Syd Arthur interview: LA is a crazy place

Syd Arthur on recording in LA, woodland raves and their fantastic new record 'Apricity'.

Ben Smith

Last updated: 17th Oct 2016

Grounded on psychedelic woodland raves and the resultant force of three brothers, it's fair to say Syd Arthur are a band with some interesting talking points.

Fourth member Raven even has family ties to Kate Bush, but what's important is that they're on the verge of their fourth record - a mesmerising listen, swelling with escapism, that encompasses dim-lit jazz passages to heady grooves.

It was in fact recorded in a studio detached from the outside world. And when the rest of us are acquainted with the record, we suspect the next evolution of Syd Arthur to reap the recognition they deserve. Oozing with originality and inventiveness, Apricity prompted Ben Smith to speak with the band ahead of release.

Syd Arthur play Patterns in Brighton on Thursday 3rd November - grab tickets while you can.

Find Syd Arthur tickets

You’re currently touring the US, first of all how has that experience been and does it compare at all to hitting home ground with the album?

We love touring the US, it doesn’t really compare to being on the road in the UK, the vastness of America makes for some epic drives, which at this stage we do ourselves. So it has almost a road trip quality when we tour. Back home we essentially live on a tiny island, so it’s very different!

Could you tell us more about your time in LA and how that trip informed this album?

LA is a crazy place, it seems to have this juxtaposition between a very plastic side, the celebrity fame culture, then on the other hand there is this wholesome natural and loving aspect. I guess that’s what you get when you have somewhere like Hollywood set amongst a dessert, ocean and mountains.

We tracked the first part of the record live at Jonothan Wilson’s studio in Echo Park which is right in town, then we took the tapes to an old studio in Topanga Canyon where it’s completely isolated, no phone reception and not too many distractions.

Of course every environment makes you feel different so that definitely played its part, however we didn’t want it to sound like a west coast record, so we tried to retain our roots and intentions. The music was written in the UK after all.

What creative intentions did you set out with to make this record that differ from your previous records?

We wanted to approach it from a more sonic and song based perspective, a lot of the time when you are in a band things can happen quite naturally based on everyone’s strengths, with this record we wrote it and made demos at our studio then worked out how to play it as a band.

This approach actually means you can explore new territory more easily and freely. There are lots more synths and sounds created from unusual sources with this record then our others. We wanted it to be bigger and bolder, more emotive and sonically interesting whilst just simply trying to deliver a good tune.

You guys attribute the psychedelic rave scene as an influence, could you give us more insight into this?

Our formative years in Kent happened to coincide with a thriving outdoor party scene, sometimes amassing up to three raves a week. The whole thing was really exciting and fun, the fact they were illegal and you only got given the directions from an answer phone message off this ‘number’ at 1am. Then you would convoy with all your mates, slowing down when you got near to wind down the windows and listen out for where the sound was coming from.

Once parked up you made your way to the party, often through fields and woodland. There were sometimes thousands of people at these partys, it was insane! That kind of experience when you are 15 made an impression on all of us for sure. The union and freedom of being in the woods out of your tree, with all your mates, dancing till the sun comes up is amazing and also very primal. We have been doing that for thousands of years! We just wish the music was better.

You’ve been championing a more textural and ethereal sound for some time now- do you feel this release is best positioned in the sense of how psychedelic music is being more widely consumed in the mainstream?

Yea I don’t know about that really. I try not to pay too much attention to genres, especially when thinking about your own music. That can mean you have put a box round yourself! Which of course can be a good thing, limitations can mean you need to be more creative, but it can also exclude other things.

We just like to write good songs with interesting qualities, so hopefully this record speaks to anyone, psych or not that enjoys a journey.

Your lead single ‘Apricity’ plays out with real intensity, was it always intended as a bold opening statement and why did you pick this track?

Find Syd Arthur tickets

Leading with the title track seemed to makes sense, it also seems like a good bridge between our previous work and where we are heading. This song actually has roots in some very old tunes of ours, so it was fun to rework it with a more modern approach and present it in a different, more apricious light.

Now that Josh has slotted in on drums, how is the dynamic of working with three brothers in a band?

I’m a big believer in what’s behind the notes, where your head and heart are at whilst your creating/playing is what makes something good or not, in my opinion. The connection of the three brothers is great, they come from the same place, not only literally but in terms of the people they are. So it really helps with working as a unit and being cohesive. Plus the banter is great, no holds barred!

Lastly, your musical roots hark the sixties and seventies - would you prefer to be operating in the psychedelic/prog rock hey day or the present day music scene?

Most definitely now! I personally find the most part of prog rock music pretty unlistenable, so I feel fine about missing out on that. I guess evolution is the driving force of the universe so it’s all about what’s next and new, What’s tomorrow going to sound like? that’s what’s really exciting.