Interview
(Progressive Newsletter Nr.27 09/99)
excerpts from an interview with Mark Easten (Guitar)
Our sound really developed because of the way we wrote I think. I would tend to write the themes and put the chordal structures together on guitar, then Nick would arrange and add parts and then Steve, bass and particulary Robbie, percussion/drums would add their interpretations and ideas. Often a lead instrument like a keyboard or a guitar would be the starting point for a piece but the whole band would play and play the pieces over and over again to see if we couldn't make each section better and so on. Because of the diverse musical influences across 4 people the style seemed to have a life of its' own. Initially we did lovingly copy bits from bands such as Yes, Gentle Giant and King Crimson but as time passed the style developed into what became known in the south of England as the Autumn style.
Autumn never released an album and it took over 20 years to publish recorded music from this band. What were the reasons for not releasing an album and why did it took so long until you finally released „Oceanworld“?
Good question! It was really the arrival of Punk in '77 that stopped our rise. We collecting together a large number of college dates for our niggest tour to date but almost overnight the social secretaries at the colleges became disinterested in our type of music. I can understand it now, looking back, because the Progressive scene had become a bit precious and bands like Yes were getting a pasting from the press. The Oceanworld album was not completed - hence the running time of 35 minutes - and the band lost it's direction when Nick joined the Steve Hackett band. We all moved on to other things and shelved the Oceanworld project. Luckily I kept the mixed masters safely for many years and when Gordon at Cedar offered to cedar the tapes - clean them up to remove hiss etc - it seemed a good opportunity to revive the tapes. The internet helped us organise the details between band members otherwise I don't think it would have happened.
Do you think if you had exist earlier in the 70‘s, you could have been more successful, than at the end of an era, just before Punk blew everyhting away and the media more or less ignored progressive rock?
Yes I do think we would have had much more success. As early as 1970 I was listening to Egg albums and Nick and I had played instrumnetal music together at School on 1970/1971. We didn't know anything about the record industry though and never thought of making a demo and going to record companies until it was very late in the day. It sounds a little old-fashioned but we just played because we liked to. Getting a gig was a high spot and getting paid was Utopia!
Is everything what was recorded in that time on the album or does also other material exist from the band?
Yes, this album is all that exists in recorded form from Autumn. Of course we had a great deal of unrecorded music which in some ways was stronger than the Oceanworld material - Oceanworld was written back in 1974 as was most of the other tracks - Little Finger Exercise was even earlier in 1973. Our strongest material was being performed at the end of the bands life - tracks such as The Sirens, Don't Drink The Water and The Grandeur Suite were becoming fan favourites.
When looking back, how do you feel and think about the music of Autumn today?
We all still feel it was the hardest band we have ever played in - the memory tests alone that were required to remember the material seem impossible now. We didn't use scored music because most of us could not read music. I think we all have a great fondness for that era and feel it was in fact far more genuine that the punk era that succeeded it. You could play what you like when you like in any time signature with any instrument. You could sing or not and the tracks could be either a minute or 20 minutes long - how many major record companies would accept material like this today? I personally think that musicianship was pushed to new highs during those years but there are good new musicians around today as well - you hear them from time to time. I was amazed at how many prog bands there are doing the rounds when I looked at sites such as The Progressive Rock Site and others. I'm sure that there must be some out there who are still pushing the boundaries. For me it is important that bands do use their influences to start writing but then relax and let their own styles infiltrate the sounds they are producing. I hope the music industry of today has not stalled on the seemingly desparate need to make big money. It stifles creativity.
Is there a chance of a reunion and maybe even recording another album?
The 6 million dollar question or in our case 6 dollars! The CD has been well received and it may be that we do get together for a recording session or two to produce the tracks we never recorded. Luckily we all still have our own teeth and even though we are all in our 40's now time has been somwehat kind to us - so we are told! Whether it is right to do this sort of thing I don't know - it is such a fond memory that the reality might be a bit of a shock! I will let you know though.
Kristian Selm © Progressive Newsletter 1999