Interview with Andrew Petrie of Stone Guest

Last month saw the release of a fantastic six-track album by Stone Guest. http://tiny.cc/StoneGuestSpotify The album's producer agreed to answer a few questions. Now read on...

Q: In terms of music what is manna from heaven? Is there a certain song or album that feeds you, inspires you, makes life seem good? ‘Six marimbas’ by Steve Reich, which I discovered a few years ago. It runs about 16 minutes with no variation in dynamics or tempo, but manages to be a glimpse of perfect world in which order reigns. There are a couple of piano parts on the Stone Guest record which were influenced by the way Reich offsets melodic fragments over time.

Q: Where does your album sound best? Was it intended to be played on headphones while waiting at the bus stop or alone in the dark very late at night on your own or on the radio whilst driving in a car? I think it would sound best on earphones looking out of a train window crossing a flat landscape in winter, probably in the American Midwest.

Q: Which track on your new album is the oldest and which was written last? This is going to sound like the most godawful wannabe rock star bullshit, but I swear it’s true: ‘Broken balconies’ was written in a room at the Four Points hotel in Emeryville, California in late 2007, making it the oldest composition on the record. The most recent is ‘No grave but the waves’, which I finished writing in April this year.

Q: What can you tell me about the artwork you choose for the cover of your album? It’s a postcard I bought in a second-hand bookshop in the States about 15 years ago. It was in mint condition and had obviously never been through the postal system. On the back someone has typed: “This is the picture of our home.” I’ve done some research and it seems like it was taken somewhere in New England around 1910.

Q: Did your parents have art on the walls and do you own any paintings or artworks? My parents had a few paintings on the walls, which were either generic 1970s prints bought from a department store or watercolours of the village in North Yorkshire where my mum grew up. As time went on they were joined by portraits of various deceased pets. As for my own walls, I was lucky enough to have my portrait done by Humphrey Ocean RA, who with just a few strokes of a pen managed to capture a perfect likeness of me. It’s pretty much the first thing visitors to my flat see when they come up the stairs. I also have a painting by Mikey Georgeson called Mysterious Reason which I love.

Q: Can you name three bands who have made better records than The Beatles and The Stones? Three of my favourite bands all made albums which easily stand comparison with theirs: Countdown To Ecstasy by Steely Dan, Country Life by Roxy Music and Sheet Music by 10cc.

Q: In terms of music, what’s your idea of success? With this record, success means as many people as possible hearing it and appreciating the effort I put into melody and harmony. It has zero commercial potential so financial returns were never going to be a measure of success.

Q: Can you see any kind of live performance happening in relation to this release? It would be impossible unfortunately. At any given time there are six, eight, 10, 12 of me playing and live reproduction would never work. Plus I think the record’s best experienced in its studio form and doesn’t really lend itself to rocking out live.

Q: Which living guitarists can play better than you? Too many to list! My favourite guitar players still around include Richard Thompson, Kim Fahy, Bill Frisell, Vini Reilly and Marc Ribot.

Q: If you could collaborate with any living film director who would you enjoy composing a soundtrack for? Probably Gary Hustwit, who made Helvetica and the recent documentary about Brian Eno, another of my heroes.

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