Tell us about yourself?
Chris stands at just under 173 cm tall; he has mouse-brown hair and blue eyes. Jon is about 170 cm; he has brown hair and brown eyes. They both have beards and questionable hairlines. ‘Pylon Heights’ technically formed in 2016, but like true creatives/procrastinators, we only recently figured out how to bottle our eclectic sound – a guitar-powered and often synth-washed brand of indie folk-pop, frequently embellished with the trumpet – and serve it up for public consumption.
What is your songwriting process?
Chris meets a girl and then writes about it. Then Jon proceeds to literally throw instruments at it (only the inexpensive ones). The initial phase is generally the Bernie Taupin and Elton John approach – Chris will write the lyrics, and Jon will write the music. It then becomes a tug of war – a back and forth until we arrive at the finished song!
Tell us about your latest release?
‘The Arizona’ EP is about the people that you meet on your travels and was recorded at Solid State Logic (where Jon works and has learned a bit about producing). The musical building blocks of the album itself are the layered acoustic guitars, melancholy vocals, rolling drum lines and brass swells. The title track, ‘Arizona’, is the first song that we ever wrote together.
What message do you think your music conveys to your fans?
Heartbreak is worth it as long as it helps you pop out a good song. Especially in ‘The Arizona’ EP, we try to capture romantic nostalgia and roads that led you there.
Who are your musical influences?
The National, Beirut, Frightened Rabbit and Britney.
Who are your non-musical influences?
Chris finds inspiration in Gandalf (both grey and white incarnations). We also find ourselves inspired by each other, our families and David Roman (our very first superfan).
What’s the best gig that you have ever played?
The ONLY gig we’ve ever played was at a back garden festival, which we organised in our hometown.
What is your funniest gig moment?
Chris did some spoken word.
What do you think are the biggest obstacles for bands/artists today?
Obviously, the most pressing issues are currently coronavirus and death of the entertainment industry. But we also find that promoting your music can often feel like you’re shouting into the wind – but you have to stick with it!
What advice would you give to other bands/artists starting out?
Get yourself a David Roman superfan – great for motivation! Also, make sure you can play your song live before you record it! Don’t let the plugins take over. Otherwise, we’d all be out of business.
What are your hopes for the next two years?
As a band – get our music heard, and reach a wider audience! We also want to experiment and develop our sound and start gigging. As individuals – Chris would very much like the world to recover from this global pandemic and see the entertainment industry blossom and rise like a phoenix from the ashes. Jon would like to start his transition into a silver fox (George Clooney-style).
FV Music Blog July 2020
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