Sir John Mandeville… Five-headed beast
Interview: Sir John Mandeville
Published on March 8th, 2013 | Jonny Abrams
Up-and-coming Liverpool rockers Sir John Mandeville – named after this wonderfully fanciful explorer and his volume of somewhat doubtful tales – launch their debut EP at the Lomax tonight, so Rocksucker fired some questions over to front man John Harrison in the hope of finding out a little more about them. First, though, here are some teasers of what to expect…
The EP sounds pretty darn rocking going by the trailer. You must be pleased with how it’s turned out…
Yeah it took a while to get how it sounds now, but we’re happy with the final mix. You never really finish the mixing side, you have to walk away from it at some point before it come over-produced. Think we kept the raw performance in the studio.
Are all the songs on it based on a chapter from the Mandeville book?
Not with this E.P. but in the past we have done pieces on certain chapters.
How did the band come to be in the first place? What would you say have been your highlights so far?
All started when Peet and I were teenagers. We used to jam together with just drums and guitar, like a White Stripes set up if you will. We collected all these songs and realised we would need a bassist eventually to play live. It all just fell into place once we became a three piece. It’s all changed hands now, mind, with becoming a five-piece band, and I’ve gone from drums to lead singer/bass now.
Is there a full album in the works? If so, when can we expect it, and what can we expect from it? Will the tracks from the EP feature on it?
There is indeed, you can expect the three tracks from the E.P. on the album, and another eleven songs to record this year. So we’ve really got our work cut out for us this year.
What can folks expect from the EP launch night? (Feel free to be as abstract as you like…)
Electricity from start to end and one packed sweaty nightclub. Plus live on stage we’ve got some tricks up our sleeve, don’t want give too much away really. Want people to come to the show and experience it for them selves. Feel like they have been to a show that was just for them. Unpredictable and not just rehearsed.
Do you know yet if you’ll be playing at any festivals this summer?
Liverpool’s Sound City and Wakestock are on the cards, I believe.
Which were your favourite albums of 2012, and/or which are you most looking forward to in 2013?
John: Black Keys – El Camino was a great one from 2012, and I’m excited this year to hear Queens of the Stone Age’s new album, with Dave Grohl at the helm on drums…can’t wait.
Finally, if you had to spend the rest of your life with the entire works of just five different artists, musical or otherwise, whose would you choose?
1: Led Zepplin
2: The Beatles
3: Cream
4: Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
5: The Doors
John Harrison, thank you.
For more information, please visit facebook.com/sirjohnmandevillemusic
About the Author
Jonny Abrams Editor of Rocksucker and the website's founder, Jonny is passionate about the music he listens to, both good and bad, as well as interviewing his favourite musicians.
