Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: We were both lucky to grow up with wonderful musicians that we got from out parents (Joan Armatrading, Eric Clapton, Hendrix, Tracy Chapman etc). After that, once discovering our own tastes (Damien Rice, Bon Iver, The National), we carved out a bit more of a musical identity.
Q: Can you describe the musical style of Arliston in three words?
A: Sad but hopeful
Q: How do you stay connected with your fans, and what role do they play in shaping your musical journey?
A: Fans are everything! Without them, it’s just me in my dressing-gown singing at myself in the mirror. And nobody wants that. With the release of the new album we’ve tried especially hard to reach out to fans personally with our mailing list where we give away freebies and exlcusive ‘mailing list only’ content.We always used to be a bit circumspect about that kind of thing, but I’m happy to report we were totally wrong (as per). The energy we get back from having these positive fan relationships is invaluable.
Q: You have just released your new LP, ‘Disappointment Machine’. Is there a story behind it?
A: Yes! Jack went through a period of particularly pronounced heartbreak. Because of this we had an inspired period of about 2-3 weeks where we wrote non-stop, and I think the final tally was 47 songs in the end. We picked the ones that best represented a narrative arc, and once we had 12 finished, those 12 felt more like an album than anything we have done previously.
Q: What is your favorite track from the album and why?
A: It’s a toss up between Nests and Sleep Well Bean…I’m going to go for Sleep Well Bean, because it’s the first time we’ve been able to crowbar a joke into a song. You would think from the music that we’d be exceptionally downbeat people, but oddly we’re not, so it’s quite nice to be able to sneak the odd bit of humour in there when we can.
Q: Can you walk us through the creative process of producing the album, “Disappointment Machine”?
A: This was something that really changed between the writing of our recent EP’s (Even in the Shade & The Ground Might Disappear) and the writing of the Album. Jack (our singer) has always been very music led. So usually in the past, first George would come in with some instrumental track or loop, and then after that Jack would sing over the top with whatever lyrics seemed appropriate. It’s not an unusual way to go, but we sometimes ended up with impenetrable metaphors and things that were thought up on the spot in the vocal booth that sometimes didn’t quite gel. This time, Jack came into the studio with pages and pages of lyrics, and it was a huge surprise to us both that that actually produced better results melodically as well as lyrically.
Q: What has been the most memorable concert or performance for Arliston so far?
A: It has to be a show we played in Canada for Sofar Sounds a few years back. It was a huge warehouse on the edge of London, Ontario, it was amazing! Huge crowd, haybales and a giant octopus mural on the wall- what could be better!
Q: Reflecting on your body of work, each song holding its unique significance, could you share a particular track that stands out to you personally? What makes that specific tune special, and why does it hold a place of pride in your musical journey?
A: For me, I think CATS has a very special place in the album. It’s rare that we are able to so fully describe that feeling of listlessness, and like you’re occupying some kind of liminal space. At a full stop, yet not quite ready to move on to the next thing either. CATS really scratches that itch for me, and playing it live has become a real high point in the set as it gets pretty loud!
Q: Exploring the diverse creative processes within the music industry is always fascinating. Could you provide insight into Arliston’s unique approach to crafting music? From the initial spark of an idea to the finished song, how do you navigate the creative journey and bring its musical concepts to life?
A: So, like I said earlier, this has fundamentally changed for us during the writing of this album.It used to be music first, lyrics second. Now it’s the other way around, and we’ve really seen the benefit of that. Not only is Jack able to say much more precisely what he wants to say with the lyrics (not hemmed in by a particular BPM or time signature), bu the melodies have been much better too. I guess he hasn’t had to focus on coming up with lyrics on the spot anymore and is able to just focus on melody! In terms of the practical bit, we write at Jack’s little home studio first, then once we’re happy with the shape of the song we take it to Brett Shaw at 123 Studios in Peckham who always does an amazing job helping us sculpt them into proper sounding mixes.
Q: As we wrap up our conversation, looking ahead, what aspirations or dreams do you have for Arliston, and what message would you like to share with your fans as they continue to accompany you on this musical journey?
A: Stay tuned! We feel we’ve really hit our stride with this album and we are looking forward to seeing what else happens. We’ll be playing live for our Album launch show at St.Pancras Old Church on Feb 6th and will be playing the album live many more times after that. The dream for us is to be able to continue building our fanbase and continue writing songs that we love- hopefully everything else will follow!
