Introducing: The Way After
Embark on the enthralling journey of "The Way After," a trio reshaping the rules of indie music. In an honest interview, Tim, James, and Dave unravel the band's origin, sparked by a fortuitous reunion after a school band disbanded. Tim's solo venture, initially a remedy for stage fright, transformed into a collaborative journey with the brothers, forging a musical path that challenges expectations.
Influenced by Manchester's iconic bands, punk, and post-punk, "The Way After" embraces a melodic ethos. The upcoming album, conceived during Tim's wife's pregnancy, explores themes of parenthood, vulnerability, and the chaos of today's news. James, the classically trained force behind production, adds orchestral arrangements, creating a sonic tapestry that transcends genres.
Navigating the DIY spirit of the indie scene, the band shares insights into their social media journey, emphasizing authenticity. As they gear up for the album release on Bandcamp, "The Way After" remains dedicated to an unfiltered connection with fans. In a world of evolving sounds, their sonic odyssey promises an authentic, emotionally charged experience that resonates beyond the confines of the indie landscape.
Next Wave: As an introduction, can you tell us a bit about how "The Way After" was formed and how the name came about?
Tim: I'd been in a school band with James and Dave, and after we split, I played solo. I'd developed quite bad stage fright, so the album was intended to be a literal record of my songs before I went and did something else less frightening. James and Dave are brothers and my oldest friends, so they were the first people I asked to help out with the album. So the name The Way After describes how we have found ourselves moving forward long after we thought we had finished. And now I'm playing live again!
Next Wave: Where would your passion for music come from?
Tim: That’s a good question; My family is from Manchester, so bands like The Smiths, The Stone Roses, The Buzzcocks were almost like hometown heroes for me. Through the Roses, I discovered the Beatles, The Byrds - so melody has always been important to me. And then as a teenager, I loved the DIY ethic of punk and post-punk, all these bands that valued the primacy of ideas over craft - there's something really seductive about that if you want to make music but you haven't learned an instrument yet!
Dave and James, from what they've said, discovered music a bit earlier than me. Their dad's really into music, and he was playing guitar to them and encouraging them to get into it. My parents, they like music, but they're not into it in the same way. I've had to teach them about 1960s music!
Next Wave: With your focus currently being on the creation of this album, are there any memorable moments in the studio that you could share?
Tim: I remember us sitting in the kitchen during the first recording sessions and we were listening to the radio hearing about this novel Coronavirus in China - not realizing it would be over a year before we sat down together again. It's been quite a process. Most of the memorable moments have probably happened outside of the recording itself - James has had a baby boy, I've moved halfway across the country with my family.
However, within this last year, since we've started putting things out and getting a response, I think that's where most of the memorable moments have come. It's exciting to have it out there and getting good reviews from people - we've never had feedback like this before. It's nice to know that we've connected with some people yeah, I could get used to it.
Next Wave: With the indie scene being very DYI, how are you finding the navigation/handling social media yourselves?
Tim: It was great around the time we were crowdfunding. We built a following on Twitter because during lockdown that's essentially all we could do. We meet some lovely people on social media, it turns out Twitter isn't just for nazis, there are some decent people on it too, and we’re appreciative
Threads seem to be good for connecting with like-minded souls- there are fewer people using it but also less alt-right!
I'm a bit wary of what's happening with the Bandcamp takeover because that's how we plan to put the album out. If people stop using it because they don't like the way they perceive it being run… We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Next Wave: So I’m curious what the writing process is like for you as a band?
Tim: Well, with this particular album, it's songs that I worked on with an acoustic guitar strumming away in the spare room. Writing with an album in mind was the first time I started thinking about the songs as a whole, how one song corresponds to another making sure that there is a sort of cohesion - that they don't all sound the same, but that they complement each other. So I came to the first recording session with a complete set of songs.
When we were in a band before, James was the lead guitarist and is classically trained - he would take my words and melodies and basic chord structures and turn them into a song. Now because he's producing the album, he's working it up in the studio. You've heard what he's done on the two singles with those orchestral arrangements. He's doing a great job with it, but it's not easy and he's had to do it in isolation.
We talk on occasion about a hypothetical second album and how it would work with us all living apart from each other. We'd come in with a few ideas and we'd try and make it more like a garage band in a room together bashing it out. We don't want to overthink the next one. We want to get it done quickly.
Next Wave: That explains a lot, that he’s classically trained.
Tim: He’s got a fantastic ear. And when we were in the previous band together, he was always able to work up ideas when I couldn't do it myself.
Next Wave: Are there any specific themes or concepts that you find are being carried throughout this upcoming album?
Tim: I started writing these songs when my wife was pregnant with my daughter. You can imagine the passing of time and oncoming maturity and responsibility was on my mind. “Hear The Bird Sing” is about my daughter and
the joy of being a parent, but the vulnerability that comes with it. You realize how precious life is.
Since she's been born I can't handle the news. Sometimes I have to bury my head in the sand just to get from one end of the day to the next. These days you can switch the telly off quite easily or stream something. I don't think my daughter's exposed to the news in the same way that we were as kids.
Obviously, I'm saying this from the luxury of a country that's insulated against most of what happens in the world, and I'm wary of writing songs about things I don't fully understand, but it's almost like background noise. It creeps in around the edges of my songwriting.
'You Built A Wall' is about people not being able to communicate with each other at all; or even respect each other's positions. There's always been difference, but at least there was some consensus on what constituted an objective fact.
Next Wave:You’ve mentioned before artists that you enjoy; however, are there any that you would say influenced your sound?
Tim: When I started out writing this album as a solo project, it was Elliott Smith, REM, and a Liverpool band called Shack -. A songwriter called Michael Head, who's been in various incarnations since the 1980s like The Pale Fountains, The Magical World of the Strands. He's a fantastic songwriter and the biggest stylistic influence on what I was doing.
James and Dave have added a few colors to the palette. We're all indie kids at heart, but James is also into electro and Dave’s into soul and funk. Once I'd finished writing the songs, I found myself wanting to listen to styles that might have previously distracted me. These days I'll listen to anything - 80s pop and hip hop, The Walker Brothers, AC/DC, The Fall, Dexy Midnight Runners. You won't hear much of it in the first album, but maybe for the second album?
Whether you're into introspective lyrics or catchy melodies, this trio has something special to offer. Don't miss out—dive in, listen, and experience the allure of "The Way After."