Starsailor - London, UK, Spring 2001
By: Toby L
In the shade of the British Telecom tower, which often seems to disappear into the grey skies above, the University of London Union is tonight playing host to a truly, special new band. You've heard it all before - 'truly, special new band'. Sure, it's true most never make it or, for that matter, prove themselves to be that special. But, for this northern UK pack, it is happening. There's something going down - as if it's all about to take off in a big and impacting fashion: not just a successful way, but in a potentially revolutionary way.
However - don't big them up too much. When it's time for Starsailor to become the undisputed, intergalactically proportioned, massive band of the world, they want to leave much of the hype and hysteria surrounding it to their contemporaries. In a sense, even this interview can't get to the spirit and route that this band are trying to steer themselves on to. Indeed, for the more ambitious members of the band - who will become evident during the course of this article - global domination is on the cards, but the ultimate achievement would be to sustain credibility and quality throughout the lengthy career which lies in front of them, ready for the taking.
Every member in Starsailor acts as a vital brick in their wall of talent. There's James Walsh, the good-looking and sensitive lead singer, with a voice to die for and competent guitar-playing skills to match, as well as James Stelfox - know as 'Stel' to the band - whose bass-tastic playing is a sound to behold. These two members are known as the spokesmen for the act when it comes to dealing with the press, with drummer Ben Byrne and keyboardist Barry Westhead rarely offering their contributions to article-features on the band - the last name having never spoken at all during any interview that's been undertaken.
However, tonight is a breakthrough. Although citing 'I don't like it,' as a reason for never speaking in interviews, Barry agrees that he'll speak for rockfeedback. The surrounding entourage in the dressing room is shocked when it comes his turn to respond to each question, not used to seeing this hugely talented man voice his opinions in such a public way - especially to a journalist. Although him and Ben lack the interest in participating as their bandmates do to such a trivial pursuit, they can be rest assured that they can do it when they try. Quite understandably, though, they probably just find it all a boring process, hence their acceptance to speak to us - the innovators of cool and excitement... Ahem.
The chin-wag doesn't feature Stel (James Stelfox), but sees James Walsh (known affectionately amongst the band as 'Jim'), Baz and Ben indulging in a bit of foresight into where they're headed - aside from the penultimate date of their first headline UK tour here, which is less than an hour away...
Some feel that you haven't embraced the press as much as you could have done, in regards to interviews...
James: 'We want to let the music speak for itself really and allow ourselves to keep quiet, so people don't judge us on our characters, but on the music we make.'
Ben: 'It's certainly not anything to do with me and Barry - we kind of stick away from it all and James and Stel usually deal with all of it. Luckily, we've been given a lot of really good press...'
Barry: 'Yeah, but I don't think it's always a good thing, as we don't want to get hyped before people have heard the music.'
In comparison to some up and coming acts, you've become well-known quite quickly
Ben: 'We certainly didn't expect it to have taken off so quickly.'
Barry: (Pointing to Ben) 'Yeah, but you've been trying for three or four years now...'
Ben: 'Yeah, we had been in a band for four years and we had gone under different names. Before this, we were just a guitar band (says in an embarrassed voice), and Jim just used to sing and didn't play anything else.''Jim started getting into folk and acoustic stuff and, after a while, we'd had enough of electric guitar players because of their egos! We had two guitar players and, after getting rid of one, we got rid of the other one afterwards, with Jim then starting to play an acoustic guitar for the band. Barry then joined the band in February of last year.'
James: 'We've all evolved as musicians over a number of years, individually, and I think we've come together as like-minded people because we're so relaxed over what we do and have a lot of confidence in it. That's what has carried us through it all really - and the fact we've known each other for four or five years. Ben and Stel have known each other since they were kids. It's simply been brewing and evolving over the years and it has come together quite quickly.'
Starsailor have been pigeon-holed in a certain crevice within the alternative UK scene, with artists such as Ed Harcourt, Elbow and Turin Brakes not being far away as a point of reference to where they're coming from musically. However, as talented as these acts are, something that possibly elevates Starsailor to a wider audience is that voice: James Walsh can sing in a manner that should defy comparison.
James, when was it that you first discovered your main talent?
James: 'The first time that I sang was when I was one of the three kings in a primary school nativity play! I just sort of opened my mouth and it was in tune; it wasn't spectacular or anything! The other kids couldn't get the notes at all, though, and I just thought that I had something I could use.''I've always been driven by music, though. When I was at school, I noticed that there's a bit of an attitude where it's your status and how popular you are which is important, and I was just disillusioned by that.'
