By ThinkInElectronic / Monday, August 11, 2014 / No comments /
Interview || Coming Down With Josh Simons Of Buchanan
BUCHANAN BACKSTORY
Alternative indie-rock band Buchanan return to the studio to work on the follow up to their acclaimed debut album, Human Spring.
Josh Simons of Buchanan Gives Us The Low Down
Josh Simons is an Australian songwriter and producer. He moved over to London in September 2013 to start song-writing in a full time capacity following the successful independent release of his band’s debut album in Australia in May 2013. Prior to moving here his full-time role was as the lead writer and front man of alternative rock band Buchanan. In 2011 they released their debut EP through Inertia Records, after playing national festivals and acquiring high-rotation airplay in Australia for their debut single. Following the release Simons signed a production deal with Gigantically Small Records (run by Barry Palmer, guitarist for Hunters + Collectors, and founder of SoundHalo) which led to the creation of his own record label in Australia, RIPE (Raw Imagination People Expect) and the subsequent release of the band’s debut LP, Human Spring, which was co-produced by Catherine Marks (Foals, The Killers). Buchanan toured nationally twice every year from 2011-2013 and together the EP and album spawned four high-rotation singles on major national radio station Triple J. The album reached the Top 40 on the iTunes charts, with two singles reaching Top 5 on the AIR radio charts. Simons achieved this through a marketing budget of only $5000 with no additional label support – remaining 100% independent. Singles from the release also gained traction at College Radio in North America where the release was administered by SarigSongs/Kobalt.
Following the release Simons relocated to the UK to setup a studio with Kieran Jones (UK #1 songwriter, Girls Aloud ‘The Promise’). Together in the last six months they have written for and with Cimo Frankel (Nicky Romero, Wildstylez), Andy Caine (Robbie Williams, Take That), Simon Duffy (Dirty Vegas, Leftfield), Frances Wood (The Voice finalist Series 1), Sandy Buglass (Pixie Lott, Nick Littlemore) and Chiara Hunter (Tim Deal AKA The Dealer).
He has also written seperately with Paul Harris (Dirty Vegas), Sean McGhee (Robyn, Imogen Heap, Britney Spears), Tonino Speciale (Ella Eyre, Professor Green), Eric McCarthy (DJ Juicy M, Pendulum), Emi Green (Iggy Azalea) and Troy Sivan.Simons is currently working on commission for Universal Music’s library catalogue and is also developing a separate library with two other writers, with the group completing 40 songs since the start of 2014, some of which are set to be placed in international programming to be aired in the latter half of the year.
Simons is also helping to develop emerging buzz artist Eva Stone, writing tracks with Kieran Jones for her debut album tentatively set for release in 2015. He is also currently in the middle of writing and recording the followup to Buchanan’s debut album with producer Simon Duffy (Dirty Vegas, Leftfield) with an expected release date of mid-2015.
Hello, Josh for taking time out to do this interview with us about
Buchanan. Its such a huge pleasure: )
Pleasure’s all mine!
How are you doing today
what is the last thing you do before you go to bed?
I’m doing
just fine today, thank you for asking! Feeling a bit rusty doing these kinds of
interviews again as it’s been a minute since our last campaign. As for the last
thing I do before going to bed… well it depends, what’s the average age of your
readers?!
1. To start off can you tell us a little about yourself, who
Josh Simons is and how does he fit in with Buchanan?
Well Buchanan has always been me in collaboration with my ever growing rolodex of musical friends. So whoever’s around and free during the time of recording or a tour will kind of just bring their own thing to it and through that process we’ve always managed to come up with something that sounds somewhat fresh and different. Because I am at the centre of that process I suppose I kind of set the direction and feel or theme of a record and then everything kind of grows from there.
2. How was Buchanan formed, who makes up the band and what
was the inspiration behind the name?
It was initially formed in Australia with two mates who between the
three of us all had very eclectic musical tastes and backgrounds. We initially
called the project North and were aiming for a kind of stripped back Radiohead
feel. And then very early on one of them had a baby and we found ourselves
moving away ever so slightly from that initial mission statement – so I wanted
to keep it going because I had still had a real vision for the project and had always
kind of been the real driving force. And so I guess that’s why Buchanan
operates the way it does today. The name actually comes from my mum, who
suggested it I think because her sister once had a thing for a guy called
Buchanan, who despite never dating, always thought the name sounded strong. I
didn’t disagree!
3. South Africa and Australia have many things in common, we
are from South Africa and we ask everyone this what is the first thing that
comes to mind when you hear South Africa?
One of my good mates in London is from South Africa. What comes to
mind when I hear the name? Probably the way you pronounce the word Africa!
4. You have moved from Australia to London (2 of the best
accents in the world), what prompted the decision to move? Are you enjoying UK
living?
