After a
decade supporting underground bands, the move to a solo act arose from the
scarcity of like-minded musicians and a torrent of musical output. The blend of
song-based noise and immersive sound characterizes "he didnt,"
influenced by diverse experiences and musical epochs. Exploring tension, dissociation,
and elation, the journey weaves through electronic nuances and rock
foundations, as live performances harness pedals' improvisational power. The
moniker derives from Soundgarden's witty track, inspiring moments of creative
daydreaming. Amidst myriad projects and releases, "he didn't"
continues its artistic odyssey.
After spending a decade supporting various underground
bands, what prompted you to transition into a solo act?
The straight answer is I couldn’t find anyone else in the
area I live in who wanted to play the same kind of music as me..! But also I
have quite a high output of music so working with other people sometimes slows
things down – though I still do remixes and collaborations. I’m usually way
behind on tracks to be recorded and released. If I had the £££ I could release
2 albums between now and Christmas plus some noise EPs.
Your background includes supporting bands like The Telescopes and The Magic
Numbers. How have these experiences influenced your current musical direction?
The Telescopes are great because across their career they
have moved from intense noise to calm and back again. Seeing them live was a
lesson in that you can do what you want and people will still be interested
even if you change from one album or song to the next. Plus they aren’t afraid
to do long hypnotic challenging noise. I usually learn something from every gig
I go to even if sometimes its what NOT to do.
Moving from the bustling atmosphere of London to the tranquility of
Oxfordshire must have been quite a shift. How has this change of environment
impacted your creative process?
It allowed me time to get back to thinking and engaging with
myself. London is a great city but it can be debilitating and intrusive after a
while. I think the move has let me develop my ideas more and actually hear what
I’m doing. There’s also less pressure as you don’t feel like you’re on display
as much as in London.
Could you describe the signature sound of "he didnt" for those who
might not be familiar with your music?
Song-based noise or noise-based song. Rolling distortion and
immersive sound in search of the other side of the void. Repetition of
ideas/riffs and loops to try and achieve decompression. The aim is usually
tension or tension/release.
What's your approach when it comes to integrating guitar pedals, drum
machines, and other equipment into your live performances?
I initially used a drum machine but found it too restricting
as it was something else to carry and worry about going wrong so now I just use
lots of pedals to create the sounds and rhythms. The main pedal is the looper
pedal which records the sound as you play it and repeats it ad infinitum. You
can layer other tracks over it so the sound evolves and builds. I also use a
delay pedal to get oscillations which can be controlled but give out fierce
noise and feedback. I like to improvise at points so the pedals are a
necessity.
Your music seems to combine electronic elements with more traditional rock
sounds. How do you strike a balance between these two aspects?
There is defo an electronic influence but I don’t use any
laptops/synths etc live – its all guitars/pedals. The recorded stuff I usually
upload to a studio and manipulate the sounds/cut/edit ideas and move things
around to make it more abstract. Of course this means I cant play everything I
record live – at least not the same versions – but I view live and studio as 2
separate disciplines and the songs are fluid. The electronic influence is from
people like Underworld whose songs evolve and mutate over lengthy periods so
you can really get into what they are doing. That is what I try and do.
Obviously, noisier Industrial bands are an influence as well in their attack or
wall of sound.
What themes or emotions do you often explore through your music?
Mainly tension but more recently dissociation as getting
older I have recognised things in my behaviour. Exploring the sound that
connects with these feelings is liberating and cathartic. Though I would add
elation is also in there somewhere – especially during the longer songs live.
Are there any specific artists or genres that have had a significant
influence on your musical style?
Early 80s industrial/electronic music – those really cold
harsh sounds. Sludge/doom/metal like Sunn and Electric Wizard. Shoegaze stuff
like MBV, Spacemen 3 and loads of Liverpool/Manchester bands . Tense bands like
Swans and Slint.
I trawl
twitter/bandcamp and am continuously finding new music to listen to and be
influenced by.
How do you typically begin the songwriting process? Do
you start with lyrics, melodies, or something else?
It usually a guitar riff or chords. Something that connects.
I’ll then jam out the idea and see where it goes before recording a rough
version and writing down how to play it so I can remember! Sometimes I don’t
know what to do with the idea. I used to spend more time on words and try to
write music for them but cant seem to do that anymore so now the words are
phrases or a few lines.
Could you share a bit about your creative routine? How do you keep the
inspiration flowing?
See previous answer. Inspiration is everywhere when you’re
feeling inspired. Once it goes it can be hard to find again so when this
happens I’ll go back over older ideas I havent finished to try and get back in
the routine. Nick Cave has an office in Brighton that he goes to every day
between 9-5 and works on ideas. I never understood this before but now I see
creativity can be like a muscle that need exercising regularly so I will play
for a few hours every Friday and Saturday (when I’m not at work) without fail
even if I only come up with one idea. Any progress keeps things moving - a
line, a new way to use a pedal, re-working an older song. It’s a discipline.
Your
project's name, "he didnt," is intriguing. What's the story behind
this name choice?
Its a song by Soundgarden, off their debut album
“UltramegaOK”. People missed their sense of humour. The lyrics go –
“He did
nothing perfect, He did nothing quite well, He did nothing perfectly, much
better then anyone I've ever seen”
It made me laugh. I always make sure I have a few hours over
the weekend to do absolutely nothing but daydream.
Live
performances are a unique challenge for solo artists. How do you ensure that
your complex sound translates well in a live setting?
Rehearsal, improvisation and volume! That’s one thing about
music that is sometimes free-form – no-one knows when you make a mistake and if
you do make a mistake you can just go with it and see where it leads. I’ve
written a few songs from mistakes.
Your
journey through different musical roles and bands must have brought valuable
experiences. Which experiences stand out as particularly formative for you?
Playing live, mainly. Loud music filling a space is a
uniquely powerful thing and I feel it when I’m playing. I may be making the
noise but i’m also listening to and experiencing it alongside the audience.
When I make a cool sound I don’t think “Wow I’m amazing” I think “Wow what a
cool sound!”. Also seeing how some other bands are professional and friendly.
Both of these things are massively important and its amazing how many other
bands/musicians lack them and think its cool to be a useless arsehole.
In an era of streaming and digital releases, how do you
see the role of albums and singles in your artistic expression?
No idea. The amount of releases I do and the length of them
is pretty much defined by how much money I have to put towards them! I cant be
worrying about if some kid only listens to music via a 10 second advert on
tik-tok and will that affect whether they like me or not. Spotify can fuck off
though. I dont think people who pay for that service realise how much they are
ripping off the artists on there. I wont be on there.
What's on the horizon for "he didn't"? Are there any upcoming
projects or collaborations that your fans can look forward to?
I run a label – https://dronealonerecords.bandcamp.com/ –
and I’ve got a few releases coming up in the next 3 or 4 months so any spare
time will be on them. I’ve done a few remixes of some local artists in Oxford,
a collaboration with a poet and will maybe be releasing an album by an
experimental band from Swindon (they havent finished it yet so I havent heard
it) plus I’ve finished the next he didnt release. If I get any extra time I’ve
got a sludge/metal project that I need to record. There is never enough time!
(125) drone alone records - YouTube
Music | drone alone records (bandcamp.com)
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