A Cuckoo: some dusty nostalgia

Posted by Champersnova in Interviews on 10 25th, 2007 | one response |

A CuckooA Cuckoo is “some dusty nostalgia” rising from Leeds. His music is so involved with nostalgic elements that it is like a contemporary flashback to; the mystic breeze of old Mediterranean, trips through vineyards – corn fields and sepia colored open air theatres. Before the release of his debut: Destination Unknown he answered some questions for us.

1) Where does the name A Cuckoo come from?

Well.. I was calling myself ‘the Midwich Cuckoo‘ at first, which is the title of a novel by my favorite author, John Wyndham. It was made into a couple of dodgy films that really don’t do the book any justice but if you ever want a quick classic read.. hunt it down. I’ve read all of his books and they’re all topThe Midwich Cuckoos: Fast Track Classics (Fast Track Classics Series) notch. So.. anyways, the record company looked into using the name ‘the Midwich cuckoo’ but it would’ve been a legal headache so I said.. just call me ‘A Cuckoo’. Funny thing is, here in England.. if you say someone is a bit cuckoo then it means they’re a little bit mad which I guess I am.

2) How would you describe your music?

It’s certainly a bit odd and peculiar. Very hard to explain but it’s a hybrid of psychedelic acoustic waltzes and curious lullabies. There’s definitely a big French influence throughout but there’s also a bunch of soundtracks that have influenced the album too. Danny Elfman’s Edward Scissorhands being the most obvious. Lots of Harmonies too. Old influences like the Everly Brothers, Django Reinhardt etc.. A very bizarre mix…

3) Do you have any certain method of writing?

A CuckooHmmm.. not really. I don’t have a set method. Sometimes something will just inspire me to write and compose a whole piece quickly whereas other songs would be put together over a longer time span. Some songs were even recorded as separate bits then edited together. Lyrics are usually written in cafes or on my frequent strolls through the Forest or Moors. Some of the music pieces came straight out of my dreams. Seriously!! There are two tracks on the album that were composed from melodies created within sleep. I woke up and put the ideas straight down onto my Dictaphone and then later made the abstract melodies coherent.

4) Having a look at your songs, it is easy to see that they are based on powerful inspirations from literature, cinema and music. So, what inspires you most?

Thoughts and visions are the main inspiration. Nostalgia too. Magick.. Dreams.. Qaballah.. Friends.. love.. you know, the usual suspects!

5) All tunes in “Destination Unknown” seem to be connected in a way. It is like an audio film of a narrated life story. Is it? For example, is “I Won’t Forget” a sequel to “Cyberland”?

Yeah.. I did want the album to be a complete piece and work as a whole story. On the CD version, the tracks all merge into each other with no gaps. Musically it sounds like a composed work and lyrically it follows a tale of growth too. It was important for me to express the album in a kinda chronological stroll through the last couple of years of my life. The only track that veers of track is the cover of Bob Dylan’s Sara. I had always wanted to sing those lyrics and therefore it had to go on there somewhere but it kinda fits well with the tracks each side of it.

6) When the album is going to be released?

It has just been mixed recently so now for the mastering, artwork and pressing. Hopefully this Winter but maybe early 2008.

7) Any planned live shows / tour in near future? And I know you have had touring experiences all over the world before you were A Cuckoo. Is there any particular place you want to perform?

Hehehe.. yeah. I’ve done my fair share of touring and yes, I would love to take the album on the road if units shift well. The place I would love to visit and play more than anywhere else is Japan and Korea. It’s a part of the world I have longed to visit. I love the culture there and I also love their scary movies!

8 ) Your songs are arranged of a diversity of instruments and they all have a distinct ambiance. I am wondering how would you achieve reflecting this ambiance live on stage? With an electronic desk? Or a multi-piece band?

It would certainly be a challenge for sure but that’s what makes the prospect so exciting. I would need half a dozen great musicians and a serious sound engineer too. A few years back I had to musically direct a really interesting concert and it turned out to be very special indeed. I remember going to see the re-enactment of Pet Sounds too and thought to myself.. Gosh, it CAN be done!

9) What do you think about music business today? What is the role of Myspace or other cyber networks in the business? If you didn’t take the first step on Myspace in the first place, would you still be working on releasing an album? Would you have the courage and urge to do so?

The music biz is in massive transition. Downloads, legal and illegal have changed the way the music business operates and they have had to adapt accordingly. Artists have to find other avenues for income. But on the other hand.. you no longer need to sign to a major record company to release records. A&R men are now searching sites like Myspace for new artists. Also.. sites like Pandora and Last.fm are such a brilliant platform for artists to get their music heard by their potential record buyers and lots of these internet radio sites are now paying royalties from online airplay which will hopefully solve the issue of artists losing out in other areas. On the whole.. I think it’s all very healthy.. and very interesting.

A Cuckoo – Over The Moon

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1 Comment »

  1. avatar zoe Says:
    December 16th, 2008 at 3:01 am

    i like a cuckoo’s music, and try to find the album’s lyrics and infomations about a cuckoo, but not so much…
    i found again and again on every website, finally find myspace! i so exciting and just want to leave some words. thanks!

    regards!
    zoe

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