John is currently causing quite a stir in the London folk scene, a regular at Stroke Your Beard and a familiar face around the circuit, his songs have captured the imagination of many a listener and musician alike.
We know John as not only a great musician but a good friend and we thought it was high time we asked him a few questions on your behalf, so without further ado, we give you John McIvor.............
Hello John, how are you?
Hello! Good thank you…
How was the tour? Any stories to tell?? Where did it take you?
The tour went well thanks for asking! The band I am currently in did a UK & Ireland tour, something like 12 dates over a three-week period. It was our first tour together as a band and we loved it! Not many different stories to tell as it feels like the tour was one big story. We had our good times and our bad times. It was everything we imagined a tour to be like and more… One thing is for sure it was emotional!
So why folk music?
I have always had a love for it. Listening to Dylan on the way to school since I as a young kid… Coming from Ireland you cant escape the history and culture of the place. With that comes the amazing folk music, that of Luke Kelly & The Dubliners, Planxty, and many more… However when I started playing guitar when I was about 12, it was blues that grabbed my interest, such as Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, people like that… My first band was together for over three years; we split up when I was 16. It was very emotional for me and it forced me to seek out another musical path. Around this time Damien Rice had released or was just about to release his debut album “O”. When I got hold of this a whole new world of songwriting opened up to me. The blues and rock n’ roll was great and I had lots of fun playing it, but now I needed to write something more serious, more self-involved, and something that I felt people around me could relate to more. From that moment I knew I wanted to move to London and song-write.
Even though this moment in my life led me to songwriting and London, it wasn’t until my second year in London, when I recorded my first folk album that I knew this was the music I would play for the rest of my life.
What was the last song you wrote about?
I’m starting to write more protest songs or at least topical songs. There are many aspects of life that to me are confused and wrong and right now I just can’t help but write about it. So to answer your question the last song I wrote was political.
How do you write a song? Is it the chords or the topic first??
It’s different every time. Sometimes a few lines of lyrics will come to me and I’ll try and write some music mimicking what I’m saying, but a lot of the time it’s the music first because when I play guitar, I song-write. I don’t really pick up the guitar at home to play someone else’ song or to practice one of my own that I have finished writing. I move on quickly so every time I’m at home playing I want to think of something new. It’s a form of expression for me. Another voice. If I’ve had a bad day I’ll go home and write about it. If I’ve had a good day I’ll go home and write about it. It’s almost like a form of therapy.
How would you describe yourself as a person? Does this come across in you songwriting?
Oh god, em… I’m terrible really! Because my lyrics are so personal I do think it is always quite obvious what the song is about or what was on my mind when writing it. I’m certainly very sensitive which I think most songwriters are… I get hurt easily and I do think you can sense that with some of my earlier songs. I’m a romantic. I like the idea of a woman falling in love with me quickly and being with me for the rest of my life, moving away with her and all of that, but unfortunately life is not like the movies. I fall in love easily and as a result I fall out of love easily too!
You moved over from Ireland to pursue music, is London the place to be?
Yea I guess… There are a lot of opportunities for bands, but at the same time there is a lot more bands then anywhere else in the UK. I just wish all the time waster bands would go away. I don’t mean to be rude, but too many people are trying to be part-time rock stars. That 45 year old man who plays music on a Thursday night for fun with his 45 year old mates are putting me and my band out of work. As a result of all these time waster bands, promoters don’t take the serious ones seriously. Thus making it hard for any player or songwriter to make a living!
Just play music wherever you play it. Don’t worry about coming to London because I believe after the music the most important thing is to build a fan base. The best place to do that is where you grew up and this is probably where you know the most people. That’s where it’s at – where you know the most people!
Looking back is there anything you would have done differently?
No man… Every path I have taken has made me who I am. Even when I hate it, I love it!
What is your image of success?
Being able to pay my rent!
When’s the next show?
The next acoustic show is 3rd Nov. at The Bedford Inn, London. The next full-band show is at 93 Feet East, London – 29th Nov.
Come on then, give us 5 of your current favorite albums..........
Haha… I cant really do that as I don’t know. I have a different favorite Dylan song every week… What I can do is tell you some albums that I have really enjoyed over the last couple of years…
“For Emma” – Bon Iver. “Shallow Grave” – The Tallest Man On Earth. “Bringing It All Back Home” and “Blood On The Tracks” – Bob Dylan. I am listening to a lot of “Blonde on Blonde” at the moment too. I think Local Natives album is fantastic and I certainly recommend seeing them live. Both of Fionn Regans albums are great too. I don’t know man, I listen to so much these days…
Fancy a listen? Check it out: http://www.myspace.com/johnmcivor
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