Behind the Music: Interview with Will Barnes

‘Most of my technique has come as a happy accident from having to practise the pieces I compose.’

Ahead of his quartet – comprising of pianist Jack Gonsalez, bassist Aidan Thorne, and drummer James Batten – performing at Isbourne Arts on Saturday 7th February, I caught up with Will Barnes to find out what influenced him to become a jazz musician, what inspires his tracks, and what impact music has had on his life so far.

Hi Will, thanks for taking the time to chat. What five words describe the music you create?
Fun, reflective, collaborative, thoughtful, introspective.

What drew you to focusing on jazz music as your artistic direction?
I love many forms and styles of music, and jazz is one of them. I enjoy small format groups, intimate performance spaces and the spontaneity of improvised music. Small Jazz ensembles are also nice and easy to travel around with (despite the double bass… Haha!), which makes the logistics of touring fairly easy.

Reflecting on your time as the ‘Will Barnes Quartet’ how did you form and what is the best thing about working with the other musicians you chose?
The quartet is comprised of musicians based in Montgomeryshire. We’ve mostly known of each other for quite some time (before the quartet) from playing and working on the local scene. We are all very proud to be part of a blossoming rural Welsh music scene, and we share that common interest. Everyone in the group brings their own flavour, and it’s fun seeing that develop.

When balancing improvisations, is there always a set routine for who will solo on each track?
Sometimes yes, and sometimes no.

‘Most of my compositions have been inspired by a place, an experience or a person.’

Your previous release ‘Live at Pizza Express’, features many numbers that feature on ‘Source of the Severn’. What were the biggest differences when it came to playing those tracks in both settings?
Well, when we record, the material is usually very fresh. We don’t tend to “work” it in for very long before we record, due to the nature of our restricted touring/recording schedule. But by the time we played in Soho, we had toured that material for some time, and it was much more familiar. This gave us a chance to be a bit more playful and take a few more chances.

And linked with this, what was the process behind deciding which ones would be omitted in the live setting?
I try and select unique sets for each gig, or cluster of gigs. I will rotate material, add in new pieces or improvised intros and segues to help keep the music fresh for the musicians and audience. Sometimes I’ll write a little throw away piece for a run of gigs, something we can play with and improvise around, then it will be forgotten, and we move onto something else. Sometimes Jack or Aidan will play a solo piece.

When it comes to naming tracks, how do you go about doing this given the instrumental nature of your music?
Most of the pieces will have been inspired by a place, experience or person. So the names come easily.

When you aren’t playing or composing, what music do you listen to?
I find this question difficult to answer, because I love so many different styles of music depending on my mood. My record collection contains a lot of jazz, metal, blues, reggae, hip-hop and rock.

Turning to your latest album, there are some beautifully meditative moments on ‘Outside the Light’. What inspired you to compose tracks such as opener ‘Annwn’ and ‘The Longest Day’.
This album took a more reflective route. I was interested in how the changing light from season to season effects our perspective on the landscape and ultimately, our mood. I wanted to draw inspiration from local places, without revisiting too many themes from our previous album. So I decided to use local folklore as an inspiration, and how that links into seasons and changing light. I think many of the folk traditions and tales are influenced by seasons (and light, or lack of) so this formed the basis for composing. The pieces loosely move from winter through the seasons.

One of my favourite moments on the album is when ‘Devil’s Bridge’ modulates from more western centred harmonies to near-Arabic ones. What led to it heading in this direction?
The folkore of Devil’s Bridge at Pontarfynach in Ceredigion is fascinating, and full of twists and turns, much like the place itself (I thoroughly recommend visiting). I endeavour to recall some of the folk tales that inspire the compositions at our performances, and this one is a favourite. Once you’ve heard the tale, the musical themes start to make sense (hopefully).

‘I enjoy small format ensembles, intimate performance spaces, and the spontaneity that improvised music brings.’

Throughout the album, you utilise a range of guitar techniques. Is there one which you feel most a home using and could you ever see yourself writing a track based solely around that technique?
Not really. I have always written pieces that challenge me technically, but not for it’s own sake. Technique has always been an after thought for me. I have to consciously put time into technique, and most of my technique has come as a happy accident from having to practise the pieces I compose, ready to perform. I would rather be considered a composer who plays guitar, than a performance-based musician, if that makes sense?

If you hadn’t been drawn to guitar, what other instrument do you think you would have liked to learn?
Piano or drums. Clarinet was my first proper instrument, but I abandoned it at about the age of 13. I wish I had continued, but for me it’s hard enough staying up to scratch on one instrument .

And finally, how would you summarise the impact music has had on your life to date?
Fundamental. It’s as essential as eating and drinking, well, almost… haha! I listen to hours and hours of music daily. I wish I had more time to discover new sounds, because I like to really get into the nitty gritty of an album or track before moving on. But that’s the beauty of it, the never-ending quest. When I hear a new sound, band or track that lights me up, it’s like mainlining a shot of pure energy straight into my soul. That was a bit far out, sorry! Haha.

Thanks Will Barnes for chatting with Listen to Discover.