CHRIS MONTAGUE - Take Five No: 74
Can you tell us about your new album?
‘Warmer than Blood’ is my new album which has me on guitar, Ruth Goller on bass and Kit Downes on piano. I am so grateful that these two incredible musicians want to play my music in this format. I’ve had so much fun writing and rehearsing ways to play this music without drums and I am so proud of what we managed to capture on this recording, I htink it sounds like no other band out there. Although I’ve released a lot of my own music with various projects, this is my first which is entirely under my own steam. I felt it was time to do this and hopefully people can feel what I’m going for with the music. Kit and Ruth are long standing friends and collaborators in many projects with myself and we all live very close by. I felt it was criminal we didn’t have a project which was written entirely around us three. The incredible artwork was also done by our mutual friend Sarah Gillespie (we all play her amazing music in her band too), so it feels like a very personal thing to release.
What other projects are you currently involved in?
I play regularly with Trish Clowes (which also has James Maddren and Ross Stanley) in a project called ‘My Iris’ which has relase a few albums and we were meant to be touring a new relase now! I also love playing with Sarah Gillespie, she released a new album last year caled ‘Wishbones’ with me, Kit Downes, Ruth Goller and James Madden also. Rory Simmons has also just released a new EP on Whirlwind which was fun to record with Jon Scott on drums. I also play with amazing drummer Benny Greb in his project ‘Moving Parts’ which has been going for a number of years now.
‘Warmer than Blood’ is my new album which has me on guitar, Ruth Goller on bass and Kit Downes on piano. I am so grateful that these two incredible musicians want to play my music in this format. I’ve had so much fun writing and rehearsing ways to play this music without drums and I am so proud of what we managed to capture on this recording, I htink it sounds like no other band out there. Although I’ve released a lot of my own music with various projects, this is my first which is entirely under my own steam. I felt it was time to do this and hopefully people can feel what I’m going for with the music. Kit and Ruth are long standing friends and collaborators in many projects with myself and we all live very close by. I felt it was criminal we didn’t have a project which was written entirely around us three. The incredible artwork was also done by our mutual friend Sarah Gillespie (we all play her amazing music in her band too), so it feels like a very personal thing to release.
What other projects are you currently involved in?
I play regularly with Trish Clowes (which also has James Maddren and Ross Stanley) in a project called ‘My Iris’ which has relase a few albums and we were meant to be touring a new relase now! I also love playing with Sarah Gillespie, she released a new album last year caled ‘Wishbones’ with me, Kit Downes, Ruth Goller and James Madden also. Rory Simmons has also just released a new EP on Whirlwind which was fun to record with Jon Scott on drums. I also play with amazing drummer Benny Greb in his project ‘Moving Parts’ which has been going for a number of years now.
Click on the album cover to read our review
What are you currently listening to and what was the last CD or download you bought?
I am currently listening to Mary Halvorsen a lot at the moment, I think she’s a completely unique voice on the guitar and her writing is so good. I bought her album ‘Away with you’, I particularly love the tune ‘Inky Ribbons’.
What is your alltime favourite album and why?
I have an LP which my dad gave to me which is a greatest hits of Fleetwood Mac (the early Peter Green period). I have such vivid memories of hearing it all the time when I was a kid and I still absolutely love Peter Green’s tone and vulnerability with the guitar.
Who has caught you attention recently that we should be listening out for?
Joel Barford. He’s an amazing young drummer who you probably already know about. He has an amazing sense of swing and instinct for bebop. I reckon he will definitely be someone we all know about soon.
I am currently listening to Mary Halvorsen a lot at the moment, I think she’s a completely unique voice on the guitar and her writing is so good. I bought her album ‘Away with you’, I particularly love the tune ‘Inky Ribbons’.
What is your alltime favourite album and why?
I have an LP which my dad gave to me which is a greatest hits of Fleetwood Mac (the early Peter Green period). I have such vivid memories of hearing it all the time when I was a kid and I still absolutely love Peter Green’s tone and vulnerability with the guitar.
Who has caught you attention recently that we should be listening out for?
Joel Barford. He’s an amazing young drummer who you probably already know about. He has an amazing sense of swing and instinct for bebop. I reckon he will definitely be someone we all know about soon.