The plan was always to make the move to London because I was born
here and hold citizenship, but also because the market is just so much bigger
than Australia and I suppose that creates a scenario where you have the chance
to collaborate with more people but also get your music out to more ears which
is an exciting prospect for any artist. “Why not try?” has always been my mantra
with respect to the move. And yes, I love it here. It’s brutal in every sense
of the word, but it’s equally rewarding.
5. With the move in continents came a shift in the musical
direction of Buchanan. Alternative to dance/electronic. Tell us more about the
shift..
I had already been working on finding the ‘sound’ of the second
record well before I made the move – while we were touring the last album in
fact. It just so happens that once I arrived I found the perfect producer to
help me realise it. It’s not as drastic a change as people might think. We had
dance-esque songs on the first record, and to be honest, Coming Down will probably
be the danciest track on this second record.
6. Coming Down is the first Dance and European release for
Buchanan, what inspired the track, and has it been received the way you
expected it to be?
I think so… I hope so! I heard it on the radio the other night and a
caller in said that it was being played a lot in Ibiza which was kind of the
point with this track so I’m buzzing quite a bit off of that! The inspiration
for the track specifically came from a session I was sitting in on where a
friend was working on a remix and it wasn’t really going anywhere but the
sounds we were pulling were amazing. Everyone was leaving the studio except
myself and Simon Duffy, our producer, and all of a sudden this whole track just
poured out in about 10 minutes using the sounds and instruments we were playing
with earlier in the day. It was one of those rare moments of euphoria in the studio
where everything just made sense. I’m pretty sure everyone thought I was nuts at
the time for insisting that it could be a Buchanan track but now I think it makes
more sense
7. The band is currently working on their new LP. Simon
Duffy produced Coming Down and is working with you guys on the LP, how did the
working relationship with Simon Duffy come to be?
We met at the local pub – the rest is history! That’s London!
8. Do you find it hard to balance your Alternative roots
with the dance sound?
Not at all.
If anything, I remember feeling that the ‘alternative’ label had imposed a bit
of a limitation on how far we could push some of the dancier tracks on the first
album. I honestly couldn’t give a fuck about genre anymore – you either write
good songs or you don’t and that’s for the public to decide either way. I was
worried that we’d alienate some of our older fans but you can’t please everyone
and you have to stay true to what you believe in musically in the moment in which
you’re making it.
9. As we know Electronic music is made up of so many
genres, which genres of electronic music speak to you?
I only
started to sink my teeth into electronic music in the last couple of years to
be honest and I’m really liking a lot of deep house stuff, but I also have a
soft spot for some of those really big festival tracks – I know that EDM has quickly
become somewhat of a dirty word, but there’s something incredible about a song
that has the power to unite and connect with so many people all sharing the same
space at once.
10. In September of last year you decided to pursue a full
time career in song writing and it proves to have been a good decision you
alone, and with Kieran Jones have written for top names, how does this make you
feel, having your work associated with such names?
Consistently
humbled, oftentimes in awe and always thankful, but it also makes me realise
how far I have to go if I really want to make it as an artist or even as a
writer. There’s so much talent out there, particularly in a place like London,
and a lot of people here, some not even as necessarily talented, are just as
hungry for it as you are. So you have a lot competition and you need to hustle
constantly, and learn everything you can from every person you get to work with
along the way.
11. Can you share with the steps aspiring songwriters need
to follow in order for them to get noticed and follow a path in song writing?
If you’re
passionate and can afford the time, say yes to every opportunity that comes
your way because the biggest opportunities are the ones that arrive when you’re
not expecting them or planning for it – the only way that’s going to happen
though is if you’re constantly out there and practice your craft.
12. Do you have any plans on maybe starting up a DJ’n
career?
In a word –
no! That’s a craft unto itself and plenty of people have spent their entire
lives perfecting that craft – plus I’m not really sure I have the right hair
cut for it!
13. Who are some
of your musical heroes and how have they influenced you and your music?
Bruce Springsteen and Kanye West. The former because of
his work ethic and unparallelled songwriting ability, and the latter because of
his insistence in reinventing the wheel and pushing the genre – oftentimes
eliminating it altogether – with every album he’s ever put out.
14. Electronically
what are some of your favourite songs at the moment..
Jon Hopkins latest album blew me away. The Todd Terje
album was perfection in every way. And a track I keep coming back to, although
it’s from last year, is Chris Malinchak’s ‘So Good To Me’.
15. What can we
expect from Buchanan’s upcoming LP? And do you have any last messages for your
fans?
There’s still going to be plenty of guitars; we’re
putting a heavy emphasis on performance still and want to finish the album in a
studio with a live room so we can really do something special with the melding
of some of these more electronic sounds with the traditional role of a live band
in a studio. From a writing point of view it’s the most personal record I’ve
ever written and I think it will be quite an emotional, intense listen. We have
a name and a clear mission statement and I can’t really say anything more than
that at this stage!
Thank you so much for doing this interview with us we look forward
to what you guys have lined up in, in the upcoming months. We hope to catch up
with you soon..
Official video
Buchanan – Coming Down
To buy
For more
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