Hand picked by Electric Honey, King Tut’s and in the last 12 for Island Records’ anniversary celebratory single release… Front man Ali Downer lifts the lid on his band who seem to be getting chosen as regularly as their Noel Edmonds red velcro-strapped counterparts.
The road Ali Downer has taken from his first recordings at age thirteen to this, the most recent incarnation of his act, is a long and well travelled one. Countries have been navigated and Britain explored, with each stop a new E.P, a new alias and cast. But with the evolution from solo act ‘Woodenbox’ to full band ‘Woodenbox with a Fistful of Fivers’, Ali has founded his most accomplished act yet, and one which he is intent on keeping. The originality of their country-tinged folk against the backdrop of the Glasgow indie scene and the attention this has attracted so far makes it clear that Ali has good instincts on when to stick or twist. However, this musical departure from his peers and even his own previous work was not initially the aim:
“It was unintentional to go so country but this one [single ’Hang the Noose’], it just kinda came out like that. I think it was just trying to not do standard drum beats. But then you’d start doing it and it would be like ‘god that sounds so country’, when its not necessarily that much of a country song! And I guess the trumpet as well, if you ever put trumpet into a sort of country vibe it always sounds like ‘Ring of Fire’ [laughs] but then, that’s no bad thing is it?”
Living in Edinburgh until recently, Ali feels this freedom from the influences of a strong scene like that of the Glasgow indie scene has allowed him to pursue a more unique brand of music, instead highlighting acts such as King Creosote, The Parsonage and Elliot Smith among his inspirations. Having been picked up by Electric Honey, the influencial Glasgow college label which helped launch the careers of Belle & Sebastian, Biffy Clyro and Snow Patrol among others; recording of the album is now complete and for Ali it demonstrates a significant musical progression from the Woodenbox solo E.P:
“It’s really different. I guess the first one’s quite lo-fi, and since the band’s come in it’s got more energetic and rhythmical. It’s a million miles away from the first one. Its quite varied, I’m very pleased with it.”
The first offering from the bands newest work is single ‘Hang the Noose’ which is released on King Tut’s recordings on June 13th. “It’s a difficult thing choosing one song, and I still don’t know if it’s the right choice! (laughs) Because there are other ones I like too. But I think it’s the right one to do, it’s just got a great trumpet melody and just a really nice beat so I think it’s a good one to showcase the band to someone who has never heard us before. And then hopefully they’ll come to a gig and see that it’s not everything we do.”
Next on the horizon for the band is a trip to London as part of the last 12 out of the 200 UK college bands selected by Island Records for a single release as part of their 50th anniversary celebrations. From there, the act hope to keep the momentum going, making the most of the wealth of recordings that came from the album sessions:
“I’d like to do a 4-track single maybe before the album launch, so people are excited to hear it. We’ve got so many recordings… there are 4 tracks in particular which I don’t think will fit with the album but I wouldn’t like to not do anything with them. There are so many new songs and we keep coming up with newer ideas and things, so it would be good to keep the momentum going.”
Woodenbox with a Fistful of Fivers single ‘Hang the Noose’ is available in-store and download from 15th of June on King Tut’s Recordings. The single launch at King Tut’s is on the 13th of June and the band are performing in-store at Fopp on Union Street on the 15th of June.