Butcher The Bar - Bedroom power-pop

First of all, thank you for the album. I've been listening to it on repeat for days. What surprised me is the incredible sense of direction, both in songwriting and arrangement, on this "III". Especially since eight years have passed since its release. Can you briefly tell us what happened in the meantime?

Thank you so much, I'm glad you like it! When we finished the record, I think we were a bit deflated by the fact that our label wasn't going to release it. Apparently it "didn't sound enough like the previous album", which was exactly the point, though. I don't understand why anyone would want to make the same record twice. Writing and recording this album took a lot out of me at the time, so having it go nowhere was hard, and I didn't want to think about it for a while. We all started playing in other bands in Manchester, some of us in the same one, and I wrote some music for television, which I'm still making a bit of money from.

I read in the description of "III" that it was recorded between 2013 and 2015, but only saw the light of day four years later. How did you manage to keep a clear sense of purpose, both as an artist in general and specifically regarding this album, over such a long stretch of time?

The writing and recording time for this album can sound drawn-out, and in some ways it was. Mixing and mastering took longer than usual, we always had to rely on volunteer, unpaid help, which, while we were (and still are) deeply grateful for it, meant things took longer. Also, we recorded everything ourselves – except for the rhythm section (at Airtight Studios in south Manchester) – so we were learning as we went, and probably spent time obsessing over minor details that didn't really need it. Still, it felt like an intense period with a lot of work going on, which such a wide time span doesn't really suggest, and we kept moving forward without ever standing still. These are things that take time.

Were there any changes made to the record before its final release?

It stayed untouched for a long time. Earlier this year, we finally decided to release it – at first for free, digitally, then Bobo Integral came along for the physical pressing – which meant we brought it back to our friend Pete Philipson for a fresh mix and master. But all the songs and their order stayed the same.

There doesn't seem to be much information out there about you as an artist. Where does the name of your project come from, first of all? Can you tell us about your beginnings as a songwriter?

The name doesn't mean much. I was reading something about how pub or bar stories shouldn't be cannibalized by art, and I think I must have misremembered it, or just settled on those words. I often feel embarrassed that I don't have a specific explanation, so sometimes I make things up.

I started writing songs for what would become Butcher The Bar in 2006/07 when I was living in Lincoln. I had an eight-track recorder I'd never really used, so I decided to write some songs so I'd learn how to use it. I uploaded 3 or 4 of them to my Myspace and started sending them to someone, I wasn't even really sure why and I didn't expect anything to come of it. I sent them to Morr Music and they listened, liked them, and got in touch asking if I had any more. I said yes, but I didn't. So I quickly wrote a few more to send over, and those are the songs that eventually made up the first record, "Sleep At Your Own Speed". By that point I'd moved to London, working as an editorial assistant, which was great, but those long days didn't leave much room for music. When the record came out (2008) I went to live in Manchester, where I wrote the second record, "For Each A Future Tethered" (2011), which I recorded with my friend and producer Barney Freeman during 2010 at his home studio in Richmond. We put together a European tour to support the record, so I assembled a full band in Manchester (plus Barney on accordion/clarinet/keyboards). We played so well together and had so much fun that this eventually became the band that would go on to record "III".

Your fans will surely have noticed the “electric turn” that Butcher The Bar take on this new record. Sometimes that kind of shift is somewhat illusory, in the sense that the songs are simply arranged differently, but nothing more. In your case, the change seems deeper, in the sense that it feels like you've also adapted your songwriting to the record's power-pop style. Would you agree?

Yes, I think you're right. The “electric turn” was both natural and intentional. I'd always preferred being in a band and had grown bored of playing acoustically, so I took the opportunity of this new band to make that happen. The demos for the Lp were halfway between the old material and what would eventually become “III”, and the band helped push it up a level, toward a “power-pop” style that was different from the folk-pop things I'd done up to that point. I definitely wanted to write songs with more interesting arrangements and spent time working toward that, but never with another genre in mind, or even other bands or artists. I just wanted to write the best music I could at the time.

Was there also an evolution within the band, in your collaboration but also in each member's individual sensibility, that inspired this change?

Absolutely. Everyone's contribution improved the songs and made the transition in that direction easier. I have to admit it only became clear to me after a few years of not listening to the album. When you're in the middle of it, you're just trying to get on with things, and I didn't think it was any different from the rest. After spending time touring and playing together, you start to feel part of a gang, where every member has their own role, and that's why everyone's personality came through on the record. We're all still very proud of having made it, which says a lot, I think.

You're releasing the record on the Madrid label Bobo Integral, another one in a series of small but interesting Spanish indie-pop labels. Was that (the lack of label support) one of the factors holding back the release of “III”? What's the role of a record label from your point of view, today?

At first, yes. We'd been turned down by Morr for this Lp and, despite approaching other labels, we hadn't had any luck. Then, earlier this year, we decided to “give it away”, in an effort to move on and start making new music. We thought it would be cathartic to put it out under our own name, and hopefully someone would still be interested enough in Butcher The Bar to listen to it or download it. Obviously we'd have liked to press physical copies, but we didn't have the means to do so, so when Bobo Integral showed interest, we were really happy and excited about the offer. It was a nice confidence boost and the start of a short but enjoyable period, since we had the chance to talk about the record again and see how people responded to it.

I think the role of a label is essentially and exactly what Bobo Integral does. They put out music they like, they get it to the people who like it, without stress. I think if that same approach were used at every level, this would be a decent ”industry” to be involved in. My experience with labels is that they generally don't give you much, and you can end up feeling like they're doing you a favour, which isn't great for your self-esteem and creativity. You shouldn't have to serve anyone else's interests as an artist, and I think you can end up doing that unconsciously when working with a label; the reason it was good with Bobo Integral is that the album was already finished by the time they got in touch, but I imagine the process would have been just as easy if we'd worked together on producing the Lp.

What's the situation, right now, for an independent artist in the UK, from your point of view?

It depends what you want. If you want to live comfortably off music as an independent artist, you might struggle, and your quality of life could suffer. But the opportunities to play, express yourself and be heard are really great. Butcher The Bar was on hiatus for a number of years, but individually we all more or less kept playing in other bands. The more you play, the more you're exposed to different corners of this country's music scene, and you meet great people and excellent artists. I'd say that if you can make that your own, you can do what you want and feel fulfilled, successful and appreciated.

What are your plans touring-wise? Can your fans hope for a full-band European tour (including Italy, maybe)? Thanks for your time.

Unfortunately, we don't have any plans at the moment. Though if the opportunity comes up, definitely. Touring is the most fun thing you can do as a band, even the mishaps are fun too, really. But everything happened so fast that we haven't had time to plan or prepare anything else besides the album launch party (at the Eagle Inn in Salford, on 23 August). Tours in the past have often started with an agent/promoter getting in touch from another country (even from Italy), so you never know.

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