Interviewed by Mark Dean (Journalist/Writer/Contributor) Myglobalmind Webzine
Myglobalmind: When did you start work on this album?
GED: I started doing some rough demos about three years ago when I built my home recording studio, but it was only really the last eighteen months that I really started to do it properly, by that I mean that I actually thought that people might want to hear the tracks…that’s when my confidence and belief started to drive me along to getting it finished
Myglobalmind: What was the thinking behind getting each of the guest players-singers on the tracks rather than 1 band?
GED: Â the reality of it was that I had written and recorded everything on the album apart from the stuff I simply could not do myself, i.e.. the lead guitars and lead vocals…nobody apart from a very select few people had heard any of the album until it was virtually finished. I also think that the songs were so varied that they leant themselves to certain voices, in fact a couple of the tracks were written with certain voices in mind, notably Danny and Harry….thankfully they said yes to singing on those tracks
Myglobalmind: How does this fit in with Tyketto and other musical projects,and b.you seem to have a strong work ethic-was that genetically inherited?
GED: Â I’ve always been a workaholic, sometimes I don’t know when to stop, my girlfriend will tell you that…but I guess that you only get one shot at life and its about making the most of what life throws at you…if, as Mr Warhol says, we all get a mere fifteen minutes of fame, then I want mine to be busy !
Tyketto is an absolute pleasure to be a part of…it’s like a real New York family and I’m like an adopted English cousin…Michael Arbeeny jokes that I now have a New Jersey style twitch
Myglobalmind: Did you grow up in a musical household?
GED:Â Yes I did…I grew up in a large, if somewhat disjointed, family and my Nan and my Auntie , who both helped bring me up, both also played the piano…so from as long as I can remember I used to sit at the piano with three cushions on a dining chair, my feet miles from the pedals…(.nothing’s changed , I still need three cushions and still can’t reach the pedals lol.) ….I used to sit and work out tunes that were in the charts at the time…I was always able to hear something then play it straight back, but I can’t read a note of music
Myglobalmind: Did the record turn out the way that you wanted it to?
Ged:Â So much better than I could have hoped for really. Martin Kronlund did an amazing job of the mix, and he beefed up the guitars too as well as doing a great solo on ” Requiem for the forgotten Soldier” . Mikael Carlsson ( lover Under Cover) did a stellar job on the bass and Perra Johansson ( Coldspell and LUC) was exceptional on the drums. We made the decision to put live drums and bass on the album just before mixing….the guys have played superbly and I could not have had better people on the album.
Myglobalmind: Can you please give me a detailed breakdown of each track on the album?(sorry im old-school I still call them albums!!)
GED: Â haha..I would need all week to do that…people are saying that they can’t find a particular musical genre to put ROA into..I take that as a real compliment…I didn’t set out to write a particular sounding album, I just wanted to make an honest album that made me happy ..” Music to make you smile” Neil Fraser calls it…..I wanted to make an album that I would buy…I took essences of the music that makes me excited, old school rock..purple, white snake, UFO and then other stuff I love like The Eagles and The Beach Boys, Billy Joel, Elton John,……crafted “proper” music…..and hopefully all of those influences are in there somewhere
Myglobalmind: Whats the most difficult decision professionally that you have had to make?
GED:Â Leaving Ten after the Spellbound album. That was a difficult time in my life and I had very different priorities at that time….I ended up leaving music altogether ..I sold all my instruments and didn’t even listen to music for a while…I was a single parent with a small child and music wasn’t going to keep a roof over our heads at the time..something had to give sadly..
Myglobalmind: Do you believe in God?
GED: I’m not a religious person, but I am spiritual. I’m also a big believer in living by certain values, being honest, being well mannered and respecting other people’s views and beliefs…I think that there is a reason for everything and that if you treat people well in this life, then that might stand you in good stead for whatever is in the next one….
Myglobalmind: Whats the best feeling in the world ?
GED:Â There’s the obvious stuff like being on a tiny island watching the sunset over the Indian Ocean, or hearing an audience sing your songs, but I really dont think that anything beats being at home with your loved ones
Myglobalmind:Â Which albums in your musical legacy are you most,and least proud of?
GED: I’m proud of everything I’ve done..I’ve been very privileged to have been part of some amazing albums……I have a soft spot for the first Hugo album that I did…….it was me, Vinny, Greg and Gary from ten …and Hugo….some reviewers said it was the album Journey should have come back with…it sounds fresh as a daisy even today…we all played well on that one..especially Vinny Burns….I’m most disappointed with The Robe by ten…it’s an outstanding album, but the production was so bad that I can’t listen to it these days, which is such a shame..I’d love to hear it re mixed or even re recorded….I think it deserves a great production.
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