"This neo-soul hopeful with a foppish fringe croons with the weariness of Bryan Ferry and the numbness of David Byrne..." is how the Guardian describes Othello Woolf. We met the young musician to find out a little more about him.
Conversation in London, January 2010, with Jennifer Byrne.
— How would you describe your sound ?
It's a fusion of my voice, choppy guitars, stark synths, drum machines, and sometimes piano thrown into a pot and spat out the other side as a set of very personal songs crafted in solitary following a break-up.
— Is being a singer your dream ? Has music always been part of your life ? What music did you hear growing up ?
I adore singing but it's only a small part of what I'm about - my dream is to continue on with what I'm already doing - composing, playing, producing, singing. Music has always been a part of life in some shape or form although in my childhood the music around me was mostly classical. As a teenager I fell in love with hip-hop (and that love-affair continues to this day) then I got into other kinds of music a bit later.
— What are your plans for 2010 ?
To work on new material throughout the year, release my next single 'Doorstep/Deep Water' double A-side, play more shows and take the live show to the next level. And more than anything else, release my debut album later in the year.
— Which other emerging musicians do you have high hopes for in 2010 ?
I'm very much looking forward to hearing new material from Washed Out. I also think Sampha holds much promise for the year ahead, as does Joker and Darkstar.
— What do you think of the current London music / party scene ? Is it promoter led ? Is it essential for bands to do the circuit ? What has been your favourite show to date ?
Mostly unspectacular. That said, a minority of promoters such as Real Gold actively seek out interesting spaces for events - their nights tend to be great. It's not at all essential for bands to "do the circuit" and I would not recommend it - you need to approach playing live with your own agenda and an imagination.
— Have you been to Paris before ? What do you imagine to be the main cultural differences between the two cities ?
I have indeed but only for very short visits. It's a difficult question because I feel that unless you've spent a considerable amount of time in a large city, it's hard to gauge cultural differences without falling on stereotypes. One thing I can say is that the food is better and the dress sense I would describe as 'conservatively-flamboyant' in that to an extent I noticed a flamboyancy but often within the traditional rules of fashion.
— In which venue would you most like to play and with what would be your ideal line up ?
There's a venue The Police played at in the US which is some kind of auditorium carved out of the rocks high up in the mountains. I don't know what it's called but I would like to play there. In terms of currently active artists, being on the same bill as Hercules and Love Affair would be memorable.
— Your new single 'Stand' has just been released on Young and Lost, you filmed the video for this in Highgate Woods. How was that experience ? Are you looking forward to all the aspects of being a modern musician, videos, interviews etc...or are you happiest recording ?
Although it was an enjoyable day of filming, the video didn't quite work out - I think myself and the creative director were slightly too ambitious with the whole concept. In answer to your second question, I'm happiest of all when I'm recording. I don't mind doing interviews but bizarrely I'm actually looking forward to a time when I'm asked more critical and even aggressive questions - beyond the niceties of introductory pieces.
Othello Woolf - Stand
Released on 300 limited edition white 7" vinyl with photography by Tyrone Lebon and each record featuring a hand-numbered insert that makes up 1/300th of a giant portrait with a typographic reminder of the song's lyrical honesty on the flipside.