals. I think it was the first session when we were really well recorded by someone who ‘got’ the band. (Stand up, Mr Turan!) Then Tower of Fools had a beautiful feel to it – loved that drum intro from Pete (later used again, shamelessly, at least once!), and all the shimmering layered guitars and keyboards. The late great Hamish Ferguson did an absolutely amazing 12-string guitar break on that one – makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. But this week maybe I’d have to say The Way I’ve Found. Another example of that Country Gothic style I was talking about earlier. Lovely tone on Alan’s bass in the intro. More of those layered guitars and keyboards. Splendid backing vocals courtesy of Pete Lock, with Karen’s housemate Selina. I even like the hilarious impersonation I do of Mick Jagger on the middle eight!
++ What about gigs? Did you play many? All over the UK?
Yes, a lot – Oxford of course, but also London and surrounding area, Brighton, Bristol, mid-Wales. Pete Lock was heroic driving us around in a van! We used to think nothing of getting home at 2 or 3 in the morning, then going to work the next day, young tykes that we were!
++ And what were the best gigs you remember? Any anecdotes you can share?
We played at a Hindu wedding in Hendon (London outskirts). When we inspected our set-list, all the songs were called things like Love Gone Bad and Cold & Blue. Not exactly wedding-y. They seemed to enjoy it anyway. We also did a rather notable set supporting One Thousand Violins at this club in Aldershot, Hampshire. Aldershot is a big army town, and the audience were all military kids, we reckoned. They came in to see all the bands, clapped and whooped enthusiastically, then all filed out in orderly fashion to the bar area in between bands. Otherwise our gigs in Jeff Barrett’s clubs in London were always a blast – the Black Horse and The Falcon. (Though one of the ones at The Falcon featured a terrible smell – the pub cat had come in and disgraced itself in the gig room before sound-check!) We did a couple at the 100 Club in London, organised by Dan Treacy from the Television Personalities. It felt absolutely like being in a film, playing at this legendary London venue with this punk/indie legend promoting!
++ And were there any bad ones?
Hmm, there was the one where Jennie knocked over her fizzy soda and it shorted out the keyboard – oops! Oh, and the one we did at the Fulham Greyhound. We got a terrific crowd along… but when we went to get paid, the tough-guy promoter informed us there was no money. He had burly mates with dogs… we didn’t argue! But for the most part they were pretty good gigs, though maybe that’s the rose-tinted spectacles of nostalgia! Most of the acts we shared bills with were really nice people, which helped. For example, I had terrible stage fright for a while. We supported Jonathan Richman at the Jericho in Oxford, and he was extremely kind and understanding and talked me out of my nerves. So it all came good in the end.
++ When and why did The Anyways stop making music? Were you involved in any other bands afterwards?
Things changed in people’s lives. Alan, Pete and Mark wanted to do more of their own songs. Pete wanted to move out from behind the drumkit and develop his singing and guitar-playing. I had some new song ideas which maybe suited a new vehicle – which became The Relationships.
++ What about the rest of the band, had they been in other bands afterwards?
Yes, Pete, Alan and Mark formed a band called Blue Kite, which later turned into Moiety when Alan left to become a performance poet! Meanwhile Angus, Pete and I started putting The Relationships together.
++ Has there ever been a reunion? Or talks of playing again together?
The Anyways got back together for various different reunion sets in 1998, 2008, 2009. Plus one song in 2015 at a birthday bash for Pete!
++ Did you get much attention from the radio?
Our most exciting radio play was on John Peel’s show in 1987! Just one play of Confession. The late great Mr Peel commented on and chuckled over the name of the label, Notown Records, and said in his distinctive lugubrious voice, ‘I don’t know where this lot are from’. I had it taped off the radio on a cassette… but then, unbelievably, I recorded over it by mistake!
++ What about the press? Did they give you any attention?
As previously mentioned, our first ever public gig was reviewed in a national paper, Sounds, and Melody Maker did a couple of short pieces about us too. We had some good press in Oxford music papers – Local Support, Curfew and Nightshift. I remember the Oxford Times gave us one good review and one bad one. A load of local fans wrote in to complain about the less positive review, which was gratifying! Ronan from Curfew and Nightshift has always been very supportive. (He does an amazing job, by the way – Oxford would be a far less exciting place without his tireless efforts as a chronicler of the local music scene).
++ What about from fanzines?
Bob Stanley’s fanzine – Caff, I think it was called – gave us a nice mention in 1987.
++ Looking back in retrospective, what would you say was the biggest highlight for the band?
Hmm, I can’t pick one. But… all those ‘for the first time’ things, I suppose. Playing to a packed Jericho Tavern with cheering people hanging off the walls. Being reviewed in a national music paper. Being offered a record deal. Going to a real recording studio. Being played by our hero John Peel on the radio.
++ Aside from music, what other hobbies do you have?
My girlfriend and I like to go for walks and eat nice roast lunches. We both read quite a lot. Otherwise old movies are pretty popular. For example Whistle Down the Wind, with Hayley Mills and Alan Bates. Brilliant combination of funny/sad, realistic/fantastical, child’s-eye-view/cynical.
++ I asked this same question to Angus in the Relationships interview, but would love your take on it. I’ve never been to Oxford so I will ask 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?
Try the Prince of Wales in Iffley Village (on the outskirts of East Oxford) for a traditional British Sunday roast lunch!
++ Anything else you’d like to add?
It’s been a pleasure talking to you, Roque!
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Listen
The Anyways – Silver
