Please introduce all the members and your musical history.
Dave McKinnon: I’m Dave, and I write all the music.
Essex Moorcroft: I’m Essex. I write all the lyrics, but I don’t play them in the band.
DM: We have writing partnerships like Elton John and Bernie Taupin. When I first started, it was just me, an acoustic guitar, a double bass, and a bongo player, doing three-part harmony. The live lineup has changed many times over the years depending on who’s on board, but the skiffle elements and harmonies have always remained constant. We were like Steely Dan with a revolving door of session musicians. If you’re a local and even remotely nice, you’ve spent time at Swerve. Currently, Bill Snowden is on drums, Jay Twomey is on bass, and veteran Swerver Ant Cochran is sometimes added on backing vocals and cajon.
What made you decide that music was for you?
DM: I went rogue because I wanted to disappoint my Asian parents.
What was your life like before you started making music?
EM: Limit state. That beat was a wake-up call.
What was the first song you heard that introduced you to music?
DM: Probably something by the Beatles or Simon and Garfunkel. I love good melodies and harmonies.
Tell me two truths and one lie about yourself.
DM: I have a phobia of balloons.
DM: My favorite bread is the Tiger variety.
EM: Sometimes I get lonely and find myself wandering around shopping centers disguised as a morph.
If you could wish for one thing to help your career, what would it be?
EM: Hippo
DM: And a shotgun.
Have you ever worried about people taking things the wrong way or cancel culture? Discuss….
EM: There’s no right or wrong way to capture something. The most interesting interpretations of ours are defined almost entirely by the conditioning of the interpreter. We may be curious about it, or we may be in conflict or suffering. As far as cancel culture goes, the only thing I can observe is that everyone who claims cancel culture doesn’t exist seems to really wish it existed.
Do you agree with conspiracy theories? If not, why not?
EM: The conspiracy is out in the open. It’s called hyper-capitalism, and people are being killed every day, including small children. It’s almost impossible not to participate, and more and more wealth and power is concentrated in the hands of fewer and fewer people. Also, the planet is dying and the rich are shielding themselves from the consequences that the poor are already experiencing daily. Maybe someone should put it up on YouTube.
What is your worst experience on stage?
DM: I was accidentally booked into a children’s festival once. We didn’t realize it until we got there. There was a variety of acts on the bill that day. We were torn between a puppet show and a belly dancing group. Our lyrics were not well received by some parents.
Tell us something you think people would be surprised about.
DM: Essex can eat a whole lamb in one sitting.
What sets you apart as a band?
DM: We are the only gangster folk news kiffle band in the world.
I hear you have new music, could you tell us about it?
DM: Our first single we take time is out!
EM: This is a song about knowing that drinking doesn’t stop you from thinking, and admitting that gambling only brings temporary forgetfulness.
DM: This single is one of ten songs I recorded with Ed Deegan last year at Gizzard Recording in Bow, East London. We aim to release an album independently, but plans may change if we receive interest from a label. In any case, we aim to phase it out later this year.
What was the recording process like?
DM: I don’t normally like recording, but I thought it was really fun to work with Ed. Since Ed specializes in analog recording and I’m a record buff, I wanted to go completely analog to get a warm, vintage sound and gain experience recording using 1960s recording techniques. . I ended up playing a string quartet, which I had never done before, by adding other instruments such as the piano. I worked closely with a cellist named Romain Marin, who helped me with the string arrangements. I’m really satisfied with the overall result.
Now that it’s complete, do you want to change anything?
DM: My hairstyle.
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
EM: “When we remember that we are all crazy, mystery disappears and life is explained.” – Mark Twain
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