BEING NOSEY WITH ...
Steve Mitchell!
Hi Steve, Thankyou for taking the time to do this interview with me. The first time I saw you at Bearded Theory I instantly fell in love with your music. With setting up my new website, I thought it was a great oppurtunity to start interviewing bands which I have photographed.
As a musician, you must get asked asked this question all the time, but when and why did you start playing and writing your own music?
I have always loved singing and performing since I was a kid, my mum and I used to duet at BBQ’s and weddings and I used to sing for all the punters in the local pubs and social clubs when I would go there with my old man. I’ve always been into writing stuff down too, I used to write songs/poems when I was younger as a way of venting my anger and dislike of schools and teachers and authoritative adults in general, ha ha, I used to write down all sorts of shit! I think my first memory of actually getting into playing and performing music seriously was when I was around 19/20. I was serving in the Army in Colchester and I heard one of the lads in my platoon playing a guitar in one of the accommodation blocks and it sounded great. I had always loved music and always had a yearning to learn guitar so I asked him to teach me to play. When he asked me what song I wanted to learn I said “That’s Entertainment” by The Jam, He said “great choice mate, I know that one” He started to play it and as he did I started to sing it...I remember his words exactly...in a Geordie accent...”Fuck playing guitar mate, you’re a fucking singer!!!” and that was the first meeting of me and my now lifelong friend, Lee Carrol. We went on to form a band in the Army called “The Job”and it was whilst in that band that I wrote my first ever song “Hazy Daze”...I picked up playing the guitar along the way...we never did get into the lessons!
I Know from seeing you live that you play guitar and you sing, Do you play any other instruments? Is there an instrument you'd like to learn to play?
“No” is the short answer, and to be totally honest, I don’t really see myself as a guitar player! I have a limited knowledge of chords, bad form, bad style and I don’t know about scales and keys!!! Don’t tell anyone though will you, I’ve managed to blag it for quite some time now :) I am totally lazy when it comes to learning. I have never had any lessons (see last question) but with the power of the internet I only ever learnt to play the chords to play the songs that I wanted to play...and then using those chords I write my own songs. I have been told so many times that “those chords shouldn’t go together theoretically” but if they sound right, then they are right in my world. I would like to learn to play the piano, but life is so hectic nowadays, it is quite low down on my priority list...I just let Hannah do that...she can play pretty much any instrument!
All musicians are influenced by another, who influenced you to become a musician yourself?
I think, without trying to sound too clichéd, I have been influenced by all music throughout my life. I was very lucky as a kid as I was always surrounded by music. My mum was a real 60’s Mod so was always listening to Motown and Northern Soul music, she also loved Dusty Springfield, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Smoky Robinson, Gerry and The Pacemakers, Roy Orbison and many more. My dad was more into guitar and prog-rock stuff so he would listen to Genesis, Roxy Music, David Bowie (RIP), Eurythmics, Supertramp etc...and of course we ALWAYS listened to the radio on Sundays whilst my mum was making the dinner. I think the initial influence on me starting to write my own stuff definitely started with The Jam. In my pre teen years...10,11,12...I discovered, through my older cousins who were mods and scooterists, The Who, The Small Faces, Secret Affair, The Merton Parkas and other Mod revival bands (obviously The Who weren’t Mod revival...they WERE Mod) ....but The Jam were something else for me...it was almost like a soundtrack to my pre and early teen years, growing up on a council estate in Britain as a kid and listening to the lyrics that Paul Weller wrote, made all teens think that it was possible to be working class but still make it famous (way before Oasis did it) whilst spitting out the vile truth about the system in our country. AND THEN IT REALLY HAPPENED...I listened to “Levelling The Land” by The Levellers...When I heard that album in 1991, something changed...not sure what it was but 25 years later it is still without a doubt my all time favourite album and still gets played weekly, if not more. It was/is The Levellers that have influenced my singing and songwriting the most by far and people very often draw comparisons of my voice to Mark Chadwick’s...which is a massive compliment in my view.
When performing on stage, you never look nervous. Do you ever get nervous before a performance, if so, what helps you calm those pregig gitters?
I don’t get nervous as such, but I definitely get a rush of adrenaline...ok and maybe a few nerves if it is a big gig...but I think the day you don’t have that rush or nerves you become too complacent...I hope I never lose that feeling. Every single time I step on to a stage with The Leylines, my aim, with no disrespect to the fans, is to impress all of my band mates...I want them to feel proud that we are on that stage together...and that is what calms me, knowing that we are there together, to have fun, to enjoy every moment as a band...and if we pull that off, we inevitably impress the fans/friends/family...they are all the same now!
How did you come to now the other members of the band?
Matt and I have been playing together for around 6 years now we started with a covers duo called The Moderations Duo and a four piece band called The Moderations. We have known Pete for years as we all played music in Weston-super-Mare as did Hannah. When this project started, there was no doubt who I/we wanted to play bass and violin...so that was that. Finding the drummer was slightly more tricky...we tried a few and it just didn’t work out so we put out a few adds on t’internet...and big Dave popped up...said he was interested...came for a rehearsal...and the rest is...well you know.
