Interview: John E Vistic

John E Vistic has a new solo album almost ready to hit the racks, Welcome Down the Night, produced by Tristram Longworth (The Third Degree/Jon Allen etc.) and featuring a stellar array of talent including Stu Jackson (Massive Attack) on pedal steel; Adam Betts (Three Trapped Tigers/Goldie) David Ryder Prangley (Rachel Stamp) and Katey Brooks on backing vox along with musicians that have played with Morcheeba, Jon Allen and Primal Scream amongst others. And of course the JEV Rock n Roll Soundsystem rhythm section (dapper Dan Clibery & Guy Fowler) are on the record too. The Long Tall V promises “…songs of Love, Death and the Road…” We’re pleased to say that not only has JEV agreed to answer a few questions about the recording but we have the exclusive release of the video for the single that precedes the album. SOFM (aka Song for the Old Men) is an absolute banger that you can just imagine closing a set with every bastard in the crowd singing along. It’s out on all digital platforms on May 15th via Black Heart Studios accompanied by a remix from Alan Ratman Richards (Bristol Dub Mix).

How long did recording take – straight in n straight out or a bit of an epic?

It was quite epic actually as we had to do it over several months to fit it in with all our different schedules, so we had to fit in a session wherever we could and get people into the studio with Tristan the producer in a very short window. Tristan is also a very exacting producer so all the takes had to be perfect. There is not a wrong note or a dodgy phrase on the whole album. It’s literally a perfect recording.

Working on a solo recording like this would you take in fully formed tunes, or go in with sketches and demos and work them up in to fully fledged songs in the studio?

I have an extensive back catalogue and an ever increasing bunch of new songs, so I just sat with Tris and played him a bunch of songs – we picked the best for the sound and feel of the record we had in mind, then recorded them. We both really wanted the record to be intensively song based – lyrics, melody and instrument-led. If it wasn’t a great song, it didn’t make the cut.  

What’s your favourite part of the recording process…

I love getting sweaty and involved so that you don’t realise you have been playing guitar for 8 hours and can’t see straight. I love hearing the tunes emerge from the production suite and having that first proud rush of feeling. Recording is so much better than anything else – you still have hope in your heart and purity of purpose. All else is nothing to the perfect take.

…and what’s your least favourite part?

Realising how hard it is to make the perfect take – how bloody amazing those Motown and Sun Studios boys were!

Looking back to Modern Love how does this recording compare…how have you changed as a writer and performer?

Modern Love was recorded with the Vistic band all live to tape over 3 days at the wonderful Toybox Studios. We produced it overnight at Moles studio with the legendary Paul Corkett (Cave/Cure etc.). But there were 11 tracks on the album and a string quartet on Tenement Song and loads of really cool keyboard parts by Adam Coombs and various different backing vocal lines etc., so it was a shame that we had to rush the final production. I think we needed at least a week to produce it, not 8 hours! But that was the time we had and we did the best we could. On Welcome Down the Night, as Tristan is a perfectionist he simply refused to let this record go until he was happy with it. It’s also a much less ‘live’ sounding record – much more considered, a different feel and sensibility of recording. We’ve done a bunch of different records over the years, sometimes I prefer the really fast raucous ones, sometimes the slower more considered ones. Depends on what you listen for. Our recent compilation disk The First Will be Last (available only at gigs) really shows the differences of the production techniques and producers over the years! Worth a listen just for that. 

When the muse strikes is a song obviously something for the JEV Rock n Roll Soundsystem or for a solo recording; or is it not that simple?

JEV solo set tends to be much more about the lyrics – songs are quieter, more ‘considered’ and melancholy I guess – as with the City of Kites and Crows solo album (produced by David Ryder Prangley) whereas songs with the Rock n Roll Soundsystem are the more destructive violent and aggressive sort of thing. Weirdly the new single is a bit of both – it’s a quiet song played with a full rock band with a strangely pop sensibility. I actually really want to start merging the different Vistic sets more – we did go through a phase awhile back of playing two hour shows – quiet first half, apocalyptic second half – but perhaps that was a bit indulgent.

Any plans to record The Russian Winter, perhaps as a giant Bluray box set extravaganza?

The Russian Winter is set for a comeback very soon. We recently finished the album recording and are beginning on executive production with the amazing German producer Robert Harder. We actually performed one of the songs from the album at The Old Vic a couple of weeks ago and have a video coming soon of the gig. The Russian Winter original script has been totally rewritten and we are working on a radio version of the show, as well as an incredible redux multimedia extravaganza to be announced soon.

And do you have any future plans for anything outside the JEV Rock n Roll Soundsystemb / solo big-band work?

I have been working on a new album of songs with Joe Coles of The Guillotines / Lazarus Plane Crash and we are currently setting up the new band. It already sounds badass! 

Songs from the album will be previewed at the Thunderbolt on April 28th…get yer tix now because with the Montgomerys and Mike Crawford & Various Sorrows on the bill it’s gonna be a barnstorming guitar tsunami (but with plenty of Hammond, harmonies and more classic songs than you can shake a stick at).

All pix by John Morgan