Page 22 - Black Velvet Magazine Issue 105

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iven the title track ‘Even Up The Score’ ing and I wanted it to reflect the times and hope- people entering the music business, and it's ‘Re-
Gis also the first on the new album, it fully bring a positive message, even though I member that nobody knows anything’. They
seems the perfect place to open our conversa- wanted to talk about a lot of the subjects which don't. I've not met a music executive yet, or any-
tion with the charismatic, opinionated but fair are close to my heart - which is tackling injustice one in the music business, who can tell me what
frontman about the album he has described as and prejudice and also a sense of what are we really is a hit or what's going to happen to a
being formed "with an eye on modernity and the as humans in the modern world now." band, because it’s just a complete an utter case
human condition and at this moment in history". of hope and possibility. And as soon as you think
We ask what score he would award Wayward rior to the album release, Wayward you understand it, it changes. My big day would
Sons in 2021. PSons released a number of singles. The be the day that I can understand everything!"
Toby quickly answers. "I'm of the opinion title track came first in December 2020, followed
that you have to earn your way, so I don't know by 'Big Day' in April, 'Faith In Fools' in June and everting back to Toby’s earlier com-
how highly we would score. I think that is down finally, 'Bloody Typical' in September. And each Rments about the song and the growing
to the fans; that's what I think. Especially given time one of the singles was released, it ap- expectation of some people to want everything
that I do this because I love writing songs and I peared perfectly timed to the events of the world now without putting the necessary graft in to
love making music, at large. achieve it, we ask the frontman if he believes
but it's kind of a “You are always living in hope that the next song "The plan success from the required level of work brings
weird relationship is, there is no with it a greater sense of satisfaction.
which you have with or the next album is going to be the one, or the next plan,” says "I don't think there are any shortcuts," is his
it, especially as I tour is going to open up the door. But, in a crazy way, Toby. "It was response. "We have technical assistance these
have got older as that is where you get the energy and the belief to just a coinci- days to a level that's unprecedented so there
well. I have relin- dence, but seems to be a perceived perception that it will
quished my interest carry on, because it's a sense that we've got to make maybe that's help get you there quicker. If you go back to my
in fame and fortune these statements, we've got to make this music, be- the point. day when I was a youngster and I was first in a
and all that non- Maybe that band and starting to write songs, it took quite a
sense, I'm far more cause it's part of the people who we are, and we are says some- long time to get to where you needed to be, so
interested in creating just going to keep on doing it.” - Toby Jepson thing about that was really important because you learnt as
strong work that what's going you went. You made mistakes as you went and
means something on, that as a you learnt how to overcome those mistakes and
and its influence isn't just an empty promise. I writer, I can write 'Faith In Fools' or 'Big Day'. I how to avoid them the next time, and how to
want it to mean something and have a positive mean, I wrote 'Big Day' a year before COVID hit. move onto the next bit, and that was the
impact on people's lives and that is what I'm in- There have been people saying ‘It's amazing process.
terested in. that you wrote that song,’ but I didn't write it "The thing is, people are still doing that, but
"And it's the same with all the artworks about COVID, I wrote it about this attitude, the now they are advertising it everyday on Face-
which I'm into now, whether it be music or the modernity of how, specifically in my children’s book or it's immediately in everyone's face every
film stuff I'm doing or the books I'm involved in; generation, that there is this sense of entitlement day, and so it kind of brings a different energy to
the focus is always on creating solid work which about how we want it now, we have to have it it, and I think it's very negative. I think people are
people can get something positive out of for now and we want it and it has to be here and we always taking one step forward and two steps
something positive in their lives. So, I think the deserve it, and we absolutely have to have it back, and it creates a lot of anticipation and ex-
scoring would come down to the people experi- and everyone wants this big day and this big pectation about what it's going to be or ‘what it
encing it, rather than me giving it." moment, and we're all going to shine and we're could be, man,’ and more often than not, it's far
However, while Toby is somewhat reluctant all going to be famous and fantastic - but the re- too soon and people assume those things too
to mark his own work, we are fortunate that we ality is it's an empty promise and people are soon. Whereas I think, back in my day, we
can discuss the feedback he has received him- going to be very disappointed when it doesn't slowly progressed out of not being in the public
self from the new work, bearing in mind that the happen. But the anticipation and expectation is eye. We weren't available to see, so by the time
title track was released almost a year before the so high these days because it's a false world, we did appear on the scene, we had already
album release, meaning listeners had ample op- especially where people live their lives through done those three years of work beforehand and
portunity to sample the new work prior to the full social media. it was very hard work. And I don't think that has
record being made available. "So the song was written about that subject, changed at all, not one iota.
