Review Fix chats with The Sourheads’ Mik Crone, who discusses the band’s signature sound, origin, goals for the rest of 2018 and the future.
Review Fix: How did the band get together?
Mik Crone: The band has been together for several years in one way or another. The band as we know It now started when I joined in 2015. Originally Jake our singer and his brother Sid were the foundation for the band but in 2015 Sid decided to leave so I stepped in as lead guitarist. We set about writing our debut album and got the record deal in 2017. I originally worked as a producer for the band and did some of the early demos. We have taken a more Rock direction in recent years.
Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?
Crone: We all right in the rehearsal studio with Ben or me coming up with a riff or a groove. We then Jam through them over a series of weeks and then record them on our mobile phones. Once we have a set structure Jake then writes the lyrics and we help with some of the melody Lines. It works so we don’t tend to do anything different although I’m sure we could all bring in our own finish songs if we tried. We don’t try to follow trends so one song could be blues-based another could be really heavy. They all sound like The Sourheads in the end which is the appeal of the band, as we don’t sound exactly like anything else.
Review Fix: What’s your standout song?
Crone: Mad Dog is pretty epic and has all the dynamics. It goes from soft and beautiful to Ferocious and vicious. I think that is like our Stairway to Heaven type song. The album is pretty varied so some are Uptempo and others are more moody and slowed down. We have lots of atmosphere on the album. We also have a few straightforward foot stomping rock and roll tunes. Secret Cigarette is a catchy tune. We think there is something for everybody.
Review Fix: How was it written?
Crone: Jake likes to tell stories with his lyrics and Mad Dog is about a woman and a man who can’t live with or without each other. I wasn’t in the band when the first version of the song came about so Sid wrote the initial guitar riff and used a strange tuning. I found it pretty challenging to turn it around and play it in a standard tuning. We arranged it slightly different for the album and made it more rocking, I also wrote a cello part for it. The climax of the song is really important lyrically. It kind of finishes the story.
Review Fix: What are your goals for 2018?
Crone: We are currently writing a new album and have three finished songs and we are in the middle of a UK tour playing with some great bands and making lots of new friends. At the end of the day the gigs are exciting but making an album makes you feel accomplished as a band and musicians. So we will continue doing pretty much the same things and writing new tales and stories.
Review Fix: How do you want your music to affect people?
Crone: I look at music like movies. It’s an escapism from reality put on the headphones and just get lost in the audio art. I always felt it’s not about how many you can sell, it’s about what that one individual thinks and if they can relate to your vision. It’s pretty amazing to think that the nine tracks on our album ‘Care Plan for the Soul’ will be around forever in some form. Let’s hope we can continue to build our musical repertoire.
Review Fix: What’s next?
Crone: Tour, Tour, Tour finish album number 2 and continue to have a good time. You’ll be free call to tour the USA. Build our fanbase. More interviews like this as webzines help spread the word. Thank you for the support.
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