Chelmsford dreampoppers, MAGIC SEAS, today (26 April) released their superb second LP, Everything Has Led Me To Here. Mark Gardener, of RIDE, once again took the helm and navigated the production waters.
Brothers John and James Prudence kindly took the time to answer a few questions. I wanted to find out what, in fact, were some of the things, maybe not EVERYTHING, that has led them to this point in their lives and joint recording career.
Childhood memories and influences of Magic Seas
Q: I have visions of you both playing at ‘pretend’ bands when you were nippers. When did you first realise that you’d start writing and recording together?
James: We were lucky that we grew up around lots of instruments. Our Dad is a drummer and our Nan played the piano. So while we had toy plastic guitars, the allure of the real thing was ever present. Being a couple of years older than John, as soon as he could hold something I’d try and get him playing it so I had someone to play along to!
We’ve always been a part of each other’s musical endeavours in one way or another. So there wasn’t a specific moment when we said “let’s form a band” but MAGIC SEAS is the first time it has been just the two of us.
On reflection what we have taken from those past musical experiences is all feeding into what we are doing now as well.
Elder brother as inspiration
John: James has been playing music and making recordings as long as I can remember and I don’t have many memories of him where he was not holding a guitar. Even on family holidays or going abroad, he’d always bring a guitar or manage to get hold of some kind of instrument to work on ideas. He has always been an excellent musician and extremely focused, which has always been a guiding light for me. The way we are working together now, writing songs, and making music, is what I was always aiming for.
Music
James: Growing up it was joining the dots from the Britpop stuff we were discovering ourselves back through to the 60’s stuff we loved.
Aside from the obvious musical ones: Smiths, Bunnymen, Byrds, Felt – Erik Satie’s Gymnopedies had an immeasurable influence on me. The French impressionists in both music and art continue to have an impact on what I do musically at every turn.
John: I was really young when I became obsessed with The Small Faces, who I still love. Ronnie Lane’s Slim Chance led on from that. Motown and Stax has always been there for us. James and I saw some really special gigs by Delays, Robyn Hitchcock, and Shack’s John Head. We carry a lot of magic from those gigs in to making music.
Written word
John: I like poetry by Sylvia Plath and John Keats. I visited New Zealand last year and brought back Potiki by Patricia Grace and The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera. I am currently reading Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks, which is really interesting, that’s going James’ way when I’m done. Also, we have pre-ordered Robyn Hitchcock’s memoir, 1967: How I Got There and Why I Never Left.
Film
James: Always loved classics like Get Carter, Serpico, Blow Up, etc.
John: Agreed. We love a lot of 60’s and 70’s movies. Early Pacino in Panic in Needle Park, Scarecrow, and Dog Day Afternoon. Jack Nicholson in Five Easy Pieces. Oliver Reed in Revolver.
Fashion
James: Music is the absolute centre of everything for us so the 60’s influence has obviously filtered through into our taste in clothes. Especially shoes!
John: Yeh, I think our Clark’s Originals endorsement is pending. Our wardrobes look the same as Dennis the Menace’s, full of striped t-shirts.
Mum and Dad?
James: While they’ll play it down our parent’s taste in music has been a key influence on us. Stones, Faces, Beatles, Small Faces, Who, Rory Gallagher were all a firm part of the musical furniture growing up, and it gave us such a head start in making our own musical discoveries.
Lightbulb moment
Q: Which bit of music did you hear that pricked up your ears and made you think, ‘I want to be doing that’?
James: The first time I really heard music was The Stones in our parent’ s car when I was very little.
Then there was similar moment several years later when ‘Wonderwall’ came out (same parents, different car) – it had all the stuff we were growing up with in there but it felt like it was mine. Absolutely pivotal.
John: As I said earlier, The Small Faces were a big start for me. And James and I were really lucky with the music playing around the house growing up. With James being a little older I always got to see him out there playing music. So I was already pretty keen by the time I first watched Rory Gallagher’s Irish Tour at 15.
Tourbus sounds
Q: What sounds are you grooving to in the tour bus?
James: Never set off without Robyn Hitchcock, Delays, and Shack.
Cocteau Twins have soundtracked many a late-night drive home from a gig and a copy of A Love Supreme by John Coltrane is always in there.
John: Gene Clark all day long. Lately, I’ve been putting more acoustic stuff on the pile such as John Renbourn, Bert Jansch, and Neal Casal.
Live shows
Q: Do you enjoy playing live? Or is a necessary evil when promoting a new release?
James: It’s all about the writing for us, so for me everything else is a bonus! I love being in studio and to get to go to different cities to play music still feels like an adventure.
Where we are doing something outside of the usual band setup, how we perform live has been a steep learning curve. Trying something different at club gig level can be absolutely unforgiving but I think it has made our sound stronger in the long run and I’m excited about the gigs coming up.
John: Delivering a good live performance is really not an easy thing to do and you learn every time you try to do it, but there is always the buzz to try and get out there and nail it. It’s a shame it’s becoming something of a dying art.
Recording sessions
Q: Tell us a bit about the ‘everything’? Name a couple of things that inspired you as you both wrote the songs, then during the sessions.
James: It felt like a lot of things that we discovered on our first album Paint The Waves were starting to come to fruition a little bit more, which was probably the biggest inspiration. We’re enjoying taking the time to grow.
I think there is a definite arc to this album, which perhaps reflects us getting to this point. For me, it’s for headphones at nighttime from start to finish, so there was a nocturnal influence for me as well.
John: Yes arcs, arches, and night time skies are all over it. Inspiration comes from trying to grow and push forward, both when it works out and when it doesn’t.
The Gardener effect
Q: As per your debut LP (on Lemonpop Recs), Mark Gardener of RIDE produced your follow-up. What are his outstanding production qualities that lead you to return to recording with him?
James: We were in the incredibly fortunate position of having Mark involved from the very start of MAGIC SEAS and he has really helped us build the sound up from the beginning. His ability to harness the details in a mix has furthered so many of our ideas and neither of us were lead singers before and he has helped us so much with our singing as well.
I think the three of us work really well together in the studio and we have a shared mindset of always pushing forward. He has helped us in lots of other ways which have meant a lot to us too, from advice to encouragement over a cup of tea!
John: I’m learning every second I’m around him. We’re so lucky to be working with him and have him encouraging us as much as he does.
What’s next for MAGIC SEAS?
James: After the gig at The Night Owl in Finsbury Park on 1 May, we’re looking forward to returning to Liverpool, playing on the 28 and 29 May at a festival at The Cavern Club. Then we’re back to play Queen St Brewhouse in Colchester on 1 June.
John: We’re also playing Dash The Henge in London for the first time on 6 July.
For more concert dates, head over to www.magicseas.net
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