Musically they couldn’t be much further away from arch-miserabalists Radiohead, but SAY – Lancashire’s most cheerily optimistic popsters – are with their Oxford antitheses on the subject of free music. Singer Jay Sansfield also can see the logic behind the ‘pricing’ model.
“I believe people should have a choice to pay as little or as much for something as they want, placing their own individual value upon on it, instead of the ‘value’ being presented to them,” he says. SAY appreciate there is a business side to all this however. “Of course if you’re looking for a short term money generator then this isn’t going to work,” Jay agrees, “but it’s the sustainability of it that will bring the rewards later on. We want to be more independent than the independents, we want to inspire people into remembering that you can achieve anything that you wish if you put in the effort. Intent + Will = Manifestation.”
The band are keen to work outwith the music industry. “It is replicating over and over again the same bands with different haircuts, the same album covers, the same gigs, more and more money is being eaten up and none of it is going back to the music…”
SAY (formerly Say Jansfield) haven’t always been working under this model of course – with various releases including several on Scotland’s Creeping Bent label (Jay was previously a member of tRANSELEMENt who were with that Glasgow indie) appearing on CD and vinyl. And of course, the rather beautiful Autumn Burrows album, on 12” picture disc, whose aesthetic is again far-removed from the cold 1s and 0s of the digital download.
“Vinyl will be the saving grace for the ‘art’ of music presentation because it is something you can hold, and play backwards if you choose… you can become involved in a creative process in a strange kind of way,” Jay muses. “We aim to make the money back that we put into CDs or a 12″ Picture Disc or make such a small profit that we can make more but in this digital age it is becoming harder to achieve this, especially with CDs.”
The band are based in Nelson, Lancs, far removed from London (or indeed, Glasgow) – and travel is necessary for any activity, including live shows. “Being a 3-piece does make traveling easier but we have enough gear for about 5 people!” he laughs. “We are currently expanding SAY into a five-piece,” he reveals, “which we’re very excited about, so traveling is going to get a lot more adventurous from that point onwards…! “
The band recently appeared on the last ever Popworld show on Channel 4, perhaps the last music show on TV (not counting Jools Holland, which we don’t). “I see TV as a negative in many, many aspects and I don’t watch it. It’s hypnotising people into buying more pointless shite for their houses and bodies, blasting us with rubbish music most of the time, lying to us through the news, lying to us about US and turning kids into obese robots more interested in fighting than exploring their inner beings. And people watch in awe at false statistics about false events, while the X-Factor convinces people into thinking that anybody can be famous because they’re ‘having a go’.”
SAY, it seems, do want to help people change things for the better – Maria (Rob, drums, is the 3rd of the trio) runs a Fair Trade shop in Colne called ‘Ocarina’ which, says Jay, fits in well with SAY, and the band will set up a recording studio in the basement too. “Life is full of adventure and I hope people take a look around and see this, instead of watching the goggle box four hours a day and eating pizza or sitting on Facebook all night changing their profile status.”
Regular SAY-watchers will have noticed a variety of odd stage ‘props’ and costumes, including the infamous furry animal suits they wore at their MusicWorks showcase in Glasgow. Who knows what fashion we can expect this week? As Jay concludes, “Facing fear with courage and following our hearts in furry animal costumes – now that’s adventure!”
SAY play the is this music? show at Glasgow’s 13th Note on Thurs 15th November, with Stevie Jackson and Friends of the Bride. More at www.myspace.com/saytheband
Also, to hear bands playing at itm? shows (including SAY and FotB), visit our myspace page