W&H previously grabbed the chance of a chinwag with I AM KLOOT singer/ guitarist JOHNNY BRAMWELL on the release of their remarkably primal single "Life In A Day" back in June, and had no intention of missing out when Kloot hit the road to promote their second album, cunningly titled "I Am Kloot." A quiet masterpiece, full of sardonic, erudite lyrical twists from Mr.Bramwell's pen and lots of simple, but affecting musical backdrops, it's already gaining critical ground and when the news that its' creators would be starting a marathon trek around Ireland and the UK came through, well, we just couldn't resist, could we.......
Kloot's tour dates kick off in Cork at the Savoy Ballroom, a legendary old dancehall which once hosted a show by the Brian Jones-era Rolling Stones circa late summer 1965. It was closed commercially for years and has recently re-opened (above a newly re-designed shopping centre) for hosting the larger, non-seater gigs the city's Opera House decides to take on. Ironically, as your reviewer scribbles, he's heard news that it's about to close as a venue once again. C'est la vie. But we digress.
Though headlining their UK dates, Kloot are supporting the woefully over-rated Dublin singer/ songwriter David Kitt on the Irish jaunt. He's now joined by a full live band, but still can't prevent us yawning and traipsing off for the bar after twenty minutes of his eminently forgettable set. Earlier on, we'd sat out front watching him soundcheck before Johnny thankfully guides us through the Savoy's cavernous backstage to a quiet corner for a chat. Let's get down to business and talk about this here "I Am Kloot" album. It sounds very live-in-the-studio, Johnny, without much in the way of overdubs?
"Well, there were some overdubs," Johnny points out. "But, yeah, like the first LP it was done mostly live with just the three of us - sometimes in the studio in London (Metropolis) or sometimes back home in Manchester, in my mate's bedroom....it's a big room!(laughs)"
Right. Most of the album was produced by Chris Potter, the man responsible for The Verve's "Urban Hymns" among other notables. What did he bring to the table for you?
"Well, he came up to a lot of our early rehearsals for the album," Johnny reveals.
"And he soon pointed out that we shouldn't try to make an over-elaborate LP. He came to that conclusion before we did even. He felt we should record it as a three-piece and not think too much about it as the songs were already working."
"There are little touches of...finesse, though," he says, as an afterthought.
"Things like glockenspiels, vibes...."
Yeah. Like the song "A Strange Arrangement Of Colour," for instance? That has the vibes and a very - dare I say it - soundtrack-y feel?
"Right. Andy (Hargreaves, drummer) put the vibes down there. But I do think that a lot of the songs are influenced by film and literature, fiction, rather than being heavily influenced by current music. I mean, with both "...Strange Arrangement" and "Here For The World", they feel like James Bond themes, big Shirley Bassey numbers. I could see them being recorded in that kind of way."
Right. Also, you're pretty popular in France and I can understand that because of the literary feel of some of the songs...
"Yeah, well we first did a tour of France three years back with The Divine Comedy," says Johnny, thinking back.
"Then we did our own tour immediately after and finished off with a great Festival there called Routes de Rock. France did seem to embrace us faster than anyway else. They like our twisted chanteuse kind of song (laughs). Recently, we've back again, with Turin Brakes supporting us. Back in England they returned the favour by taking us as support to them on tour in March."
Johnny pauses for a moment and then continues.
"But I wouldn't want to appear as some cerebral type of person, because I'm not really," he says.
"I do take care with the lyrics, certainly, but I don't sweat away at it. I just keep singing a song I have an idea with until the words finally formulate as I want them. I do also think that the new record is more direct and less obviously witty than the first album ("Natural History")."
Mmm. I take your point, especially with a song like, say, "Proof": a gentle little marvel of a love song with the simplest of images, which somes to the conculsion: "Who am I without you" and makes you just melt in the process...
"Thank you," replies Johnny. "We're really delighed with that song. It's funny, 'cos that song came so easily and I started thinking 'this can't be right' because it's SO simple, but it does have a really lovely feel that song and I think it works well at that place on the album as a...brightener, really."
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After songs like "Mermaids".... how did you get the atmosphere together on thate song. It's got a real sub-aquatic feel, with the clanking anchor chains and so on...
"Yeah, well a happy accident, really," admits Johnny. "I found this keyboard where we could get sounds like bells and depth charges and submarine echoes. It really was pure chance, actually, especially as I'd written the lyrics before that."
"As for the anchor chain sounds, well those really are an anchor chain, it's not simulated. It's actually Andy wielding this huge chain around in the studio (laughs). We've got some photos of him with it, actually."
So you can always blackmail him if the need arises...
"Yeah, right," guffaws Johnny.
Seriously, though, let's get back to the album. What about the song "From Your Favourite Sky." That's really dramatic. Where did that come from...
"Well, I was having a semi-argument with a friend of mine," says Johnny carefully.
"And we were having a go at each other in a way....and afterwards, I thought well, who am I to have a go at you, which influences the chorus ("So what is love and who am I to dare to pull the stars from your favourite sky")."
There's that line about "you burn on a Catholic flame," too....is that about martyrdom or something?
"Well, yeah in the sense that it's about someone acting like a martyr. The lyrics are dead sarky during the verses, so it's more about that. It's not really a direct religious reference, though."
There's something about the chord sequence that gets under your skin, too.
"Hmm, yeah, I think so too. There's a Spanish kinda feel going on in there....not that I know that much about the structure of Spanish music as such (laughs)."
Can't truly say I do myself, but certainly this song works a dream. Listen, Johnny, you're already getting looks and reminders that it's soundcheck time, so just one final question about the album. I really like the closing track "The Same Deep Water As You," but where did the French horn come from, mate? Who's the star brass player in the Kloot ranks, then?
"Ha! Well that was another great bit of luck, " Johnny shrugs as we get up to leave the room.
"The guy who plays that is actually a lawyer friend of ours, who played a French Horn at school. He shares a flat with Pete (Jobson) bassist and well, we needed a mellow, haunting horn sound for that track."
"So we suggested he have a go at playing on the song and he tried it and it was remarkable...it was exacly what we wanted because it sounds quite distant and like a ship's horn, which fits exactly with the lyrics."
"It's hilarious, actually," laughs Johnny, "because since then he's been pracrtising and practising that little bit and he dId it live with us for the first time recently."
And his nerve held?
"Yeah, it did," Johnny laughs. "And it's not as though it's exactly a background bit either, cos it's right in the middle of the song and it's crucial to the plot. When we played it I stared right at him - but it didn't put him off. He wasn't gonna break! Good for him!"
Johnny laughs again and we shake hands as Kloot head off to soundcheck. Later on, their well-placed set is deservedly well-received and despite the lowly billing, Kloot's new live campaign gets off to a fine start. By the time you read this, they'll be underway with their trek around the UK, so if you're still in time, you know what to do as an evening in their presence is an offer you should seriously think twice about before refusing.
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