Photo:
It’s a sunny afternoon on the Portsmouth coast and Doves are in search of a fry up. The Cheshire band is road testing material from their forthcoming album Kingdom of Rust – their first since 2005’s Some Cities – and the early signs indicate it’s their most ambitious record to date, swirling with a mesh of new sounds but maintaining the band’s signature indie anthemia.
Gigwise catches up with guitarist Jez Williams in a packed out cafe and he’s clearly got more important issues at hand, “Can you give me ten minutes mate? I’m just trying to find a seat in this place.” Not ones to deter musicians of their pre-gig sustenance, we wait patiently for Jez to call us back.
“Sorry about that’ he says in his broad Lancashire gruff, ‘I’ve had to head outside and leave the boys in the café – fire away mate.”
Recorded in a remote farmhouse in Cheshire, Kingdom of Rust was two years in the making with fifty tracks whittled down to a lean ten, “We really wanted to try different things on this record and keep pushing the bar as high as we could – we had so much shit to deal with over the last few years that just completing the record was a success. We’ve been away for four years and if it didn’t work this time then it was game over.”
With the chart-topping success of Some Cities and second album The Last Broadcast, Doves are looking to complete a rare hat-trick with Kingdom of Rust - but Jez is quick to play down the band’s chances, “Anyone would be lying if they said they didn’t want to score a hat trick – in any format. We’ve been away for such a long time and so much has changed in the industry that we’ve got to earn the respect back from the fans all over again – the industry has basically imploded. We've just given the record everything we can and hope that people take to it as much as we have.”
As well as lining up long-time producer Dan Austin behind the mixing desk, the band also turned to former Radiohead and Stone Roses collaborator John Leckie for two tracks – Winter Hill and 10.03. Jez marks Leckie’s contribution as some of the most experimental he’s worked on with Doves, “We knew we had to take a different route to what we’ve gone down before and Leckie allowed us to do that – he did it with so many great bands and he’s done it with us. If the [Stone] Roses did reunite then it would be unbelievable – it’s about time that band got paid. Everyone’s got to pay the rent somehow and far too many bands have been riding on their coattails.”
The aforementioned Winter Hill is another geographical referencing point for a band seemingly obsessed with the region surrounding them (see M62 and Black and White Town amongst several other homage’s to the North). Jez blames his drummer, and twin brother, Andy for the inclusion of Lancashire’s most celebrated mount, “Andy is a massive outdoors enthusiast and is obsessed with trudging up Winter Hill. You can see the television transmitter on top of it from pretty much anywhere in Manchester. The place has become such an iconic part of the city and I guess we were drawn to its mystical powers.”
From the supernatural to the super rich, Jez is hopeful that Man City can challenge for some silverware over the next few seasons after a massive investment from the Abu Dhabi United Group, “We recorded a version Blue Moon for the team so that’s probably why things have been so up and down this season. There’s no doubt we’ve got to stick with [manager] Mark Hughes but whether he’ll be given time is another thing. I just hope we can keep hold of [Brazilian striker] Robinho.”
Pre-Doves and pre-dance outfit Sub Sub, Jez and Andy were in a band called Static Mist. Gigwise asks Jez if there’s any chance of the sibling indie duo making a comeback. Jez seems enthused by our enquiry, “Well, if I’m going to be honest, Static Mist is still playing the circuit today – it’s basically Andy and myself with a plus one [bass player Jimi Goodwin].”
After an appearance on 80s kids TV show Saturday Superstore, Static Mist changed their name to Open View and the music world watched with baited breadth, sort of. Jez remembers a gig in London that marked the last hurrah for the band, “I remember we got to the final of the TSB Rock School Competition in Camden which meant the school drove our class down to London. We didn’t win but it was a top day out. God, it was such a long time ago it literally has become a mist!”
From their Ancoats studio burning down on the Williams’ brother’s birthday to the death of their mentor Rob Gretton, Doves’ history is cloaked in tragedy. Almost a decade on from their formation, the band has been transported from former Manchester club The Hacienda to massive stadiums alongside U2, Coldplay and Oasis. Jez is buoyant about the comeback but feels another Manchester collective is cleaning up, “We just can’t escape the whole Elbow thing but they’re finally getting the credit they deserve. We helped them out a lot in the early days but they clearly don’t need us anymore.” Jez laughs to himself, “Every week they’re picking up more silverware for The Seldom Seen Kid – much more than Man City is ever going to pick up!”
.jpg)
