10 Quick Ones with DAVID YOUNG of SPACE ELEVATOR – May 2018

According to a recent press release: “Space Elevator releases the new single and a spectacular video for the song “We Can Fly” – ARO mix today. The song is taken from the forthcoming album Space Elevator II. The video was shot atop the largest privately-owned satellite dish in the world owned by Thoth Technology. Canadian, designers of the world’s first 20km high space elevator and collaborators with the band on their space elevator project.”  We get guitarist David to discuss new music, influences, and more in our 10 Quick Ones…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through? Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

We are not scared of multi tracking guitars and layering vocals etc. so there are many things in the production which aren’t as much to the fore as would be obvious in a more meat and potatoes band, if I can put it like that. Our co-producer and engineer Adam Vanryne is a genius (he also shoots our videos) and he has managed to work in a Ferrari starting up, complete with keys in the ignition in the middle of one of the songs. There are loads of little guitar, vocal and keyboard things subtly worked in all over the place!

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

I started having guitar lessons under slight duress! It was suggested that if I learnt I could teach my younger sister to play. I was nine, she was seven. I had zero interest despite my Dad being a jazz sax and piano player. It changed when I heard Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. I was really young but I loved the video that we had here on Top of The Pops on a Thursday night. My little half sized classical guitar wasn’t much use for trying to learn the song mind! But that would be the time.

3. Who would be your main five musical influences?

I always find this a fascinating question. Normally this question is asked to illicit from the musician, which bands they most sound like. As a matter of fact we polled twenty fans recently asking them to name three band they thought we most sounded like and collectively they returned fifty one different bands! At the point of writing a song, I always think that what I am coming up with sounds closest to Rush, Led Zep and It Bites, Queen and Pink. However, the finished product sounds nothing like those bands! Other than possibly Queen. In fact none of those bands were in our fans lists.  Those are my own song writing influences but the Duchess who I co-write with would probably say The Beatles, Alice Cooper, Kate Bush, It Bites, and Aerosmith. Take your pick!

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be?

Kate Bush.

5. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before?

Flamboyant, big, melodic, eclectic, rocky, dramatic, powerful, memorable, dynamic.

6. What’s the best thing about being a musician?

Creating something in your own home which is then enjoyed by someone ion another continent you haven’t even visited! That’s amazing when you think about it.

7. When the band are all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Hahaha…that’s so tricky! Guitars for singalong would be me, drinks – The Duchess. Chas and Brian can fight over the cooking!

8. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?

Footballer, that’s soccer to you – or a golfer. I nearly became a golfer at twenty but now I’ve played twice in five years. This band takes up a lot of time!

9. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”?

Very good question… I can’t think of one where I specifically think it set us back in a way that’s detrimental to where we are now. Paying to play gigs on the promise of better gigs down the line etc. are a total rip off. We had one of these in London a couple of years ago, all looked great but of course it’s a con!

10. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Easily A Night At The Opera by Queen. I’m not even certain that it’s my favourite album, but the harmony and studio expertise that went into making that record, especially Brian’s guitar playing on Good Company would be fascinating to observe.

SPACE ELEVATOR LINKS:

OFFICIAL SITE

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

Category: Interviews