Brides of Neptune - Interview

by Aaron Brown

published: 23 / 3 / 2007

At a gig in Manchester, Aaron Brown chats to local folk/alt country rock band the Brides of Neptune about the band's influences and his love for the obscure

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Rushing out to catch a bus outside my gym in south Manchester, I am in an angry mood. Having just had my bank card snapped in half by a moron posing as a receptionist, I am in a not a happy bunny and I am in no mood for some two-bit folk/alt country rock band from Moss Side. I reach the Roadhouse and am immediately greeted by the soothing sounds of surf guitar. I imagine the ocean and all its calmness forgetting I am in a dingy basement bar in Manchester City Centre in March and possible with no mean of supporting myself for the next week and a bit. In a totally unbiased report I find the band's music quite listenable, eclectic and even quite enjoyable. I get a quick few words from friendly band front-man Jez, who is happy to discuss the band’s influences, his love for the obscure and his passion for making music over a few pints. PB : Describe your music. You seem to draw from everything from surf rock to alt country? Jez: I like to keep things acoustic based, but quite heavy at the same time. It is eclectic. PB : I see a lot the Arcade Fire, even Ben Harper in your music. Jez : We draw prettily heavily from people like Ben Harper, people who have that blues background but have taken it into the modern era. I am a massive fan of west-coast surf bands like Camper van Beethoven. I have always tried to get that sort of sound. For tonight, however, we knew we were playing the Roadhouse so we had to make it noisy, as crass as possible. PB : You were a bit annoyed about the last Pennyblackmusic review then. Jez : I think the person that wrote the story either did not like our music or just got us on the wrong night. To be fair, I think it was just the case that it was a bad night for everybody. I mean, you don’t expect everyone to like what you do automatically. PB : So who is in the band? Jez: There’s Rebecca on violin, Jim on bass, Lee Mullan on percussion and Kevin Whitehead on drums. It is interesting, I taught Jim to play bass as he went along so he just learned the songs. PB: It is a bit generic I know, but what it the last album you bought? Jez : Terry Callier's 'Time Pieces' you should check him out. He released a soul album back in the late 1960's. He did a few more recording sessions in London but basically he was at uni and bringing up a child. The guy has got a brilliant story. I think he was doing data entry for the government and then some guys discovered some of his session and signed him. From that he did this album called 'Time Pieces'. He does the odd gig every now and again. PB : Thanks.