London-based composer, academic, and multi-instrumentalist Chris Letcher is no stranger to SA music fans. From his days with Urban Creep to his work with Matthew van der Want, Letcher has a reputation for innovative compositions and genre-bending albums. His latest, Spectroscope, is out this month and we spoke to him from London about it, justifying glockenspiels, and why he’s not an ‘adult contemporary’ artist.
Spectroscope sounds far more energetic and rock-infused than Letcher’s debut, Frieze. I ask him if this was simply the way the songs developed, a deliberate decision, the result of recent influences, or something else entirely? “The rock-influenced side comes from working with the band and regular rehearsals – knowing you have to bring something new to play in the practice studio so the old tunes don’t get stale.”
Talking about the title, Letcher says it’s a metaphor for the album as a sort of spectrum where each song seems as though it has a different, unique, band behind it. “There are also a lot of light and sun metaphors on the album,” he says.“I’m not actually sure it’s the right title, but titles are hard to get right.”
The album was produced by Finn Eiles, the producer behind albums from the likes of Razorlight and the legendary My Bloody Valentine. I asked Letcher how he came to work with Eiles. “Finn was one of the recording engineers suggested to us by the studio we were working in. We initially just did the drum, bass and guitar tracks with him but I liked the way he worked and he seemed to suit the music so we asked him to mix the record as well – that was a mammoth job: there were hundreds of unruly tracks to tame. He did well. I hope he didn’t find it too traumatic a process.”
Spectroscope traverses a vast amount of ground in terms of genre, arrangements, and time signatures. As a composer I wonder if Letcher is more easily bored than other musicians. “I suppose I want to explore new ideas rather than just recycle and make something that’s distinctive and can stand up to a few listens.”
“It’s not about being tricky for the sake of it, though,” he adds. “The first song on the record [The Sun! The Sun!] for example, is in 7/4 but the point is for it to be a rocking groove despite that. It’s a funny asymmetrical beat but it rocks hard, in a fun way, it’s like an off-kilter We Will Rock You. Arrangement-wise, I consciously tried to extend the palette but in a way that didn’t feel gratuitous. If you’re going to put a glockenspiel on that melody you need a pretty damn good reason,” he laughs.
It seems to me that Letcher makes pop and rock music for adults, that is, music with a degree of sophistication often absent from contemporary music. Letcher pretends to gasp, “Oh no, boring adult contemporary – it’s come to this!” He laughs before adding, “I would like to make music that you feel but can also think about; and it has to be fun too. I think there is a lot of music around that does that”.
Being London-based, Chris is spoilt for choice when it comes to seeing live acts. I ask him who most inspires him at the moment? “I saw Sufjan Stevens’ most recent tour which was amazing: insane and really thrilling. I also heard Kevin Volans’ new piano concerto at a prom the other day, and that was ridiculously exciting with its thundering, huge bass drum rolls and dazzling piano/strings/ xylophone writing. The whole thing really was just perfect.”
Despite the fear that it might be like asking a parent to choose a favourite child, I ask Letcher what his favourite track on Spectroscope is and why? “My favourite part is the last third of The Loneliest Air. The way all the rhythms build up and cross. I also like the weirder structured-ones at the moment – the fragment structure of You Only Had To Point with all the crossing lines, and the way the melody returns at the end of One Died – It always feels like a massive release after the key-less pounding.”
With more than 20 years of experience making music, I suggest he offers a single sentence of advice to aspirant musicians. “Just try, and keep going, make music carefully and thoughtfully but let in the random and explosive, and look for a voice that’s just yours,” he offers. He reflects on this, and before we sign off adds, “It sounds like I’m trying to convince myself!”
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