It’s almost been a year since Edinburgh quartet The Winter Tradition released their debut album Gradients. I caught up with them after their show in Aberdeen to discuss how life has been in the past year or so including: their new number one fans in the form of Kasabian; Andy Murray’s post-tennis career; and of course, the vengeful minds of 1,000 duck sized horses.
Off-stage, The Winter Tradition are in good humour after a successful first gig of their tour starting in Aberdeen. The band caught my eyes and ears back in November and their recent performance in Aberdeen was even better than I’d remembered they could give. Their music is packed with floating harmonies, melodies and guitar hooks, and live, you can’t deny the band’s power to capture their audience. With a debut album under their belt and selling out shows up and down the country, it’s been quite a year since releasing Gradients, so how has the response been?
‘It’s been really good actually, we’re really pleased. It’s our first album obviously so it was quite difficult for us to get out there and sort of let go of it into the public but we’ve had a really good response all over the UK.’ says bassist and vocalist Ewan Simspon.
What have the highlights been in the last year since releasing it?
Guitarist, vocalist and producer Mark Morrow tells me, ‘we released it in July, in Edinburgh at The Liquid Room, which had just been upgraded, so it was really cool to play such a big and nice venue.’
Other guitarist and vocalist Stephen Furbank adds, ‘And selling out at the Voodoo Rooms in February too. So, two hometown shows.’
Whilst it hasn't even been a full year since the first album, the band are showcasing new standout songs at live gigs throughout the tour, so have they got any more new material that they plan to release?
‘We’ve no plans really to release anything at the moment’ says Ewan, ‘We’re just enjoying getting it right. We’ve been gigging a lot recently up and down the UK so the chances to write have been few and far between, but we’ve got quite a lot now.’
Mark expands, ‘we’re still introducing a couple of ideas, just trying to test new songs out, add a couple in at a time, but it’s trying to fit it in because we only usually get about 45 minute slots. It’s hard to cut songs out and add new songs in.’
It’s clear the band are in tune with one another, perhaps that’s why the music all fits together in unison. Do they all write the songs or is it up to one person?
Stephen explains the writing process, ‘we all come up with different ideas, like one of us will come up with a guitar riff or idea for a song and record it and then send it out to the rest of the band. Later, we’ll all meet up and work it through.’
‘I guess someone comes up with an idea but we all work on it as a whole. Nobody writes a full song on their own.’ concludes Mark.
I ask Ewan whether he writes the lyrics, being lead vocalist, but it seems the whole process is joint.
‘Sometimes it’s a group effort. Me and Stephen did a lot of the writing for the album but everyone chips in. It’s just all a group process really, every instrument, every lyric.’
Mark deliberates, ‘we record ourselves as well so we’re kind of self-contained I guess. If we come up with a song, we’ll record it straight away so we see how it sounds and we’ll work on it whilst recording. I mean, it may not be the final version of the track but we’ll record it first and then work on it that way, before we’ve even played it properly, then build it up and try and figure out how to play it afterwards.’
Trying to pin down influences for this band is impossible because of the vast amount of bands and artists they admire, ranging from American rock bands to softer ambient music.
Ewan starts off the extensive list, ‘we always say Jimmy Eat World because they’ve been an influence since we first started the band, we’ve always been fans and they’re still going as a band, which is impressive. We like Death Cab For Cutie, they influenced the last album a lot.’
‘Brand New and tons of Scottish bands as well – Frightened Rabbit’ Mark adds.
‘Bon Iver, Sigur Rós…just all sorts.’ continues Ewan.
With Icelandic band Sigur Rós, Canadian Bon Iver, and many Scottish bands as influences (and of course their cold wintery name), perhaps the band empathise more with the North cold weather?
Ewan nods, ‘ha! Yeah… I think so. Never thought about that before. There’s quite a lot of cold lyrics in there.’
‘yeah but you wouldn’t really get a Spanish band doing the songs that we do…’ Stephen quips.
Ewan muses on Stephen’s point and jokes, ‘I think we need some Samba for the new album…’
Listening to Gradients, the atmospheric sound reminds me of a film soundtrack at times, the album carries a narrative that fuels the imagination. Close your eyes, put on the CD…
It’s ten years later: they all have three mansions each (the standard constitution for a successful band…so I believe…) and a film is being made about the band. Who would play each of them?
Mark leans back, thinking. ‘That’s a good question! That’s the first time we’ve ever been asked that.’
Without deliberation but clearly thought of before, Stephen puts his hands on the table and says ‘Ryan Gosling’ before putting his hands in the air continuing ‘I’m done.’
I can see the resemblance…
Turning to Ewan, Mark decides, ‘Derren Brown could play you.’ followed by more laughter.
‘I am known for my Derren Brown resemblance…with my receding hairline’ Ewan nods, pulling back his hair to show me.
Stephen is now contemplating Mark. ‘Mark…Andy Murray. When he finishes his tennis career in ten years time he can play Mark’
‘I’ve got his body right enough as well…I’m as fit as him.’ jokes Andy...I mean, Mark.
