Bio:
In 2013 I decided to start working on a new solo project, a break from my regular band Aronora, something where I could really just channel the classic prog stuff that I had been spending a lot of time listening to and somewhat obsessively studying. When it came to the recording of the project, I decided to get my brother Chris involved to record the drums firstly because he’s the best drummer I know and secondly, has an amazing ear for where a feel or groove should sit in order to complement the overall vibe of where an album is going.
Genre:
To me, prog rock is by far the most interesting of all the genres. Main reason I say this is because there’s no boundaries. You can include just about anything on a prog record, from Jazz, Metal, Ambient, Folk, Funk… anything. It’s also a place where you can get away with recording 20+ minute songs or concepts, which I love.
Evolution of the initial musical and thematic elements:
I sat down with a bunch of different small ideas and decided, you know what, let’s go all out, not set any limitations and link it all together into a prog epic. Things kind of grew from there.
Ideas about the album:
Overall I’m happy with what Tipping Point has become. It’s been a labor of love that I’m really glad I’ve been able to finish. Any artist, be it a musician, painter, sculptor etc. will always say that there’s things that could be better with the end product, but I guess that’s what keeps us going and creating.
Reception:
Really good. I’ve got a lot of great feedback.
Next step; live or studio:
In time I’d like to put together a band to be able to perform Tipping Point and some other material I’ve been working on, but for now I’m just enjoying writing and recording.
Lyrics, themes and concepts:
I’ve always had a love of concept albums, so I wanted to do that, but not in a real rock opera story line kind of way. For me it was more about putting together a bit of a study of a man’s feelings as he goes through a really tough time, things that would go through his head, what he would do or how he would end up after the fact.
Inspirations:
A range of stuff, but mainly – Transatlantic, Steven Wilson, Opeth, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Camel, Yes, Flower Kings, Haken etc.
Preference; cater to the audience or music for its own sake:
For me, it’s more about the music itself and the enjoyment that comes with writing, playing, creating etc. If people like it that’s great, but for me, playing music is what I enjoy more than focusing on keeping the audience happy.
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