What artists were you into around this time - and did they change whilst your music was altered by the new sound?
James: 'Mostly, it was The Charlatans, Oasis... all the Britpop bands! I developed that taste when I went to college, but it was Jeff Buckley, which changed my thoughts about music. Now, I listen to Matthew Jay, Whiskey Town, Ryan Adams - all that sort of stuff.'
Ben: 'It's pretty much been the same for me really... In terms of the people I like, there's...'
Barry: (Interjecting) '...Queen! You like them, don't you (laughs)!'
Ben: (Laughs and ignores Barry's response) 'Led Zeppelin, Beatles, Nick Drake, Tom Waits and also Jeff Buckley, that sort of thing: quite diverse.'
Barry: 'I'm into everything really. I used to play in a cabaret band so I had to like all sorts of things... Like Wham!'
He then goes on to hum the melody to 'Wake Me Up Before You Go Go' - the word 'scary' isn't even near what his rendition is like... 'Petrifying' is better.
You've been described by reviewers as sounding like artists such as Neil Young - what would you say if you were a journalist at one of your live shows?
James: 'I'd say that we've got a 'driven, acoustic rock sound'.'
Barry: 'I'd say, 'what a bunch of muppets' (laughs)!'
Do you think you're different to the sound that's currently out there?
James: 'A little bit, yeah. We're a bit more intense I think. I've got a lot of respect for the other bands that play with the acoustic sound; we're just at the more emotionally intense side of the genre.'We bring a more sensitive and modest approach to music, compared to the swagger of the current guitar bands around at the moment. (Certain bands) are more about taking over the world straight away and we want to do that eventually, but as quietly as possible.'
As you've yet to release much material, most reviews are written after seeing you in concert - is this a fair representation of your work?
Barry: 'I don't know... It's all live, the stuff we do really, isn't it?'
Ben: (Sarcastically) 'Oh, that's a good answer!' (Both laugh)
At this point, someone else in the room offers, 'Do you want to give up now with them now?' Of course we don't - we're getting mileage out of these two: I can feel it in my waters.
James: 'I think it definitely is a good way to judge us. You get one chance to prove yourself, and we grasp it and give people a show.'
Ben: 'Basically, before we got signed, we had only done about four or five gigs with the band, and we just wanted to go out and get as much experience as possible playing live. As we play more shows, our confidence is getting more prominent. It's great, because now people are just coming and paying to watch Starsailor.'
What can you tell us about a debut album?
James: 'We've pretty much done all the songs for the debut album; it's just going to be an eclectic mix of the mellow, acoustic stuff, which we've been trademarked for, as well as some groove-based, bigger sounding bits.'
Ben: 'We're just really looking forward to getting in the studio; we just want to go in and make a great album. Recording the two singles and the b-sides has been a rush because we've had to do live stuff in between it all, and it will be nice just to spend some time recording it so it's as good as we can make it.'
Barry: 'Also, we're going to be working on it in Rockfield in Wales, where we recorded 'Good Souls' (the band's second single), which we're pleased about.'
What kinds of goals have you set up for yourselves to achieve during your career?
Barry: 'There aren't really any goals... We just go along with what's happening everyday and try and take it all in, getting on with what we have to do!'
James: 'I'd just like to make an album that we can look back on proudly in the years to come, and one that will still be on the shop shelves in about ten years' time. I want it to be a lasting thing, not an overnight million-seller.'
Barry revealed after the interview that, although it wasn't as bad as he anticipated, he shan't be undertaking anymore in the future, leaving the usual suspects to keep up the good work, despite his genuinely impressive effort in answering questions. We're confident that your knowledge and wit will be much missed throughout future articles on the band, Barry.
Mr. Walsh is clearly passionate about his current work, as are Stel, Westhead and Byrne, the latter two honestly - and admirably - admitting that they're taking it one step at a time and enjoying what comes their way. And enjoying what came their way tonight also was the ULU audience, subjected to ten songs and fifty minutes of true heart-rending bliss. The brittle, but powerful beauty of 'Alcoholic' is almost physically moving, whilst 'Talk Her Down' and 'Way To Fall' certainly don't fall short of the epic and soothing nature which the band have, as James calls it, been 'trademarked for' already. However, those that aren't taken in with this can find solace in the whimsical romanticism of 'Lullaby', certainly indicative that, whether you can help it or not, Starsailor will sweep us all off our feet with their charm of genuine and awesomely original song-writing. Forget the sky: the stars themselves are the limit.
Artists in this article: Starsailor