BEAUTIFUL MUSIC FOR BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE

INTERVIEW WITH JASON EDGE; SINGER/FRONTMAN WITH THE ELECTRIC STARS

Who were you listening to as you were growing up?

To be honest it was always the radio. I was very lucky because my Mum & Dad always had the radio on. It was radio 1 from the moment I woke up in the morning & that was when it was a great station, not the insipid toss it is today! My 2 great loves are football & rock n roll. My Dad would take me to the match & as a young kid I would be excited to hear my favourite songs over the big PA at the match. Black music is very important to me. I am a big believer in Blues & Soul. Music with power! Gospel came a little later for me, but I was always into the grooves & rhythms. But all the great bands need some Blues/Soul in them. If they aint got it, then they aint gonna be that good. White boy Pop & Rock bores me...

Where did the desire to sing come from?

It was always there. I would do impressions of whoever was on TOTP every week. I knew I could sing because I would always get asked to sing at Christmas. But after leaving school the 1st instrument I bought was the Bass. I was obsessed with rhythm. Listening to all that Soul, Motown & Disco had led me too the Bass! I loved playing Bass but its not the ideal instrument to help write songs. The very 1st gig I did was as a duo. I found a like minded guy at the factory where I was an apprentice Engineer. He was a cool Guitarist & introduced me to Lou Reed.. I introduced him to Sly Stone! I still have our 1st gig set list. We were totally out of synch with what was being played on the radio, so no change there then ha ha! We played Cream, Hendrix, Stones, Who, Lou Reed & T Rex. Nice!

Do you have a set writing process or does it differ with each song?

Writing back then was hit & miss but as you get older you learn more about melody, arrangements & space. After a while I dropped the Bass, bought an Acoustic to write with & decided I was best placed to be out front. Writing with the Stars has a format now, although the inspiration can come from anywhere. I work on the backbone of the tune so I can play it to the boys then we paint wonderful colours all over it.

Introduce us to the band. How did the band form? Some serious talent going on!

Keef on Bass has been with me for what seems like forever. We have been in various line ups & travelled all over, even living in Japan playing Acoustic gigs to survive! He is my Rock, my go to guy. He plays Acoustic as well so we can go out on our own for Unplugged sets. Andy is mindblowing on Guitar. We knew him when he was playing in other bands & I kind of knew one day he would end up with us. He is a real anorak when it comes to sounds as well, what he doesn't know aint worth knowing. Johnny is our Ringo. Solid, steady & always finds the right beat! He once stood in for us years ago but like Andy, he was in another band. The Electric Stars was concieved when Andy eventually joined Keef & me. We sat down & decided to create a band that was basically the sum of our record collections. The reason the 3 of us knew we were onto something is our tastes are very similar. Late 60's early 70's Rock n Roll. The Golden period of Music. But it had to be the real deal. We were all sick of being in bands where there is one or two people who just dont believe in the same thing. The name of the band had to be very descriptive ya know, suggestive! The image had to be bold. I have never been into bands who just turn up in their jeans & t shirts. When Johnny joined we told him exactly what we were doing & he said "At last a band with a plan!"

I’m loving the album. You seem to gather your influences and inspirations from all over the place, from Brit Pop to 70s Glam, Soul, even some of that early 80s Psychedelic stuff from bands like Mood Six. I love bands who don’t shy away from showing their influences. Was there a conscious decision to embrace these influences or is it just the way it has evolved?

Once the name & look of the band was in place it found its own way really. We went into the studio & just started work. 12 months later we came out with 'Sonic Candy Soul'. As for the sound, we didnt want something that sounded one dimensional. We wanted it to be like the best pick n mix ever, so yeah all our influences are in there swimming with each other all over our songs. There is definite Stones, Kinks, Small Faces, Who as well as Bolan Bowie & lots of Soul/Gospel.

The album was Produced by Martin Coogan (Mock Turtles) and Yves Altana (Chameleons). How did that come about? They did a great job.

Vibe studios is owned by Martin Coogan & at that time Yves Altana was the resident engineer. It was used by New Order & Stone Roses as well. They were fantastic & totally understood our retro vibes. A very happy marriage indeed.

What a coup getting Denise Johnson on-board. I’ve always admired her voice and loved her with Primal Scream. How did Denise get involved?

Wow! Denise is just awsome. I have always been a Primals fan & I am in awe of her soulful gospel tones. Years ago Keef & me were at a Festival & we were next to the stage, when on walks 'Gay Dad'. Not really a big fan, but on backing vocals was this beautiful soul sister. I grabbed Keef & said "Thats Denise from the Primals" I spent the whole gig just watching & listening to her. We made eye contact & had a good laugh during the gig. Years later in Manchester I bumped into her at a Club, I reminded her of this mad guy who was freakin out at the front. She remembered me & from that moment on we clicked. When I played her the demo of 'Stoned Again' she loved it & wanted to sing on it. I never dreamed one of my Soul heroes would sing on one of my songs.

Nice to hear the lovely Louise Turner on the album too.

Louise is unique in so many ways. She is so versatile. She can lend her voice to any style. She has been involved in almost all our recordings & often helps us out live..Good job really, she adds that bit of class we are lacking ha ha! She is always in demand, which is how she got the job singing for 'Elbow' on 'Seldom seen kid'. But her own stuff is where its at. She is a fantastic songwriter!

Alison Williams, what a beautiful song. Does Alison exist or is she a fictitious character?

Well, this is one of the songs that got dragged into the Stars set from a previous band. I was writing the song with one of the old Guitarist's & it was a whimsical ballad about a girl called Sarah Jane who couldn't find her way home after a night on the town. The words just didn't quite fit into the melody & he suggested a different name. He had this idea about a girl with Anorexia & he called her Alison..The story grew from there. Its a very sad song.