When you play the song 'For Queen and Country', you always say this song is very personal to you. Can you explain to people who haven't seen you before what the song is about?
Ok, this could take a while, ha ha. So I wrote this song a while ago now for a friend (another lifelong friend from the Army) called Martin. Martin and I served together up until I left the Army in 1999. He went on to serve in (amongst others) Op Telic in Iraq and whilst he was there he compiled a documentary showing what it was like out there and what the troops were doing and dealing with. This documentary became famous via the front page of The News Of The World, for all the wrong reasons and Martin was court marshalled for filming the abuse of Iraqi soldiers and putting, let’s say, his own unique commentary to the footage. It was later proven that he was suffering with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and when he was dismissed from the Army his life went on a MASSIVE downward spiral. This is another story. However, seeing my friend go through this battle emotionally, spiritually and physically was terrible and it was a very sad time. Anyway...eventually, Martin got himself together with the help of a therapy called Spectrum Therapy and a charity called “Invisible Injuries” and decided to make a film called “Diary Of A Disgrace d Soldier” (which won the Cornish film festival award) and he asked me to write a song for it...hence the song and the personal attachment to it. The song is about how the government decide to send our troops to fight in places that the majority of voters don’t believe they should be, and yes it is a fact that soldiers sign up to do their duty, but when the government send those troops will ill fitting and substandard equipment and pay them crap wages compared to other civil service jobs in offices in London and constituencies all around the country, it is my interpretation that they are just telling them to face the wall while they are shot in the back from so called friendly fire...they signed for Queen and country...but Queen and (government of) country do nothing to help those troops when they come home! Not with housing, not with medical issues or even worse... with mental issues...this song is my protest against that...rant over, ha ha :)
Since the Leylines started, you have played many gigs and festivals. If you could give your Top 3 Moments what would it be?
Now this is a difficult one...hmm, ok...I’m gonna have to say...supporting the awesome Ferocious Dog at Exeter last year was pretty immense...then following Toploader and before Scouting For Girls at Livestock was amazing...but I think for me the best one so far has to be Watchet Festival 2015...we stood in with two days notice on the Sunday at 3pm on the main stage because a band had pulled out, seeing the amount of people that had turned out to watch us (after we frantically told EVERONE we knew that we were playing)and seeing them all clapping and singing along to “Sat In A Field” was just spine tingling....and of course, we then got to watch our friends Bar Steward Sons of Val Doonican go on after us....a great day...we are back there this year headlining the Udder Stage on the Saturday night...that crowd has a lot to live up to!!!
What bands have you enjoyed playing with the most?
Easy one this...Ferocious Dog, Mad Dog Mcrea and Bar Steward Sons Of Val Doonican...no offence to any others but these stand out for me. This is of course until we play on the same bill as The Levellers ;-)
A Question I have always wanted to ask you is where the name 'The Leylines' came from?
Matthew came up with the name I believe. Leylines are imaginary lines that pass through and connect ancient monuments such as Glastonbury Tor and are said to have immense mystical energy. They are also usually related to Somerset in the general terms...we are from Somerset and we have immense energy...we are The Leylines
Someone once said 'write what you would want to perform over and over.' With that in mind, what song do you love to perform the most?
This is a difficult one for me, but I think I would say I love performing two songs in equal measures...and they are poles apart. “My Own Worst Enemy” is a song that I wrote a long time ago when I literally believed that I was my own worst enemy, a very low time for me...but when I perform the song now it reminds me of my journey so far and how you have to have the low times to appreciate the good times. I also love the pure energy that we as a band invest into that song every single time. The other one has to be “Save Your Soul” which is completely different in it’s performance and content...it allows me to really express a heartfelt song in a dynamic way. When we play this song it generally goes quiet and we feel that everyone is hanging on every word, almost like they are living the song with us, knowing as I do, that the song reduces some people to tears makes me want to perform it better and better each time...and then of course we absolutely smash it at the end...which is to signify that life goes on.
If you could perform with anyone in the world, either dead, alive, or brokeup who would it be and why?
Why are you doing this to me Ella, this is near impossible for me, I have been over thinking his for a week now. Ok...
Male...I think it would have to be Paul Weller during his Jam days...just the pure passion, power, anger and energy that he performed with has inspired my own stage presence and performance...I’d like to see if he could keep up with me, ha ha.
Female it would have to be Annie Lennox...my all time favourite female artist...simply awesome.
Last, but not least. As a musician, how would YOU define 'Success'
I am in a band with some absolutely amazing people who are my friends, I have a beautiful wife and family that have stuck by me through thick and thin when I have been gigging constantly, I have met some absolutely fantastic people at my gigs and festivals that I am now proud to call friends and The Leylines have been welcomed into a huge family that we love performing to. To top it all off, music has paid for a large portion of my house and my car...I would say that is pretty successful
CHEEEEEEEEERS
If you want to chec out The Leylines, you can do so on their Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud and Youtube. They are also currently going in to record their FIRST album next month and are looing for support by crowd funding, you can give them a helping hand here (not being biased but they are bloody good so I personally think you should!)