JW Ridley
Hailing from London, JW Ridley is a new musician, an Art School graduate, who just (10/2) released his astonishing debut 7" single Everything (Deathless) Pt.1 via Speedy Wunderground. Produced by the mighty Dan Carey (Yeasayer, Django Django, Toy, Bat For Lashes), the song is a Cure-ish 4 1/2 minute dark pop finely crafted song, based on extremely inspired and highly addictive guitar and synth lines. On the B-side of the single, you can find the Pt.2, which is actually an extended version of the original lasting 8 minutes. A few days ago Jack talked to The Basement and here's our very interesting chat...
The Basement: Hi Jack ! You are a new artist, so at first we would like you to introduce yourself. How did it all start for you ? How did you decided to write music ?
I started playing around with music when i was in my early teens, When my step dad moved in he had this spanish guitar that was gathering dust so i started to pick it up and play around with it . From an early age i was fascinated with music. I was also into writing so i guess when i started to play the guitar these two things came together a bit.
The Basement: Are you completely alone in this project ? Are there any other permanently musicians that support you ?
Yeah its just me. There are a couple of people i have worked with over time but it usually comes after stuff is formed depending on what it needs or if there is something that can be added to it. My friend Billie has a really beautiful voice and she has sung extra vocals on some of my stuff. My friend John who is an engineer was really important in getting my own recordings in to a certain place after i recorded them too. But I write and record on my own really.
The Basement: You’ve just released your debut single, that is the beautiful “Everything (Deathless)“ Are you happy with the final outcome ?
Yeah, i was quite hesitant at first, its a daunting prospect not hearing anything until it comes out, but it turned out to be pretty liberating handing something over and seeing what they do with it. I knew i was in good hands with Dan and was interested to hear the shape it would take. It was also really nice to record live with a band in a room, its a totally different thing to doing it alone, in a good way.
The Basement: How you came up to Dan Carey of Speedy Wunderground ? He is one of the most amazing producers of our days.
I think Dan had heard some of my own recordings and he liked them so he got in touch, I met him at a show in London and it went from there really. It was a really special time working with him, felt like we where completely in tune with one another.
The Basement: How would you describe your first track to someone that has never listened to your music before ?
I see it as quite an immediate song i guess, it kind of has a classic pop structure. Its a sad song to some degree but there is also a triumph about it too.
The Basement: I think that “Everything (Deathless)“ lies between synth and psych-pop, taking us back to the years of 80's. What where the influences that brought you here ? What have you been listening to as a teenager ?
When i was first properly getting in to music, i was initially drawn to some classic songwriters like Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen from my dad's record collection and i think that shaped the way i think about music a lot. My Mother played a lot of Motown too which definitely influenced me a huge amount and definitely influenced my appreciation of great pop music. In my teens i kind of worked up from there really. I got really in to bands like Cocteau Twins, The Cure, The Clash. Then when i got to university i was exposed to a lot more electronic music and experimental stuff. I always found it really interesting how music was born out of other music growing up. When i was a teenager drum and bass was really big where i grew up and i never really got in to that whole thing, but then Burial came out and blew my mind. It’s easy to romanticise bands that had been and gone before i was born but when Arcade Fire’s first record came out it felt like the first band i properly connected to that was releasing music at that specific time. There where so many important american bands that i felt far more for than i did music coming out of England strangely, i guess the rise of music on theinternet was happening in a big way and bands like TV On The Radio and LCD Soundsystem just grabbed me. it sounded like another world i could get lost in.
The Basement: Are you up to new music soon ? Do you have plans for an LP soon ?
I hope to put out new materiel very soon, maybe an EP or small body of work and hopefully album at some point.
The Basement: Do you love London ? Did you ever thought of moving, for example in Berlin ?
Many artists do this nowadays, because there can meet people that share the same passion and have progress with their projects. I do love London, I grew up in the suburbs so London was always this very beguiling place in my mind so the move here kind of gave me that feeling of a new city, it was familiar but i hadn't really scratched the surface as much as i wanted to. I would like to experience a different city one day but one thing at a time.
The Basement: What are your plans for the near future ? Any gigs ahead ?
Yeah, I am going to Holland next week to play a show in Rotterdam and then one in Amsterdam supporting Ten Fé, its my first show out of the UK so I'm really excited. And then i am supporting them on their UK dates in March too.
The Basement: Propose us some favourite new artists of yours, we should really know about.
Im not sure about new but i have been going to this night in Peckham (south London) at a great venue called Rye Wax lately. Its called ‘Curl’ which hosts a whole bunch of artists who are all doing really interesting things, different to anything I’ve heard before.
Jack, thank you so much for the words. Wish you the best and we can't wait to listen more of your music !
