Page 16 - Black Velvet Issue 90

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done more since!” come back.” into things. In the early days, they spent a
“We’d be on the sort of zero hour con- year solely writing material and waited until
s a band, Stone Broken are always tract finding work when you can,” notes they had some music recorded before telling
Atrying to push each other in order to Rich, “but luckily we’ve got a stable, steady people about Stone Broken. Rich reveals
become better musicians. Speaking of income at the moment to afford us to be able that the album title, ‘All In Time’, suggests
which, there is a song on ‘All In Time’ entitled to do the band. Each evening we’re either that good things come to those who wait. Its
‘Better’. Lyrically, it is about not sitting writing or we’re rehearsing. We literally com- artwork, which shows a clock striking 13
around waiting for something to happen, it’s mit everything we’ve got to the band; it’s like hours, represents having extra time. “Be-
about getting up and making it happen. Rich a full time job and we’ve got a part time pay- cause we’d waited, we were able to hit the
calls it his ‘note to self’. “Before this band, I ing job, but we wouldn’t have it any other public with a decent product; I think we sort
personally had a musical lull where I didn’t way.” of hit the ground running. Having that extra
even pick up my guitar. I had writer’s block Are they apprehensive about the day hour, it might be all you need to turn some-
for one. When I did pick up my guitar, I got when they need to give up their day jobs in thing from a good product to a fantastic
that frustrated that I didn’t want to do it order to dedicate themselves full time to product,” Rich points out.
again. Then I got frustrated with not doing Stone Broken? That hard work and patience paid off.
music. I said to Robyn, “Can we just go out “Actually, I’ve had many conversations First came a new management deal, which
and find a room that we can rent so I can with my parents about this recently,” says enabled the band to hand over some of the
make some noise?” We did, and straight Rich. ‘It’s been more apparent now that day-to-day running of the band. “The first
away I started writing songs again. I think we’ve achieved some things as a band and thing that Pete (Keevil – manager) did was
just to have that freedom sort of opened it you always think of the future. There is a def- take me off all business things and put me
up. ‘Better’, for me, was the song that was inite tipping point, isn’t there? When the on to artwork,” Rich tells us. “I used to do all
kind of the changing point, really. It was a band isn’t making a huge amount of money, the artwork anyway, but I also used to sort
way of reminding myself that I never want to it’s just looking after itself. But then you the online store, order the merchandise, all
feel that frustrated again and that sort of stuff.
this is what I want to do. You He handed that
know, you’re in bands before over to Robyn so
and it doesn’t quite work out, that I could focus
and you do get stuck in a rut on doing the art-
and you think, “Is it ever re- work and writing
ally going to happen?” But I more music.
think if you really want it That’s been quite a
you’ve got to go for it.” big change for me,
“You really have got to go in that I’ve had to
for it”, Robyn agrees, “It is a step away from the
lot of hard work but if you’ve running of the
got the fire in your belly…” band. I’ve been de-
“Exactly,” Rich agrees. tached from that
“At the end of the day, it’s not part for so long
just being in a band and now that I don’t
doing what you enjoy, it’s know what’s been
also a business. We are actu- going on behind
ally a business and we are the scenes. It’s
registered as a company. good but it was
That’s the only way to go and strange at first, I
do it; you’ve got to have that was like, “Awww,
frame of mind. We started I’ve got to carry on
this off as a hobby but when doing that Pete”,
we finished the line-up, we so he still lets me
thought, “let’s do it properly book vans and
this time.” It’s difficult, it’s book hotels…”
hard work. You’ve got to jug- “For now!” in-
gle a job, you’ve got to play terjects Robyn
gigs, you’ve got to record videos and stuff, need to spend that much time on the road to laughing.
but you make it happen if you want it to. generate money that you can’t work. I would- “Yeah, I did make a mistake with one of
There are so many bands out there and so n’t say I’m apprehensive about it… I’m quite the hotels,” Rich confesses. “We ended up
many different outlets for you to get your excited about it.” sleeping in the van that I’d booked!”
music out there, if you’re not at the front of “I can’t wait!” exclaims Robyn, with a big “It did have one bunk though,” smiles
everything you are not going to get noticed. smile. Robyn, attempting to make Rich feel better.
So you’ve got to push.” “We’ve been pretty sensible to be fair,” “Yeah, it had a bunk in there, but… I’d
Rich says. “Over the past year or so we’ve booked the hotel the wrong weekend and
ith the band members still holding been working towards being debt-free and there were no other hotels in Carlisle that
Wdown day jobs, there has been a lot not having many monthly bills to pay, in had any space whatsoever. But…” in an ef-
of juggling priorities in order to fulfill the in- preparation for that point. We try and think fort to redeem himself Rich declares, “the
creasing commitments of the band. Every bit about the future quite a lot and how we are last one I booked was next to a nice place to
of spare time and money is ploughed into going to make it as painless as possible. A eat so I made up for it!”
Stone Broken. lot of bands give up when they’re flat broke. Both Rich and Robyn acknowledge that
“We both work three days a week now,” I’m pretty sure that unless a miracle happens they are fortunate to have found a manager
Rich says. “We managed to drop down to and you shoot to stardom so quick that you who goes above and beyond what is ex-
part time hours. At my place, they’ve been start making money straight away, there is pected of his role, even booking tours. It has
pretty good. I’ve got fixed days and that’s going to be that time when it’s going to be made life much easier for them as the band
working at the moment.” Robyn tells Black difficult. You are going to be at each other’s continues to grow.
Velvet that her workplace allows her to be throats, you know. You’re all in a small van
very flexible and her manager will even help for hours on end. But we’re kind of excited arlier this year Stone Broken signed
sell the merchandise at shows. “Without for what the future’s going to bring. There is Ea multi-album worldwide deal with
them, we really wouldn’t be able to do a lot a little bit of apprehension, I suppose, in that Frontiers Music. It’s still early days in the re-
of things that we do. There is going to be- you really don’t know what it’s going to be, lationship but they are aware that there will
come a tipping point where we will be on the but it’s exciting.” be certain expectations to live up to. With a
road for two to three months at a time, so we target date already set for the next album,
won’t be able to be off work for that long. he band appears to be very astute Rich and Robyn know they will have to de-
We’ll probably have to find jobs when we Tand try to make sure they do not rush liver the goods. They look at it as ‘good pres-
STONE BROKEN