HOO | Interview | New Album, ‘We Shall Never Speak’
Members of Slowdive, Beechwood Sparks and folk artist Jackie Oates and producer songwriter Nick Holton recently released HOO’s second album ‘We Shall Never Speak’.
Holton is a master builder of woozy dynamics, his songs unfurl with a mysterious, hooky logic all their own – this is cinematic and deeply emotive machine music. A glorious hybrid of electro, shoegaze, dubby “niceness” and floating dream pop. Holton’s roots grew from the now re-eulogised ‘90’s Reading shoegaze scene. In its wake founding DIY 4 trackers Coley Park for three exquisite, prescient albums of country psych. For the ensuing 25 years he’s been a constant collaborator/provocateur to many of the scene’s diaspora. Most recently as one third of Black Hearted Brother with Neil Halstead and Mark Van Hoen. Holton’s HOO co-conspirators this time are Halstead, 16 year old Charlie Holton, Ian McCutcheon, Paul Blewett and Lee Lavender. Guests include acclaimed folk singer Jackie Oates and West Coat Legend Farmer Dave Scher.
“HOO is about life with my wife and my family”
How would you describe the music of HOO?
Nick Holton: Psychedelic. Or at least my psychedelic pill. Baby!
How did the project originally start? When and how did you originally meet?
HOO began when I got a hefty amount of analogue synths after Black Hearted Brother’s debut came out and I just started recording spontaneous nonsense. It was just synths & instrumental for a long spell until I made the mistake of singing on a couple of ideas and they became ‘I Think It Is Now Over’ and ‘Second Pulse’. It is another project that is made at home in my own studio ‘Oaki Room’, so they blend into one another and my broader life. I have always made music this way and intended to. Touring, studios caves with adolescent-middle-age-men in shorts & eq hang-ups and band meetings all were never for me. Couldn’t be further from what I do. Less of that would be good for everyone on the planet. Sounds snobby because it is.
HOO is about life with my wife and my family. And this is why musicians like Paul Blewett, Ian McCutcheon and Neil Halstead always are in the band or on my records because they are part of my life.
“Lyrics and title is about humans inability to communicate”
What’s the story behind recording ‘We Shall Never Speak’? Can you share some further words about the ideas and concept behind the album?
I think we had a head start with this record. There were two tracks that we had not used for ‘Centipede Wisdom’ and both had the brilliant Jackie Oates singing, ‘The Mighty’ and ‘Powder Moon’. Farmer Dave Scher of Beachwood Sparks, guitarist Lee Lavender and Neil contributing too meant the album was already breaking out from the just dark pulsing synthesizer palette. There are still a bit of dark pulsing synths but with chocolate sauce and psychedelic sprinkles this time.
During the first spring lockdown 2020 I was still able to continue work as I am a gardener too. I would not see a soul. It looked so beautiful and calm in Oxfordshire but there seemed like a sinister omen to this stillness. A few ideas came from this experience. Otherwise lyrics and title is about humans inability to communicate. Political, Religion, Conflict, Love – human frailty. The collapsing environment features heavily and inspires ‘Powder Moon’. “All the young on Powder Moon they say you are twisted and in-grown”, for example. Sunny music for sunny people. A prophecy of doom ‘Apophis’ is what we almost called it but settled on ‘We Shall Never Speak’ at least that gives you an answer and maybe the reason for issues.
There’s a ton of stuff happening on the record. Was it difficult to produce it?
Yes it was. It always is. I think after 25 years of this nonsense I am getting okay at it. There is a punk spirit in our method like that guy from ‘Big Jesus Knife Dance’ Thurston Moore. How he approaches his guitar. Not compromised. As far as the overall sound with this record we wanted to run everything through dirty old analogue reverbs and equipment before going to record. To cut down the tinkering, get the sounds and follow. And use extremes, heavy feedback here and smooth icy synths there. I wish I was better at talking about recording. Jack White is really good at it on his LP sleeves. The recording device or studio is the most important tool in the process.
‘Cranium’ was cut down from a twenty minute epic which was great fun to record. I think we might put that out soon. ‘Ghost in You’ was created along with ‘We Shall Never Speak’ by tuning loops. Cutting them together to create the songs. These two took thousands of hours. Lee Lavender’s collaboration and input was really spontaneous and a fun trip. First two songs we wrote together we knew would make it onto the album which feels very lucky or something. Focused, that’s the word. Speaking to people can do that! I never got tired of working on this album and when it was done it was very clear that was that. Down tools and sit in the sun and wait eight months for the vinyl to show up.
What were some of the main influences that inspired you to create this album?
My old friend who plays a couple of bits on the album Neil Halstead is and has always been an inspiration. What a talent that man is! And I’d say there is a nod to his previous work on ‘Pygmalion’ by Slowdive. Mainly though I think everyone around me who supports me inspires me. Tom Butterworth, Paul Blewett (Moon Attendant), Ryan Graveface, Ian. Julian Mash, my son Charlie who makes a guest appearance or two.
I was listening to Bruce Haack ‘Electric Lucifer’, Isao Tomita ‘Snowflakes are Dancing’, ‘Isn’t Anything’ by MBV, ‘Sister’ by Sonic Youth, ‘Currents’ by Tame Impala, ‘Blueberry Boat’ by Fiery Furnaces, ‘Pretties For You’ by Alice Cooper and the lovely last LP by Nightlands.
“Playful, eccentric, explosive”
What kind of record did you want to make with this album?
Playful, eccentric, explosive that shamelessly takes itself seriously.
Our best album. I don’t know if it is better than ‘Centipede Wisdom’. I guess I make every album like it may be my last. When I started I never thought I’d have a Beachwood Spark on the record! Happily retire with that.
Klemen Breznikar
Headline photo: Nick Holton and Ian McCutcheon
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