breaking down and crying “This is my anything they could. Jon has never sung before, but he sang on this record. last chance to make a go of it…” Suhail hadn’t really sung on stage, D: (Laughing ) oh man, it’s so bleak! but he is fucking brilliant at it and I’m delighted to have encouraged that. JY: I mean, my entire twenties was spent in bands trying to make a go of D: I know there are four different it, trying to get a deal. It was only when vocals across the album, but it moves I was 28, and left all those bands, that around such a lot as a set of songs… I ended up getting signed and making not at the detriment of sounding my own music. But you have to get to like a ‘collection’, but it’s got a lot of a point of not caring and doing your changes of pace and tone... own thing - just loving the music and, JY: It was recorded in only two rooms, not so much believing in what you are doing, more not being afraid to do so it held it all together. I think what you feel is yourself. there are only two overdubs - I did a Harmonium, Jon might have added D: Was there a distinct point where you a note or two - but aside from that stopped caring? all live together in Wales and Belfast. Also, the mixes are pretty much as we JY: There were two points. One at 28. left them rough at the session. There was a good hour or so of material there, I never went to college or university, so I had given up those years trying to so I got in touch with Domino and explained what we are doing, and they be in punk bands. When I left I re-sat my higher exams and tried to go to asked if we wanted to get it mixed. I said “Not really, I think I just want to get it university and be a normal. Within that time I made an album of my own mastered like this”. There are moments, material just for me, not worrying like when Lisa O’Neill’s vocals comes about the old singer, or the keyboard in on the second verse of Song for player… totally for me. I was very Thirza, it’s SO LOUD, blaring out… but it has such a wonderfully live feel to lucky, it just happened to be the one it… because it is live. It was a wonderful that got me signed. The other time it happened just after one of the albums way to make a record, so honest. , someone very close to me was very ill and I spent too much time in hospital. D: In the post X-Factor, very That concreted my belief that you have contrived market, you must feel like quite an antidote to that overproduced to do what you do, and you can’t be chasing the buck. Bands like the Arctic output? Monkeys have done so incredibly well, but all I can learn from it is that JY: Very much so. And another thing I am lucky to be signed to a record about the X-Factor thing is when you hear these young guys and young girls label who take all that Arctic Monkey
you have to get to a point of not caring and doing your own thing - just loving the music and, not so much believing in what you are doing, more not being afraid to do what you feel is yourself.
money and invest it in people like me… I am very lucky. D: They are business people but they are, above all, music fans... JY: That works for me. All those major label acts have way more money than Domino. I’ve had friends at my level move to major labels and have six figure sums disappear into PR. Domino are very good at being creative with the art, in terms of the music, the sleeve, the delivery. It means you have to value it and explain it. They are truly independent, they are just Domino Records.. they can do what they like. D: They are very supportive of shops I’d mention. They’re forever giving us weird special coloured vinyl or die-cut sleeves... JY: That is something as an artist I’ve now tried to do with the last few albums, ‘Indie Store Exclusives’. I hope it helps, it’s fun for us to do. The Yorkston Thorne Khan LP has a bonus 7” single and a beautiful die-cut sleeve. D: The artwork is beautiful, how did that come together? JY: It was an idea I had to use a naive style of Indian artwork called ‘Madhubani’. We wanted to have a picture of the three of us playing. Whilst we were looking about, I just came across a Facebook page of an elderly lady who had been doing it for years and years, and I just put Domino onto the trial. The die-cut bit was just an obvious idea to cut around the figures. D: Have you seen a finished copy yet? JY: Nah, have you? D: Not yet, it’s due with us imminently I believe. Something to look forward to for sure. JY: Aye, I have a load turning up that I’ve sold on my webshop, in the door then straight out the door! D: Can I talk to you about traditional music, folk music and your catalogue. You’re often categorized as a ‘folk