Page 23 - Black Velvet Magazine Issue 105

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have said that about me. "You used to be in Lit- he single 'Even Up The Score', Toby had and is looking at the human, and I think that is
tle Angels, how come you're not bigger?" But Tdescribed as, ‘asking the question: ‘do very important.
when Little Angels came to a close, I'm not in Lit- you know yourself?’’ and by extension, 'are you "There are lots of great examples of that.
tle Angels anymore, I'm just Toby Jepson the aware of the consequences your words and ac- Those are the people who inspire me, not the
singer. Same thing for Dave Grohl. I think he is tions have?' The song is about how people hide ones who are pointing their finger and shouting
a great example of how hard you have to work. behind screens and comment, no matter at the rest. I said that in one of my songs, ‘The
He came out of Nirvana, one of the biggest whether backed up by truth or not, or how much ones who shout the loudest do the least’ (from
bands ever, and he was sleeping back on his it may hurt or discredit. The song challenges the 'Alive' on Wayward Sons’ debut album 'Ghosts
mates’ floors trying to make ends meet. He had listener to take a step back and to think before Of Yet To Come'), so it's a continuing conversa-
to figure out what he was going to do with his you speak or act - to stop hate and ill-informed tion with me. I've often felt that this phrase kinda
music and worked his way back up. Obviously, judgement. sums up in a nutshell the problem of where we
the heritage of what he had done helped him, We ask the frontman if he can offer some are as humans. That whole thing of, ‘If I just
but he still had to work bloody hard, and it took examples, not of people who inspired the songs stand here and bellow a bit longer than you then
him a long time to get that first record. That first with their actions and attitudes, but instead somehow I'll be a bit more right than you are.’
record, he wrote entirely himself and he worked some examples of people who the song encour- And I find that really, very frustrating.
his nuts off, did it all entirely on his own and he ages others to be more like. "The song is about trying to hold a conver-
made it happen, so I think as an international "I just think anyone who stands up for their sation about who are we and what are we. It's
act, he is a great example of, it doesn't matter moral position and isn't prepared to back down", all well and good demanding things, but you
how big you can get, you still have to work hard is his response. "For me, it's all about having a have to face yourself and take responsibility for
to make it pay off, and believe it so much that critical thought process. The things I talk about your own actions as well. You might want this,
you can't leave it alone. And that's him. And he's and have a reaction to are about a lack of com- but if you do, you have to understand what that
incredible, and I don't think it matters what you mon sense more than anything else, but there might mean, so it was a broad stroke really
think of the Foo Fighters, whether you love them are good examples of this out there. about that kind of attitude. It's not necessarily
or hate them, no one can argue the work ethic "I actually think [Labour party leader] Kier about one particular person. The idea of my
of that man. Absolutely stunning!" Starmer is a good example this. I am a Labour songs is just to try to get people to think about
And what about at the other end of the voter and the jury has been out for me a little it. It's more about, ‘Come on, we need to talk
scale? with Kier Starmer, but I think he is kinda damned about this stuff and we need to action this if we
"There is a band who I work with called The if he does and damned if he doesn't really with really want these things to change.’ If we really
Virginmarys, who are an alternative rock band. the majority of the party, but I do think he is a are sick to death of all these things then we
I produced their first album and they have never, man of principle. I know people have said about need to have these conversations."
ever given up. They are really, really hard-work- being an upper middle class member of society Given the obvious closeness of this subject
ing lads and, I think, incredibly talented. They've and why is he a member of Labour as he is a to Toby's heart, we ask if he feels if more people
been a three-piece and now they are a two- socialist politician, but the two things aren't mu- were to have taken note of these ideas over the
piece. They have total belief in themselves and tually exclusive, and I think the fact that he be- past couple of particularly difficult years for the
they are incredible songwriters and they just lieves in the idea that everyone is equal and that majority, may they have made a real difference.
keep going and keep working. They are still everyone should have a chance and he has a "The first thing I should say is I don't say
playing to small audiences, by and large. moral code and he is willing to stand by that, is these things to pretend I know any more than
They've had a big record deal, a little record important and we don't have enough of that. anyone else. It's just a very personal subject to
deal, they are now self-releasing. They live the "I was listening to Billy Bragg the other day me. As a writer, I think what you write has to be
life. They wake up every day and breathe that on the radio and I was really impressed with him. as personal as you possibly can be; it has to be
life, and to me, that's what you've got to be. Not After all these years, he is still singing protest authentic and as truthful as it can be. It's your
pretending to be it. You have to be it, and they songs and not backing down, trying to be as approach, you know. This is my view but it is
are a great example of that." open-minded as possible. Something I love backed up with a sense of outrage by the things
about Billy Bragg is that he reduced his politics which I have witnessed. And for me, where we
a little bit and he has become more humanist seem to come unstuck is from this casual ability

WAYWARD SONS