Monday 3 June 2013

Arborist Q&A

Your name: 
Mark McCambridge.

Where are you from? 
Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Name of band:  
Arborist.

Who else is in your band? 
Ben McAuley (drums, engineering), James Heaney (Bass) and Richard Hill (Piano, guitar).

How would you describe yourselves? 
Our music reaches for the measured and mature while remaining starkly modern. Centred around a soaring vocal and unique lyrical style, it speaks of bleak truths (Leonard Cohen, Bill Callahan) but delivers them with an assured soulfulness (Sam Cooke, Al Green).

Who are your main influences musically?  
Mostly influenced by classicist songwriting in the form of The Band, Wilco, Sam Cooke, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Songs:Ohia.  Something both lyrically and vocally focused.

What do you hope to achieve in music?  
Our ambitions are to play and be played alongside the artists we admire. Though, I admit the likes of Sam Cooke and Dusty Springfield may prove a little difficult. Though kernel to it all is the creation of music that takes from each of these artists and creates something new and unique. 

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 
Any number of moments spent in the studio. We value the recording process beyond all else and have the benefit of Ben, our drummer, as engineer and producer. This allows for the ideal atmosphere for the recording process and general creativity. When it clicks and sounds just as you'd imagined, there is very few things can better that. 
Or opening for British Sea Power last Wednesday would be up there.

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 
Telling Jon Donahue of Mercury Rev that it "wasn't his best show".  He took with good grace but regrettable nonetheless. 

If you could choose just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
Incalculable Things - As mentioned in the influences, it captures much of what we look for in music; vocally and lyrically.

Where can we listen to it?  


Where can we find out more about your music?

Anything else you’d like to say about your band that I forgot to ask?
Some upcoming shows...
http://arboristmusic.com/index.php/shows/

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