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For the past decade, the UK's Air Formation has released albums that defy simple classification, all the while garnering almost universal critical acclaim. Dubbed "shoegaze" or "dream pop," Air Formation's music is nothing short of an experience. There is the sense of a lush, abstract journey while listening to the work of Matt Bartram, Ben Pierce, Richard Parks, James Harrison, and Ian Sheridan. With the release of their latest album "Nothing to Wish For (Nothing to Lose)," Air Formation proves once again that they have many worlds left to explore. Ethereal without getting lost in itself, atmospheric while having a sense of purpose, Air Formation's music continues to compel and surprise the listener. Lead vocalist Matt Bartram was kind enough to speak with Paradigm about how Air Formation came together and where the band plans to go next. How did you guys meet? We have been friends for years -- long before we were in a band together. I grew up with Richard and went to school with Ben and Ian, James is my brother-in-law, so we're all pretty close. Having been together for ten years, how have you evolved as a group? It always felt like a very gradual development but when I think about it now, it probably wasn't. We started off using a drum machine, rehearsing in a bedroom and recording albums in a day, then about five years ago, James joined on drums which gave us a much-needed boost. It made playing songs so much easier and we were suddenly able to add certain dynamics to the songs which we weren't able to do with the drum machine. It was also around that time we signed to Club AC30, and started recording with Pat Collier. Since then we've hopefully become better at what we do and have clearer ideas on the direction that the music takes. We take our time and talk more about the songs, what we think is going well and where things are going wrong. I'm not sure we really thought about it too much at the start -- it was just a case of quickly writing and recording songs, which has its upside as well as its downs. What compels you to create music in the "shoegaze" genre? I don't consciously write music in any specific genre -- certainly not in a shoegaze genre. In most cases, I try to avoid it. It'd be too easy as it's what people expect. I'm always trying to think of new ways to present a song but because much of the music I enjoy tends to be downbeat and atmospheric, the music I write tends to be downbeat and atmospheric. For the new album, I stripped back the reverb and delay as it was getting too easy to hide behind. I felt things needed to be different this time around. So, you don't even like the label "shoegaze"? I'm not too bothered by it. All music will be pigeon-holed. From where do each of you draw inspiration? I can't really answer for the others, but I find the biggest inspiration for me is listening to great music, new and old. Music that makes you feel like picking up and plugging in the guitar. Have you ever been surprised by how a song or album has come out? It'd be fair to say every song and album surprises me in some way. We write and rehearse in a very small room at a loud volume and although we know all the pieces fit together, you're never quite sure how it will sound once recorded. That is one of the most interesting parts: listening back and going, "Ah, that's what it sounds like." We did in fact demo the new album to give us more direction and an idea of what it would sound like, but the finished album still sounded totally different. What is the best piece of songwriting advice you've ever heard? When I was about fourteen years old, just before my band's debut live performance, my music teacher told me that counting in and out "1,2,3,4" would help as our songs had no clear beginning or end. That was probably the last time I was given any advice. How differently do you approach your live shows than the recording studio? How different are the experiences for you? They are basically approached in the same way, as when we record, we try to achieve the energy that we create during a live show. However, a live show will always be the more intense experience. Every show will sound or feel different up on the stage, but it's so important that we get it right. You have just have to put your head down and either ignore, or work through, any external pressures. It can be easy to forget that what you hear and what the audience hears can be completely different. In comparison, when we record, we do a pretty full on ten-hour session each day where you barely see daylight. But you have time to sit back and talk about where it's all heading. It doesn't matter if things go wrong because they can be put right. Even if at the end of a few days in the studio, it feels like you're living in an alternate universe, I prefer it just because of the creative element. It's the culmination of all the previous months' work and it's exciting to see the hard work pay off and your vision coming to life. Does Air Formation have a specific creative process when it comes to writing music? In the majority of cases, I write the basic songs. It is a very simple process of using a Dictaphone to record ideas so I don't forget them, then molding them into songs which I rough-demo. I then meet up with Ben and Richard to add their parts. Ben is fantastic at coming up with really interesting bass parts quickly that help get the songs up and running. Richard and I usually get together and hum tunes over my chords, which we then transpose into keyboard parts. Once this is all done, we take them to James and Ian at rehearsal and work through them again and again until we're happy. This will usually involve playing them at different speeds, cutting parts out or adding different sections until they feel right. You released "Low December Sun," and other singles, on vinyl. Are you guys fans of the medium? Do you wish vinyl would come back into popularity? My dad has always been a keen collector of the 7", so I grew up with thousands of 7"'s around me. I love buying them, too, and always have a stack by the turntable. I just find them so convenient if you just want to listen to a couple of tracks, and they sound much better than CDs. I think for the kind of music I like, 7"'s will always be an option, especially as the CD single has died. As long as there are affordable places to press them, I'm pretty sure the labels will continue to release them. Some of your music sounds like a perfect accompaniment to a film. Have you ever considered writing a score? We were approached shortly after Daylight Storms to write a score but the deal fell through. Would you still try it? It was a prospect I found very interesting and if an opportunity came up, I'd certainly be interested. What is the biggest creative challenge you have ever faced as a group? I think our biggest creative challenge is keeping the music we create fresh and exciting for us. It's something we have definitely done with our new album. It would have been too easy to do another Daylight Storms. In fact, we scrapped a whole bunch of songs that were intended for the new album as it just felt like we were treading water. I guess the whole nature of creating music is a constant challenge and the kind of challenge I'm always up for. It wouldn't be a good thing to get complacent. What's next for Air Formation? The new album, then we'll be playing some UK and European dates, and seeing what other offers come our way. Every Air Formation album is my last, and if I did another it would have to better than our new one, so we'll have to see what happens. Hear more from Air Formation at their site . |