Describe your music in three words 

Nine Centimetre Nails.

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Since the March lockdown how has band life changed in terms of the creative process? 

A lot of people I’ve spoken to have been noticing how hard it is to find time to do it, weirdly. It’s become more about trying to make best use of the 30 mins you might get to yourself when the whole population of your street isn’t right on top of you. Lockdown has afforded a load of time off other things, but it’s been an oddly draining experience for most of us I think.

 

Has lockdown varied the music you’re choosing to listen to or create? 

I think without so much emphasis on how something’s going to work live in front of other people, it’s become more introverted on both counts. Which I am absolutely all over, of course.

 

What do you most miss about gigging? 

The occasional clapping. No-one does it when you remember to get the dishwasher tabs from the Co-op.

 

What’s your favourite music venue locally & why? 

I moved to Bristol not long before no-one was allowed out for a year, so too still early for a favourite here: the answer is ‘anywhere’. Back in Reading, I really enjoyed South Street Arts Centre, either stage. I used to live so close I could almost use the home Wi-Fi.

 

Name another local act or two that we should check out 

I’ve been a big fan of The Seasons in Shorthand for a long time, with songs like Zoetrope and Kuiper Belt they’re almost criminally overlooked. Really enjoying Jamie Larbalestier’s new album too, and I’ve got to mention local-ish masked beatmaker Tiger Mendoza and his latest collabarations with Mila Todd and some girl called Kate from Ocean Ruins, you should check it out if you get the chance.

 

What’s been the most memorable gig you’ve ever played? 

Memorable good: the last one I did before *gestures everywhere* …this. Seasons in Shorthand, Khamsina & Jamie L at Rising Sun Arts Centre. The acts comprised about 60% of the audience, but no-one cared. It was like a focus group for musicians. Memorable bad: a gig in the now-defunct RYND on a Sunday night a few years ago. A school band played first as they needed to get home and arrived - and left - with the entire audience. A couple of guys with a keyboard and feather boa rocked up and got added to the bill halfway though to play 80’s songs in a cabaret style. Then a sort of grunge band fresh from 1993, because why not just throw any old acts together? I eventually went on at 11:50pm to two bar staff, the ‘promoter’ and four friends who have yet to forgive me.

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If you could support any band past or present who would it be? 

Van Halen, as I’m beginning to read about their tendency to gift support bands their entire backline at the end of a tour.

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What are you working on at present? 

Apart from my kitchen? Promoting the album without playing shows is the thing at the moment. Getting everyone used to the spelling of ‘Nightjjar’ (and for that matter, ‘Aden’), and when that’s as close as it’s going to get, on to album two – which should be mid-next year or so.

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Album ‘Nightjjar’ is out now!