Wishbone Ash: Pioneers of the twin lead guitar technique, Seminal ’70s British prog rockers with many world tours under their belt, the band behind Argus and Pilgrimage. However you know them, they’re still going strong over 40 years later. And they’re making a rare South Florida appearance on April 17 at the Bamboo Room.
I recently had the opportunity to talk to singer/guitarist Andy Powell about their tour, as well as their new album Blue Horizon, out now on iTunes, Amazon and other major music retailers.
wishboneash.com
Tell me more about the decision to tour places that you don’t usually come to.
We tried in the past few years, but the promoters were just uninterested. Timing is everything because now they’re interested. We have the most dates we’ve had in Florida in a long time. We also knew we had to make it a complete tour since we’re based in the U.K.
How did you come to the decision to play the entire Argus album on this tour?
Well, our two big albums from the ’70s, Argus and Pilgrimage, hit their 40th anniversary and when we played select dates in Europe, the fans and promoters were asking. It takes up about 45 minutes of the set, so it’s longer, but it’s a great starting point and satisfies the nostalgia buffs. It also allows us to play newer stuff.
What’s your favorite song that you’ve written?
Oh, I have so many, a lot of pieces from Argus, but I really love Sometimes World. I had a big part of writing that one. It satisfies the two sides of the band: the whimsical side and then the soft side. Then the song finishes with a big explosion and really takes you on a musical journey.
Your least favorite?
I have more of a least favorite album than a least favorite song: Locked In. I felt like I was locked in. It was at a time that we lost our manager, moved to New York, changed record labels and were just not really ready to record an album. But we did, since the record label was demanding more albums. Sometimes you’re more prepared to write and record than others. You live and you learn.
What do you draw from when writing new material and does any modern music really affect your writing?
I draw inspiration from anyone who’s being creative. It’s very important for this band to be creative, so we exercise our collective writing muscle a lot. And we can’t just rest on our laurels, since the lifeblood of the band is being creative. I also keep up on what’s going with the music scene and what people are listening to. I listen to all kinds of music, all of it inspires. Saw Arcade Fire the other night, just for fun.
Oh yeah? I’ve heard different things about them, and I always like to get another opinion. How were they?
They’re the right band for the times, put on a good show for the money. Haven’t delved too much into them as much as I usually would, but I’d say Suburbs is my favorite album. I had a good time; they put on an amazing show.
How is Blue Horizon different from your other releases with the current lineup?
Well, we constructed our last album in a chateau and for Blue Horizon we recorded in a studio in Lancashire, deep in the English countryside. That definitely affects and has an impact on recording, gives it a more pastoral vibe. I’m very happy with it myself. I’m playing it now actually. After taking time away, I can look at it objectively.
Kind of how when you’re working on writing and you have to take some time away before editing.
Yeah. I felt like we did some really good work there. It’s also quite different than last time with the new guys in the band. We can really do anything we want now. We can be open minded to putting new stuff on there. It could be completely different next time, it all gets thrown in the pot. We also had songs from the outside, different contributors we all worked with.
Who were some of the contributors?
One was a former member of Wishbone Ash, [Roger] Filgate. He’s been out many years but we’re still friends. I really like his songwriting, so I asked him if he’d write something for the album. We also had a member of our greater extended family, Pat McManus, play fiddle for us. Another contributor was actually my son. He helped track a song on the album, “Take It Back”.
Oh? How was that? Had you guys collaborated before?
My son is actually a phenomenal drummer and also plays guitar. He grew up with the band, went on tour buses and to sound checks. From time to time, we get together and play. He told me he’d written this song and he wasn’t going to use it for any projects, but he thought it’d be great for Wishbone Ash. I almost didn’t want to present it to Wishbone because I didn’t want to be accused of nepotism. We had a "be casual, be loose, we’re writing an album come-to-the-party approach," so I just threw it into the mix and it worked out. It’s like it’s in his DNA.
My kids have all grown up with music and have grown up in situations like this around the world. It’s a strange world for kids of performers. As a parent, you love the idea of passing on your heritage, but some have rebelled and done things that are completely different. You have to be supportive and not force them into anything. It can happen [your kid getting into music], but it’s not a given. Some of my kids have gone more into visual arts.
Anything else you want to add?
Well we’ve been in places like Germany, Poland and France for the last two months so we’re really excited to go south to Florida. It will be really nice to be warm. We always do meet and greets too, so we’re interested to see what stories fans come up with. We always try to keep a great relationship with our fans going. We had a fan convention in Port St. Lucie not too long ago actually. We’ve done cruises and the band has had a great time. We’re definitely ready for that relaxed, warm, Florida vibe.
Wishbone Ash plays the Bamboo Room, 25 South J Street, Lake Worth. More at www.bamboorm.com.
