Finding the perfect piano was a bit of a Challen…..

The single most important instrument for me is the piano. When I started getting into recording more seriously, the old family piano just didn’t cut it anymore. Although it had bags of charm and I loved the thing, it didn’t really sound great or stay in tune for long. So alas I had to move on…

A while back I got to tick off a dream and actually go inside Abbey Road studio 2. Where I attended a lecture on the history of recording that has took place at the worlds most famous studio. All the iconic recording equipment and instruments were on display and I even got to play the pianos that were actually used on some of my favourite Beatle records. If heaven exists this was it for me.


One of the pianos I came across was the Challen upright. (Above) I immediately fell in love with it, not just cause of its great tone or the fact it was used on ‘The Fool On The Hill’ (that helps!) but it just looked incredible. It’s solid oak body sporting curves in all the right places makes this a very sexy piano! They were made in the 1950’s and are what were called store pianos, mainly for schools and churches. Equip with lockable covers to stop any unwanted meddling hands. Abbey Road bought a few because they are good solid reliable British pianos that can be easily wheeled about.

This great piano never really left my mind and one lucky day after about a year since being at Abbey Road, I came across the exact same model on Ebay. I couldn’t believe it cause this specific piano is quite rare and sought after for obvious reasons. I snapped it up without much thought. The fact I lived in Brighton at the time and the Challen was in Blackburn (300 miles away) didn’t matter, I had to have it. I embarked northward bound in a van with a mate to help me bag this beauty.
After being in storage for 6 months and me eventually moving house, the Challen arrived home! And it was all mine. It sounded and looked glorious..

The first thing I recorded on it was an instrumental I had written called ‘Bona Fide‘ which coincided with my all analogue album project of the same name.

This piano is used extensively on almost all my recordings now and I couldn’t imagine being without it. A very nice and unexpected touch was that it had my name printed in gold on it. What a spooky fate like coincidence?!

It’s nice when an instrument has a story that makes it extra special. I’m really glad I got to share it.Thanks!
Andy xx

The Telmos New EP OUT NOW!

Finally the finished EP is here to buy in hard copy! Grab yours here…

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  1. How Quick It Goes Away The Telmos 2:52
  2. What She Knows The Telmos 2:51
  3. Ends Meet Blues The Telmos 3:04
  4. It Will Blow Over The Telmos 3:07

A big dream of mine for over 10 years was to record at Toe Rag in London. The all out vintage 60’s time warp recording studio. It’s like a cross between Abbey Road and Joe Meek!

This year the decision was made to do another EP, but this time without producing it myself in my own studio. I think the last one worked great as a starting point and a sample of what is possible, however we needed something special that is beyond what I can do.  We also didn’t want to go somewhere for someone to just press record. So we needed a suitable studio and more importantly a producer who knows the type of music we are making. After contacting Toe Rag at the end of the summer and locking in four days to do four songs we took time out from gigs and started work towards the recording in October.

I’m not sure anywhere in the world is more suitable for us than working with Liam Watson (The White Stripes, The Zutons, Temples, Supergrass, Metronomy) in this iconic studio. The sessions went great and we got everything down we needed, having Liam produce us was an amazing experience and we cannot be happier with the end result!>……

Andy x

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The Summer’s Coming Back

Here’s a song that I couldn’t finish for four years. Which as a songwriter, I guess that’s actually pretty normal. As you get older you can have so many ideas sitting there, like they’re on a bench waiting for a turn.

One day recently I was in the car listening to “The Best Of The Turtles”  Standard… Then one of my favourite tunes came on “Elenore”. I kinda thought hmm this verse is a bit like rhythm wise that tune I’ve been working on, then it explodes into this big chorus! And I was like YES this is my direction for this song.

I always felt the verse in my song was strong (That I wrote after watching “Love and Mercy” The Brian Wilson Biopic) and that a chorus couldn’t live up-to it. I got behind my piano and started writing with that big chorus in mind and almost immediately there it was!

What I love about songwriting is you get ideas from things you love, but then when it’s all finished it becomes its own thing that is yours and….The wheel keeps turning.

I got a fantastic opportunity when Director Max Voyse contacted me out of the blue, he had written a treatment to do a music video for this particular song. I jumped at the chance and together with his team the video was shot in the Peak District.

Enjoy!

Andy x

The Telmos Enter Toe Rag!

 

A big dream of mine for over 10 years was to record at Toe Rag in London. The all out vintage 60’s time warp recording studio. It’s like a cross between Abbey Road and Joe Meek!

This year the decision was made to do another EP, but this time without producing it myself in my own studio. I think the last one worked great as a starting point and a sample of what is possible, however we needed something special that is beyond what I can do.  We also didn’t want to go somewhere for someone to just press record. So we needed a suitable studio and more importantly a producer who knows the type of music we are making. After contacting Toe Rag at the end of the summer and locking in four days to do four songs we took time out from gigs and started work towards the recording in October.

I’m not sure anywhere in the world is more suitable for us than working with Liam Watson (The White Stripes, The Zutons, Temples, Supergrass, Metronomy) in this iconic studio. The sessions went great and we got everything down we needed, having Liam produce us was an amazing experience and we cannot wait to put this record out SOON!>……

Andy x

 

When Today Is History

The ultimate project I took upon myself, pushing the boundaries of my songwriting and analogue home recording. Recorded in a tiny basement flat in Brighton in 2013.

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