Words by Jonathan Stout
One topic that grows increasingly tired is the proclamation, “Rock Is Dead!” – which every pretentious music blog seems to make during slow news cycles. Sure, maybe if you’re still relying on Clear Channel and iHeartRadio to gauge your understanding of popular music you may think that rock music isn’t important to younger musicians, but in reality this couldn’t be further from the truth!
We’re living in an exciting time when classic rock is being redefined. It might make middle aged readers shudder, but it’s bands from the 80s and 90s that are taking the place of the previously celebrated rock heroes of the 60s and 70s. Now it’s The Replacements, The Wipers, Dinosaur Jr., Nirvana, Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins and even Weezer being embraced as influences among young listeners.
Case in point is London’s Middleman, who mix the screeching heft of The Wipers and Dinosaur Jr. with the melodic sensibilities of Big Star and Neil Young. The result is Following the Ghost, their newest album, which offers a refreshingly raw and exciting sound, capturing the essence and spirit of rock n’ roll, proving that the medium is still as much of a vehicle of youthful exuberance as it’s ever been.
Off Shelf: You released your first offering, Cut Out The Middleman, in 2022. Was this about when you formed as a band or had you been around before that? What brought you all together?
Noah Alves: The foundations of Middleman actually started just before COVID but this was quite laid-back, jamming and trying to piece together songs at Fuzzbrain Studios in Walthamstow. I remember we did have a gig lined up before COVID which got cancelled during lockdown. God knows if we would have been ready or what the set would have sounded like. Our actual first show wasn’t until 2021 which gave us more time to refine the sound, and the songs which ended up being on our first EP. Our lineup at that time was Harper [bassist], Lily [previous drummer] and me. We all met through going to hardcore/punk shows in London and that scene.
OS: What made you decide that the original recording of “Morning All The Time” wasn’t definitive? What did it lack that you wanted to capture in the new recording?
NA: It’s been one of our favourites since we wrote it, and one that we end the set with. Largely because I have to tune to open g, but also because it feels like a finale with the snare roll and descending guitar riff. On our last EP, Rory [lead guitarist] had only joined the band a few months prior to recording when the songs were mostly already written. Since then, we’ve worked on it and changed it slightly, so it felt natural to spend the time to re-record it. We’re all really happy with how the album version sounds!
OS: Following the Ghost was released last February. How do you feel when releasing something you’ve worked on for a while? Are you more excited or relieved to have it finished?
NA: Once it has been recorded you just want to get it out straight away, but obviously there are things you need in place beforehand, and that takes time. We recorded it last summer so the turnaround between recording and release hasn’t been too long. The release is definitely exciting because it feels real, especially being able to hold it on vinyl. I’ve found that I wasn’t able to write as much new stuff whilst waiting, and getting everything ready for release, but since then I’ve been writing a lot and looking towards where we want to go for our next thing, whatever it may be.
OS: What was the songwriting process for this record? Do you collaboratively write or are songs more or less directed by one or two members?
NA: For the most part I’ll have an idea for a tune and then we’ll work on the structure altogether at practice. Everyone pretty much writes their own parts which is cool and we can all throw ideas around at our practice spot. For a few songs on the album Rory came round to mine to work on the guitar parts together which felt like a really good way to work. Then I’ll work on the lyrics at home in my own time.
OS: The record has a great, raw but tasteful approach that sounds perfect for your sensibilities. Was this self recorded or did you all go to a studio? What was that experience like?
NA: We recorded the album with Wayne Adams at Bear Bites Horse. He was great and really knew what we were going for and how we could achieve it. We definitely emphasized the rawness and live sound to come through because that’s a big part of our identity. We didn’t do too many takes which kept it exciting and slightly unpolished in a good way. Altogether we recorded in a five day chunk and then came back a few weeks later for a couple days to make some changes and re-record some bits.
OS: Were there any pieces of gear that you relied on heavily during the recording sessions? Any new toys that helped inspire?
NA: For my tone I used a Sunn amp and an OCD Distortion pedal pretty much across the album, adjusting the settings here and there. If I remember correctly Rory played through a Vox AC30, and just cranked it all the way up, kind of inspired by James Williamson, and then used a few pedals on solos. For the most part though we shy away from too many pedals and try to get the sound just through the amp as much as possible. The bass tone was pretty dry and natural as well, and for the drums we dampened them as much as possible.
OS: What were you all listening to when writing this material? Was there anything in particular that provided a lot of inspiration?
NA: I think our inspiration comes from a wide range of things which can sometimes be hard to pin down exactly because it is a culmination of a lot of stuff that we each listen to. But our biggest influences have been bands like Wipers, The Replacements, Mission Of Burma and some Neil Young which can definitely be heard through the tunes.
OS: You’re currently in the thick of some days on the road promoting the new album. Have there been any particularly notable venues or experiences along the way?
NA: The tour’s been great, they’ve all been really good shows at cool venues. JT Soar in Nottingham is a cool DIY venue as well as Delicious Clam in Sheffield. We played an all-dayer put on by Brainrotter Records in Leeds which was a lot of fun, playing alongside The Flex and Tramadol, as well as other some other great UK hardcore bands.
OS: It’s a weird time in a political sense across the world- a concept that is inevitably altering bands’ plans for global touring. Is a tour of the States something that you’d consider at this point?
NA: Yeah, it’s true. We definitely want to play some US shows at some point, hopefully next year.
OS: What does the rest of the year look like for the band? More touring or recording?
NA: We’ve got quite a few shows in the UK already lined up for the rest of this year, including a tour supporting Superchunk which is a dream come true! They’ve been one of my favorite bands since I was younger. We’ll also be working on writing new tunes, and potentially recording some stuff, but that’s not set in stone yet. Ultimately, just playing as much as possible off the back of the album.