Photo by Marcus Maschwitz.
blanket will soon be releasing their debut full length album How To Let Go on May 18 (preorder your copy from here!) and ahead of its release, we caught up with guitarist Simon for a chat about the band’s tastes and influences.
A song that influenced them
Just – Radiohead
The Bends is just a great album isn’t it? Totally an indie rock album (which is kind of strange to say about Radiohead when you consider their recent output) but when it was released it was the height of that wave of British indie. Being produced by John Leckie probably added to that sonic aesthetic. This album appeared in the middle of all that wave, but had something more, something a little left-field compared to their contemporaries at the time. Maybe it’s Johnny Greenwood’s jagged, inventive guitar parts, or perhaps Thom York’s voice shouting ‘You do it to yourself…’ that I found influential. I know at the time it just made me want to pick up a guitar.
A song they wish they could have written
33GOD – Bon Iver
As a band, we all love Bon Iver. Personally I listened to their 2nd album to death (once about 12 times in a row on a very hungover travel from Bucharest to Manchester) and it’s just beautiful music. When the next album, 22, a Million, was released I was apprehensive. When a band you love so much releases a new album you can only hope that it lives up to the previous material. Thankfully it was amazing. This is totally the stand out track from that release. The textures, tones, melodies and rhythm in this song are something else. Plus, Bobby sent us all a message once at 6am, while wasted, saying ‘If this isn’t the best bit in any song ever, then I don’t even want to know…’ (happens about 2:12). He was right.
Their favourite blanket song
Turn Ourselves To Stone
Collectively our favourite blanket song is Turn Ourselves to Stone from our new record. It was actually the last song to be written for it. We pretty much had the album songs planned and then this took shape very quickly a couple of months before we were due to start tracking. It had to be included on the record! There’s a section towards the end where it builds and Lewis (Johns, who produced and mixed the album) said to us during recording, that this section was his favourite part of the whole album. We hadn’t really discussed this, but all looked at each other, nodded and said ‘I think it’s ours too!’
A song they have been listening to a lot recently
The Maze – Manchester Orchestra
This is a band we’ve all been aware of for a long time but never really listened to. I saw an article about the album online and decided to give it a listen. The Maze is the opening track from A Black Mile to the Surface and is full of wonderful sonics. There’s a section where it sounds almost like a gospel choir. There is just something about a group of human voices harmonising that I find so mesmerising and inviting. It’s my wake up song, while I make a fresh pot of coffee and stare out of the window.
Their all-time favourite song
This is a toughie. Each member of blanket has such a diverse taste in music so it’s impossible to pick one definitive favourite. In fact, personally I’m struggling, as so many factors can influence this decision each day. Regardless, I shall (for right now) go with Something by The Beatles. Definitely peak Beatles here. A rare Beatles song written by George Harrison, and arguably the best. The ‘You’re asking me will me love grow…’ refrain still gives me goosebumps when I listen to it.
