“The Future Was So Uncertain” Doves Interviewed
For a quarter of a century, Doves have been masterfully balancing euphoria and darkness, weaving rich soundscapes across five well-received albums. Now they’re back but – as has been well reported – in altered form. Lead singer Jimi Goodwin will not be accompanying brothers Jez and Andy Williams on the forthcoming tour in support of sixth album ‘Constellations for the Lonely’, just as he was unable to engage in the campaign for previous album ‘The Universal Want’ in 2021.
“It was a massive blow, the tour,” Andy explains to CLASH. “We had two tours which we really looking forward to doing, our first tours in – then – ten years. It’s fifteen years now! It getting cancelled, firstly due to COVID, then second time Jimi not being well enough, was a real blow for both of us. We were desperate to play live. The future was so uncertain.”
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“It was tricky navigating that, and obviously we started pottering on this album and, gradually, when he was well enough and up for recording, (Jimi’s) bits were good. When we came towards finishing it, me and Jez were very much wanting to play live. We felt we’d been missing out on it for so long. There was definitely a desire out there for people who like the band to hear us again. Then it became quite apparent that it wouldn’t be right for Jimi to tour. He wasn’t in the right place.”
“That was a massive mountain for us to climb,” the drummer continues. “Eventually, we decided that me and Jez have always sung on every album and the odd song at gigs, so we were like, ‘Look, let’s just try. Let’s get in a rehearsal room and try it this way. See if we can make it work.’ It might not have, but we were lucky with a couple of friends who are incredible musicians who joined us. It became apparent that we could do it, and not only do it but do it well. That was a massive weight off our shoulders. Jimi’s very supportive of us doing that, because he knows how much it means to us. We try to do everything as a collaborative and a joint decision.”
“When you’ve got someone who’s got addiction problems,” adds Jez, “You’re at the mercy of those addictions, so your destiny in is in the hands of addiction, which is not a nice place to be for me and Andy.”
“So all three of us are really prisoners and victims in all of this. With Jimi’s blessing, it was our chance to try and get us to perform Doves songs on stage. People really wanted to hear them, because we’re constantly reminded by people’s messages how much they want to hear that last album, let alone this album.”
Throughout their career, Doves have consistently overcome adversity, whether it was a studio fire or releasing an album during a global pandemic. ‘Constellations for the Lonely’ may be their finest work yet, trading grand, anthemic choruses for a more nuanced sound that mirrors their recent struggles.
“I’d say it is a darker album,” ponders Jez. “We never, ever have a plan when we set out to write an album. We just let it happen naturally. You have to, I think. I don’t like contrivances like that, with a blackboard: ‘Right, we’re going to make this move and that move.’ It never pans out.”
“A lot of those lyrics deal with anxiety or how to overcome the anxiety. In all honesty, there was a lot of anxiety around. Writing the album was actually our…safe space against what was happening outside of that place. I think the album is holding up a mirror – I can probably speak for Andy as well – to what was going on.” His brother agrees: “There was a lot of stuff going on outside the studio, I guess. As Jez says, in the studio was our escape, really. That went well, but it was all the stuff around outside that was challenging. I guess that is going to seep into the music.”
In truth, the Mancunian trio have never been the most carefree of acts, and while the pair are content to let the listener interpret the lyrical content, musically the album often has a colder, more claustrophobic vibe than before, enriched by a range of sonic textures. “We get bored quite easily so we like to keep things interesting for ourselves, really,” Andy explains. “Keep stuff that we find challenging. Maybe not to the listener, but to us, to keep us engaged. ‘Cold Dreaming’ and ‘Last Year’s Man’ felt like new areas for us. When we were writing them, it felt new to us, which is all you can go off, really. When you’ve been in the band as long as we have, you do have to keep it interesting and keep progressing.”
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“I always like to think of the sonics as the fourth instrument,” explains Jez, picking up the thread. “You might have the guitar, bass etc but I always thought there’s always room – and there always should be room – for sonics, because I like the abstractness of it. I think it helps create tension and release in the music. Perhaps we’ve taken that from our past band, Sub Sub. There used to be a lot of sonics in dance music.”
“But we took a bit of that knowledge with us and we never let that side go. That all stemmed from the sampling culture and using things from outside what you create when you’re playing instruments. I think that aspect is really important to the Doves sound. I think it’s what separates us from other bands; we’re kind of obsessed with getting these sonics simmering in there. We’re always keen to get that element in.”
‘Filmic’ is a descriptive which has often been attached to Doves – and one they’ve never hidden from – but the new album includes some of the most explicit references. “With ‘Renegade’, there is actually a ‘Blade Runner’ nod to Vangelis,” Jez confirms. “It’s the crash and the glide. It glides down. If you listen to ‘Blade Runner’, it’s full of those, so we thought, ‘We’ve got to do that, it’s a little nod to Vangelis.’ A doff of the cap!”
“That particular film is our DNA because we watched it so much growing up,” adds Andy. “I guess the thing with (‘Renegade’) was, vocally we wanted it to be quite Scott Walker-ish. I think we were thinking, ‘What happens if Scott Walker walks around Manchester in the year 2080. What would he see? What would his feelings be of the city?’ Piccadilly Gardens, as much as everything else, would probably be really shiny and modern. It would still be a bit of a shit hole, even in the future!”
