What have been your musical epiphany moments?
I'd probably say New Order 'Regret' on Top of the Pops 2 one afternoon. My Great Aunt said something like "this is a load of rubbish", and I remember snapping and defending it. When I was at school load of good music was creeping in. Lots of good dance stuff, Suede, Blur, Pulp, loads of good British things. Also my friends would get me into rock and rap like Wu Tang, Busta Rhymes, NWA and their spin offs. Loads of exciting music was floating around.
Talk to us about the song-writing process in Prime for you. What comes first, the idea? A riff? The lyrics? How does it all come into place?
Often in the early days of Prime we would just jam and then I would come up with vocal lines to a good riff or bassline. Just loop it over, come up with something vocally then work on the lyrics later. Later on, working with Kieran Hill, we would sit down and make a 4 track demo together, with me coming up with vocal harmonies, which Kieron would then sing live. Those two formulas for us seemed to reap the most reward.
Who has influenced you the most?
I would say the Unholy Glam Rock Trinity of David Bowie, Lou Reed and Iggy Pop have been probably the biggest influence on me as a singer and vocalist. Bowie's wit and style, Lou Reed's directness and sarcasm as a lyricist, and the grandeur and wildness of Iggy Pop all played their part. Also, I'll give a special mention to Jerry Lee Lewis and Mark E Smith of The Fall, who definitely have influenced me on stage a lot.
Where do you look for continuing inspiration? New ideas, new motivation?
I became very disillusioned of working with band members that didn't have their heads switched on right, and that's why I decided to end Prime this past few years... So to motivate me to get back into the studio would have to be something special. Working on a new genre of music, or a video or film project - I've dipped my toes into that in the past co-directing videos for the likes of Dan Heathcote and Flaming Fields - so something mixed media or for an important cause would inspire me, as I don't think a meat and potatoes rock band would work for what I want to do in the future. I've progressed beyond that.
We're all a product of our environment. Tell us about the band's hometown of Nottingham, UK and how that reflects in the music?
I never used to think it was the case, but Nottingham has a sharp, cynical edge that pops into the music sometimes. I suppose it has that sarcasm and coldness of the likes of Lou Reed, Mark E Smith and Iggy, and I never really spotted it until I stopped making music. But it does have a rebellious spirit too, and I think that also came into play with the music I make. When I was writing songs with Ollie Barnes (past Prime guitarist) he also had that inbuilt anger and aggression that I had when I started in bands... I loved being surrounded by people like that, and that's why we got on so well.
Where'd the band name of Prime come from?
I was flicking through the TV one night and a Gene Hackman film came on called Prime Cut, and I quite liked the name. Had a bit of beef to it, no pun intended.
You have one chance, what movie are you going to write the soundtrack for?
I've got big into the music of Tangerine Dream since finishing up Prime a while ago, so a soundtrack to an 80's movie like 'Thief' with James Caan or 'Risky Business' with Tom Cruise. Something with big hair and shoulder pads!
You now write for a music publication (The Ripple Effect?). You're going to write a 1,000 word essay on one song. Which would it be and why?
I've done my fair share of writing, I used to write magazine reviews under the pseudonym of Olly Wilkinson (an old school friend of mine) ... so those days of 1,000 word essays are over! Hmmm ... 'Agadoo' by Kadgagoogoo for the laugh.
Come on then, share with us some of your great, Spinal Tap style rock n' roll moments?
Oh, Spinal Tap is so bloody accurate! The amount of times you're left wandering aimlessly around the bigger venues getting lost! There's a line in 'Bye Bye Prime' a song that put a full stop on what we did, and also talked about some of the funny moments, which included the band van being too big for a carpark in Leeds, and Chris spending the night in a hotel laundry after a session 'cause he got 'locked out' of a hotel room which had actually been left fully open so he could've just walked straight in (Laughs) Just typical idiotic rock musician behaviour. Ha.
Tell us about playing live and the live experience for you and your fans?
Moments like being onstage, and after the gig, are very fleeting. But any time anyone was moved or entertained by what we did, it was always appreciated. And when people come up to me now and ask me how I'm getting on since I finished the band, I always appreciate it. And obviously, playing live when it's going well - and even when it isn't - is one of the best feelings in the world, just being out there and expressing yourself.
What makes a great song?
Emotion, connection, relatablity, power, spirit, excitement.
Tell us about the first song you ever wrote?
I was 7 or 8 and it was about the famous snooker player Jimmy White to the music of Jesus Christ Superstar ... "Jimmy White, Snooker Star / If you have to play him you won't get far. He goes to heaven with the 147 / And he's simply the best with the rest"... I recently read Jimmy's autobiography Second Wind, and it was more rock n' roll than most current bands. All night sessions, crack addiction, crashing speedboats... Brilliant.
What piece of your music are you particularly proud of?
I really think our final single and music video 'Sorry' was a definite highlight. And I didn't write one lyric for it personally, it was nice to put my vocal and creativity to someone else's words - Chris Bramley our last guitarist - for a change. And the music video - about a murderer and based on a true story - was the most impressive we had done up to that point.
Who today writes great songs? Who just kicks your ass? Why?
I wouldn't say many bands or artists kick my ass as my music tastes are now pretty well formed, but I like some of the more mellow grime artists around at the moment like Knucks as they are musically very creative, mixing up genres like rap and jazz, and structurally are very interesting. Rock has lost it's way and stopped taking so many risks. It's stale. Hopefully Prime weren't and when people check our back catalogue on YouTube or start streaming, they feel like we contributed to breathing a bit of life into the genre.
Vinyl, CD, or digital? What's your format of choice?
If you're sitting down relaxing and fully focused on an album, I don't think you can beat vinyl. But CD should still sound great through a decent sound system.
Whiskey or beer? And defend your choice...
If Jack Daniel's counts as whiskey, which I believe it does, as I was talking to someone from Tennessee about this recently who said it does, then I'm in. And... It's stronger and tastier than beer.
We, at the Ripple Effect, are constantly looking for new music. What's your home town, and when we get there, what's the best record store to lose ourselves in?
I'll shout out to my local shop, Chris's Music in Sutton in Ashfield. He has some great bargains and a good selection. Also, I played at Rough Trade a few times in the past and I'm always picking up some good country and rock from there.
What's next for the band?
We have some archival footage and tracks to come, but I'm sticking to my guns by saying that there will be no new music under the banner of Prime (UK Band).
Any final comments or thoughts you'd like to share with our readers, the waveriders?
Keep supporting independent bands, journalists and venues, and buying their product and tickets. Without that, there really is no grass roots scene.
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