Blind is probably my favourite track on the album. It has a real Primal Scream feel with the choir however, and I’m not sure how you will take this but it also reminds me of something Lenny Kravitz may have come up with in his early days.

This was a song Denise was looking at as well but it was a little too close to Primals territory I guess. I am a big Kravitz fan so no offence man! He keeps the groove going ya know...Hendrix..Sly..Prince..Lenny. Its that Beautiful blend. Blues/Soul/Gospel. This is the root of it all man. Mix that with a dirty guitar & hey presto Rock n Roll!

Stoned Again is a great song and perhaps in another era would have been a massive hit. Does the current ‘main-stream’ music scene frustrate you and can you ever see a time when real bands can break into the main-stream again?

There is talent out there for sure. But, the Industry is screwed. Its not interested in signing young songwriting bands. A&R men dont go watching live music anymore. TV Pop programmes decide who will be in the charts for the next 12 months singing songs written by a production team that also manage the artist, arrange the tour & run the label ha ha.. I am not driven by the chase. I write & play the music I believe in. The Electric Stars exist because there are people out there who believe in the same thing!

Musically Bedtime Stories has a real Roy Budd feel. Was that deliberate or where you even aware of it? Dark lyrics man!

Totally aware of it! I was listening to a lot of John Barry & watching way too many episodes of The Persuaders. Keef has always been s big 'Get Carter' fan. Lyrically it came from two sources. A very dark dream I had & a TV Drama about weird sex games. I kind of wrote the whole thing as a script with me as this voyeuristic kid living out his best days through the tunes coming from his radio...yeah dark man!

Not Man Enough! Love it, proper rock ‘n’ roll, Bolan meets Bowie. The 70s seem a real influence upon the band?

Absolutely! That period from about 69/70, you can just hear Garage/Psych/Pop begining to show its Glam side. Its such a wonderful change. Check out the Move as they morph into ELO/Wizard. Bowie was a Genius & Bolan the perfect Pop Star.

Nice version of Belfast Boy by Don Fardon. What’s the story behind that? Did you speak to Don before recording it? A nice finishing touch with the extra verse too!

Cheers brother. We didn't speak to Don coz he was not the writer. I sent a demo to the States as that is where the origional songwriters now live. They heard it & came back with a big Yes. They said they liked my new verse & although would not normally agree to adapting a song that has already been a hit, they thought my words improved it. Nice! The story behind it is a long one for sure but in the end, after a chance meeting with Eamonn Holmes (who is an Electric Stars fan) we ended up getting the backing of the Best Family, United, the Foundation & some pretty cool people. End result: Number 15 in the BBC Indie Chart.

Obviously, a big Man United fan then?

Yeah, my Dad was a big fan. My Mum not so much, but as she got older ended up going with me to games. Georgie was the greatest player of all time & to be able to combine my 2 loves with the Tribute CD is just Amazing.

Like Liverpool, Manchester has a great musical heritage. Why do you think that is?

Both cities have strong working class roots. Both based on a tradition of creative people trying to reach beyond. Football & Music have always been the great oppotunity for a young working class kid. Manchester is rock n roll central no doubt about it...The Hollies, The Bee Gees, 10CC, Buzzcocks, Joy Division, Fall, The Smiths, Mondays, Roses, Oasis, Elbow....There's plenty more as well.

Next year sounds fun, a tour with my favourite band of the last few years The Universal. Definitely one not to miss. If you fancy a smaller warm up gig, I’d be happy to oblige lol.

The Universal are a great band. Terry writes great tunes & they are a top bunch of lads. Can't wait for the Tour. 'Gearing Up'? Getting ready to rip it up more like ha ha! We want people to get involved. Get out there & support these 2 bands on the Scene. Writing, playing & releasing new material. This is a chance for the Beautiful People to get out there & make a difference. Show the Industry there is an audience out there that demands real Music. Beautiful Music. No fakers!

Before that though you have the small matter of John Hellier’s Christmas Mod Ball at the 100 Club supporting John’s Children. I am really hoping to make that; they are always great gigs.

Yeah, if only Marc was still around to get up with them! John Hellier is a real Gent & has always supported us. In fact he introduced us for our very 1st gig in London Supporting DC Fontana. It should be a Fab gig for sure. John's Children were real underground scensters back in the mid 60's. Hanging round with all the Ace Faces, trashing stages, supporting The Who & dropping some serious gear. Nice!

I’ve seen the band at the Small Faces Convention and I was really impressed. I’m looking forward to seeing you play your own stuff. Do you get to play live that much?

Live is when we get to be ourselves. The next album is coming soon & it will be more raw, stripped, live than 'Sonic'. Its called 'Velvet Elvis: the only lover left alive'.. Its a different trip to 'Sonic'. A darker trip. The comedown after the Kaleidoscpic Rainbows on the first Album. We try to play as much as we can, but its all about Quality, not Quantity. We tend to not play pubs as much now. We want to put on the best show possible & that needs the right Venue ya know!

Loaded with Regrets is an amazing song that deserved to chart. It’s has a brilliant video too. Do you feel in any way responsible for the recent craze of Killer Clowns lol?

Yeah its all our fault ha ha! 'Loaded' is us getting all bluesy again. The clown is just a play on the lyrics.. Guy gets dumped, gets totally wasted, acts like a clown.. we all been there..ha ha! The A side was a real fizzbomb. All sex/drugs & plenty of Rock n Roll. 'The only lover left alive'. Come & see us in 2017 and we will have the new album in the set as well as plenty of 'Sonic'. Thanks Paul & see you at the 100 Club in December.

Cheers Jason, looking forward to it mate.

Mez. http://www.theelectricstars.com/

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