The Sound of Pop Art

 

This Cambridge-based band have just released their eponymously titled debut album ‘The Sound of Pop Art’. We interviewed vocalist Tony Jenkins and guitarist/songwriter Chris Free about their new album, what inspires them, and what’s next for the band

 

How did The Sound Of Pop Art and the album come about?

C:  I wrote a song entitled ‘England In June’ the morning after playing at the unofficial Syd Barrett memorial on Granchester Meadows. Although that was the first song I had written in 15 to 18 years, over the next few months I couldn't stop writing songs. I decided I had to get a group together: The Sound Of Pop Art. I came across Tony Jenkins on a Cambridge website saying how much he liked Teenage Fanclub. I really liked a lot the opening two songs on Grand Prix so we got together singing and strumming in my kitchen one afternoon... and it clicked.

T: Chris and I were both on the same musicians’ internet site.  I needed a guitarist and Chris needed a singer.  We met up, started rehearsing in his kitchen and everything came together very quickly.  We played a few gigs as an acoustic duo, but when it came to recording we wanted a full band sound.  Andrew, our drummer, was in The Users with Chris, and the bass player on the album, Mike Cole, is just a fantastic musician who picked up the songs after one listen!

How did you come up with the name of the band and how do you think it reflects the band’s sound?

T: Our songs echo the classic sounds from the 60s and 70s, when music wasn't as disposable, but they are also designed as pop songs that in an ideal world would be blaring out on daytime radio!

Describe the album in three words. 

T: Past, present, future

C: Beat, beautiful and loaded

Who are your influences?

C: Well, I like a lot of the crafted songs and performers from the Pop era in the 60s, like Motown, Bacharach & David, Brian Wilson's Beach Boys, The Who, The Kinks, The Shangri-Las and Bob Dylan.

T: Sue Marchant on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire calls us The Beach Beatles - we love classic 60s pop, but there is also a hint of Pink Floyd and Bowie on certain tracks.  'Love Out of Bounds' is jazz influenced while 'Visions of You' and 'Until Forever' have a Nick Drake, Led Zeppelin 3 and English folky feel.

What is your favourite song on the album? 

C: It changes; I love the way we did ‘Visions of You’. Tony and I put the guitar and lead vocal down in one take. ‘Let's Make Love In London’ captured a great tension and has a lot of references I like: the title is from the Allen Ginsberg poem, there’s the Kinks-style lyrics, the Syd Barrett-style riff, and the second half has that 60s Soho vibe. I also really dig ‘Custom Built’ and ‘Run Away Baby’ because they are class!

What inspires your lyrics?

C: Life!  I'm an idealist, a romantic, and I’m into uplifting, escapist messages. I can't see the point of writing ‘moaning’ songs. If you want a record to depress you, this ain't it! 

The album has received lots of great reviews. What’s the best thing anyone has said about your music?

T: Garwood Pickjon of Shindig magazine said that some of the songs sound like out-takes from any of the Beach Boys pre-Pet Sounds albums. I like that!

C:  Yes I did like Pet Sounds being mentioned in the same review! Also Paolo Hewitt, who's a respected music journalist, called me up to tell me what a ‘cracking album’ it is, and how his two favourites were ‘Visions Of You’ and ‘Let's Make Love In London’. 

What’s next for The Sound Of Pop Art?

T: We're looking to string some gigs together, hoping to play some festival dates and then start thinking about album two.  We have another batch of great songs that I can't wait to record.

C: Well, the band is now begining to sound really powerful. We need to get an agent for more live shows, as well as record a whole load of new sonic tunes.