"It's a very humbling experience hearing this but it just so happens that when we released it "If you want to be in a rock band, if you want
kind of stuff back. You might think that you get we were coming out of lockdown and everyone to write songs and make music, you have to
used to it, you might think that someone like me was, 'Well, this song is bound to be written about learn from the ground up. There is no shortcut.
who's been in the game for 30-odd years, that that!' But it was pure coincidence." There is no shortcut to becoming good. You
you hear it all the time, but you don't. There is a 'Big Day' is one of the many crackers found have to get good and you have to work hard to
level of anticipation about how people will re- within the new album. We ask Toby whether become good. That's falling down, picking your-
ceive your work but I've never felt entitled. I've there is a big day which he is waiting for the ar- selves up, deciding whether you want to carry
always felt that it's a privilege even for people to rival of. Laughing, he tells us, "I think as a musi- on. ‘Do we go onto the next bit?’ ‘Oh God, we
give a toss, and so I think that when I make cian you are always waiting for the big day to only played to three people and a dog last night.
records and you think about people's reaction to arrive. Well, maybe it will be four people and a dog next
them, it goes back to what I said at the begin- "My manager made a great point when we time.’ All that sort of attitude. And if you can get
ning, I just want the music and the idea of the were talking the other day, he said the trouble through that bit, if you can smash those walls
music to be received in positive ways for what it with most musicians these days, we live in a down after time, you have a chance. But it has
means. hope economy. It's not a service economy to be worked for.
"I'm not bothered about accolades, I'm inter- where you just get paid to do your job. That's the "The thing for me is there is far, far too much
ested in how people react to it and what it reality; we all live in a hope economy. And I effort put into social media, marketing, etc etc,
means to them. I couldn't give a toss if I never thought it was such a good phrase. Whether you before the work is even ready. I say to the bands
receive an award; I really don't care about those are a musician or an artist, you are always living who I work with, “Put 100% of your time into writ-
kind of things. I just care about the positive im- in hope that the next song or the next album is ing music. Put all the effort you have got into cre-
pact it has on the listener, and so far, it has been going to be the one, or the next tour is going to ating that music and working on that, day in and
pretty obvious that this has been the strongest open up the door. But, in a crazy way, that is day out. All the rest will follow if you get that bit
album the band has made, that seems to be to where you get the energy and the belief to carry right. But you can't have that bit first."
me the one which is coming back a lot which re- on, because it's a sense that we've got to make Bands that Toby feels are putting in the nec-
ally pleases me, because it shows progress is these statements, we've got to make this music, essary work and reaping the rewards include
being made. From the first record, which was a because it's part of the people who we are, and Foo Fighters and The Virginmarys. Toby picks
bit of a hit and hope, where we didn't really know we are just going to keep on doing it. two bands at opposite ends of the scale for a
what we were going to do, but “let's try this,” to "Where it starts to come full circle is if there reason. “One that is massive and huge at the
the ‘Truth’ album, which was a bit more compli- are no results at all. And that can be for a num- moment, but still puts in the same work ethic is
cated and I was looking to make more of a state- ber of reasons, not just because we go through the Foo Fighters. Dave Grohl, for example, did
ment, but with this album, specifically because a pandemic, it could just be the timing or what- not rest on his laurels because he was in Nir-
of what we have been and continue to go ever, because nobody knows, and I get asked vana. He came out of Nirvana and suddenly he's
through with COVID, I wanted to share my think- all the time what is the best advice I can give to not in Nirvana, he's just Dave Grohl. People
WAYWARD SONS