Going back to the Scottish music scene, the band mentioned Frightened Rabbit and a lot of Scottish bands as influences. FR have in ways, opened up the Scottish music scene a little bit more into the mainstream, it has become more acceptable to sing in a Scottish accent. How does it feel to be in that little Scottish music scene, like a wee family?
Ewan contemplates, ‘it’s nice, it’s cool. I think the global mainstream has been opened up to Scottish acts. There was a time if you sang with a Scottish accent it would either be “Proclaimers!” and then it was “Biffy Clyro”, but I think now it’s just becoming another accent. It’s a lot more open. When we first started singing almost in our own accents people were like “you’re just like Biffy Clyro” and yeah…maybe we were a bit at the time I suppose, but I just think it’s important to sing in your own accent and that’s just what we do. I just sing in my own voice.’
We’re interrupted by a noise behind us.
‘Callum…our drummer is over there. He doesn’t get to speak. Callum say hi.’ Mark calls over to drummer and percussionist Callum Mouat.
‘HIYA’ he replies in a silly voice.
Who would play Callum in the film?
‘Ed Sheeran!’ Stephen exclaims, then he changes his mind, ‘Rupert Grint, Ron Weasley!’ which gets his bandmates even more animated.
‘Callum’s got all these wee stalker fans! He keeps getting followed on twitter all the time. He’s got all these wee people who keep telling him he looks like Ed Sheeran.’ Mark reveals.
‘I can hear you!’ retorts Callum from afar.
‘Well it’s true! You’re the first to admit that!’ laughs Mark.
Callum received a onesie for Christmas from a fan, according to Ewan, who admits he too would quite fancy a onesie for the cold weather.
Have the rest of the band received anything from fans or had anything weird happen to them?
‘We’ve had a couple of weird things happen to us by fan people. I got my eye licked…which was horrible.’
I stare at Mark in bewilderment at how bizarre some people can be…
Moving away from crazy fan girl activity, Stephen casually drops the ‘K’ word into conversation, just to let us know not all their fans are strange; some are established rock stars…
‘Kasabian came to see us…’
He elaborates, ‘we were sitting in the dressing room. We’d played a really good gig the night before in Cardiff and were a bit apprehensive about the gig in Leicester because we were the only band playing and we were all like “aw, is this gonna be crap?” and then we were sitting in the dressing room and the bargirl comes in and was like “oh Serge from Kasabian is here to see you” and we were like…“fuck off!” Then after we played, Tom came up and was lovin’ it, we couldn’t shut him up!’
‘He wanted us to go on tour with him and stuff like that!’ enthuses Ewan ‘… so we’ll see what happens ha!’
It’s definitely a contact to keep; I’m impressed.
Speaking of bands, are there any new bands that the four would recommend for us to check out? The band give me a whole list that will fill my summer.
Mark begins, ‘I really like
Prides at the moment. Glasgow band. We played at Brew at the Bog up in Inverness and they were playing too and they were really good.’
‘I’ve done some touring with
Fatherson and
Vukovi and
LightGuides’ recommends Stephen.
Ewan offers, ‘
Bronze Medal as well, a band from down south that are really really good. They’re going to Iceland to record their new album so that should be one to look out for.’
‘and
Penguins Kill Polar Bears and
Cantona who are currently touring with us, in our touring party.’ Stephen concludes.
As far as plans go for the next year the band have a show coming up at The Liquid Room in Edinburgh on 23rd of August during the Fringe along with a lot more touring ‘back up in Aberdeen and all over the country’ Ewan assures me and popping down beside us, Ed Sheeran a.k.a Callum chips in, ‘here, there and everywhere.’
I round off the interview by finding answers to a terrifying predicament that we all want solved: would you rather be attacked by 1,000 duck sized horses or 1 horse sized duck?
Stephen looks to Ewan, ‘have we not discussed this previously?’
I nod in understanding; we all at some point in our lives must evaluate our chances and prepare for such a quandary.
‘1 horse sized duck because you can run away from it pretty easily.’ chooses Stephen.
Ewan’s not so sure, ‘I dunno, it’d be taking quite big steps so…’
‘the quack would be quite loud as well.’ Mark agrees.
Stephen defends his choice, ‘yeah but if you’ve got 1,000 duck sized horses they’re gonna pelt after you.’
Swayed, Mark reconsiders, ‘I suppose it would be like that scene is Jurassic Park.’
‘well once they get there what are they gonna do?’ Ewan challenges.
Logically Stephen explains, ‘try and get up and eat ye as a burger.’
Seeing the light, Ewan finally agrees, ‘that’s true, they’d be looking for revenge.’
Putting his hand on the table, Mark decides, ‘I think one big one.’
Ewan laughs, ‘there’s Mark’s answer: one big one. Mark would like “one big one”’
I think that leaves us with a satisfying answer…
The Winter Tradition are currently touring, playing Stereo Café Bar in Glasgow tomorrow evening (21st june). Go and see for yourselves, the charming eclectic band. Their live performances truly capture the essence of Gradients with hints of what is to come.
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