INTERVIEW - Joe Volk by
Joe Volk is the singer with experimental rock band Gonga, who apparently sound like "the four Horsemen of the Apocalpyse jamming at Stonehenge." Not that you would be able to tell that from this debut solo album, which sounds like the horsemen have got stoned and decided to listen to Pestilence strum on his acoustic guitar while Famine gently croons along on vocals. We caught up with him to see what his plans are for the rest of the year...
Q - Your solo album is almost entirely different from your work with Gonga, so which genre is more representative of your tastes?
A - A few years ago, quieter acoustic music would have been more representative, but now it's a maelstrom of heavy rock, and for want of a better word, folk. I suppose that I am more open minded (or rather have a wider appreciation of) folk music in comparison to heavier music. I find black metal pretty tiresome for example, but I am partial to a bit of doom.
Q - How would you describe your solo music?
A - Simple melodic guitar based acoustic songs, with hushed vocals and abstract lyrics.
Q - What, or who, influenced you in the making of it?
A - Many things influenced me in writing the album. Events in my day to day life, friendships, relationships, travel etc... Pretty much as you'd expect. Adrian guided me in the recording process of it all. I'd never had experience of taking a lead role in coming up with different recording ideas behind each song to give them there own sonic identity, so he was a massive influence there. In the wider sense, actually getting signed was an influence as it forced me to finish writing some songs.
Q - There's some quite unusual lyrics and particularly song titles, where did they come from? how about the album title itself?
A - The lyrics probably seem unusual as predictably enough I use a load of pseudonyms and metaphors. Really they are about pretty mundane things like eating noodles or having a bath. Other times though the lyrics are direct. I am not a very good storyteller, so the lyrics in the songs can be about any number of things, some connected, some not. I have great respect for people like Dylan who can reel off story after story, seemingly with little effort, but retaining real poetic prowess. Sometimes I just sing strings of words without thinking and record them and take ideas and sometimes entire lines, from that. As for the song titles, 'Lanfranchis' is the name of a warehouse performance space that I lived in for a few months in Sydney... Whole Pig, No Head was a sign my friend Thom Elgie (who plays harmonica on the track) saw in a butchers shop, and we thought it was funny. Derwent Waters Saint is the name of St. Cuthbert. I saw the name in a friends book and liked it so I used it.
Q - Derwent Waters Saint certainly benefits from the production work of Adrian Utley, how did you get him involved?
A - I met Adrian through Geoff Barrow, as they're in a band together. Adrian was up for recording me after seeing me play around Bristol once or twice, and Geoff was up for putting the record out.
Q - What do you make of the recent chart successes of folkish acts like Jose Gonzalez and Nizlopi?
A - I am pleased for Nizlopi and Jose Gonzalez. I wish them success and happiness.
Q - What other new acts are you enjoying listening to at the moment?
A - The band I sing with Gonga recently supported Julian Cope here in Bristol, and I enjoyed the new material from his ‘Dark Orgasm’ and ‘Citizen Cain'd’ albums.... I saw Martha Wainwright recently and enjoyed her show too. The last CD I bought was Quasimoto which is a hip hop album someone recommended. I've been listening to BBC6 a lot.
Q - Are there any plans for a tour?
A - There will hopefully be a tour later in the year. In the meantime, I will be playing the odd gig around the UK. I have two gigs coming up in London. One on March 2nd at The Dublin Castle in Camden, and one on March 4th at Bush Hall. If anyone wants to book me just mail me.
Q - What are your hopes for the rest of the year?
A - My plans for the rest of the year are to record a second album with Gonga, record a second solo album, maybe go to Hong Kong for a month, and pretty much continue as I have been until you asked me these questions.
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