Closing track ‘Southern Bell’ includes a striking lyric (‘The last stand in our story’) but Andy clarifies that long-term fans can rest easy: “We love the film ‘Butch Cassidy (and the Sundance Kid)’: ‘Me and you against the world, going out in a blaze of glory.’ It’s just trying to make songs paint pictures, really. I guess it’s as far removed from our day to day lives.”
“That really came together – for me – when Jez sings the first half and Jimi takes over halfway through. I really liked the dynamic of that. It changed the story, although the lyrics were the same. It added more gravitas to the lyrics, I think. It felt very much like a final song on the record.”
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For those with attentive ears, ‘Cold Dreaming’ features an Easter egg: a recycled guitar riff from two previous Doves songs, although fans will have to work one of them for themselves, with even its composer unsure: “It’s in three songs and it’s the same riff, although I can’t recall which one!” Jez laughs. “It’s really strange, this riff, because it works in a lot of Doves songs, for some reason. What’s quite fun about it is dressing it up, where people don’t know, or don’t immediately recognise it. Some do. ‘Jetstream’ was when it was first used, and it’s resurfaced again on ‘Cold Dreaming’. Is it ‘10.03’? it’s definitely in one more.”
“I personally think the riff is so good we can definitely use it. I’m looking to use it in something else and hide it! Why not? The thing about music, I always think, now we’re a bit older, I literally don’t care. It’s about having the freedom to do what you want. I think we can now; I think we’ve earnt that right.”
As it turns out, even his brother wasn’t aware of the lick’s presence: “You disguised it well! That’s cool.”
The album is released at the end of February, a few days after Doves start their first tour in a decade and a half. Although both Andy and Jez concede it will be different without Jimi, their experience playing as side-project Black Rivers back in 2015 will stand them in good stead. “We really enjoyed the Black Rivers project,” says Andy. “We enjoyed the touring. We can go out and do this ourselves. It gave us the confidence, definitely. Everything you do is part of the experience, you put it under your belt. One of the best things you can be as a musician these days is resilient. It is really hard. We’re very lucky that we came up in a time when you could sell records. It’s a lot tougher for younger bands now. You have to be resilient and bloody-minded. Carry on, because the odds always seem against you.”
The band got a taste of touring without Goodwin during a trio of shows last November (“They really took us back. They couldn’t have gone better. There was a lot of trepidation – very nerve-wracking!” Andy admits). For the upcoming tour, the duo will be joined by three additional musicians, whom they both speak of with glowing admiration. “We’ve got a new keyboard player, Christian, who’s fantastic,” says Andy. “They’ve just really brought a lot of new energy. Rehearsing used to be a bit of a struggle.”
“And now it’s a joy, and I never thought I’d say that.” adds Jez. “We have really good fun, and everyone’s pulling together to try and put on as good a show as we possibly can. It’s brilliant, very positive atmosphere. It’s great.”
“As regards to Jake (various) and Nathan (bass),” his brother continues, “They were big fans of the band before they joined the fold. I’m not sure if Christian was or not. Without me and Jez having to go, ‘Don’t do that, do this’, they’ve really got sensitive to the music. They get the band and they instinctively know what is right to play and what ain’t. Me and Jez have not had to do too much guidance, which leads us to have some fun and have a laugh. Very serious musicians in terms of what they do, they all did their homework. We’re really enjoying that. Rehearsals used to be a bit of a pain in the arse to be honest, because not everyone wanted to be there. Now everyone wants to be there.”
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While Goodwin will be missed, Doves are in the unique position of being a genuine trio, with each member contributing to songwriting, musical ideas and singing, a fact which Jez (who will be inhabiting the role of lead singer) is keen to impress: “Let’s not forget, the thing about Doves albums, from album one: if a song demands a different voice for it, we just do it. We don’t overthink it. I think that’s paid off, really. The song will dictate the voice, generally speaking. Jimi more than not, but the situation has changed so we’ll adapt. It gives us quite a lot of creative life if we bring in different voices to the album.”
“That’s the reason we’ve lasted so long,” Andy claims. “There’s not one approach within the band. It’s not restrictive. Three people writing the songs, three people singing them. I always think of bands – when they have one songwriter – how hard that must be on that one person just to keep coming up with the goods. I think a lot of resentment can start like that within bands, if one person’s doing all the work all the time. They might get more money! But it’s a big weight to carry. We’ve always been very lucky in that way that there’s three people coming to the table with ideas. That way, you get different flavours and influences and it hopefully keeps the music interesting.”
“It keeps it fresh,” Jez concludes. “This is not new. The gig thing is, but the album thing isn’t at all.” While the present and immediate future may be settled, Jez is understandably reluctant to look much further ahead: “At the moment, we’re doing the more zen approach, just to preserve our own heads, as well. It has to be like that. Take each day as it comes.”
For now, Doves have returned with what may be their finest collection of songs yet and are excited to perform them live. That’s enough, and the future will take care of itself.
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‘Constellations for the Lonely’ is out on February 28th via EMI North.
Words: Richard Bowes
Photo Credit: Brian David Stevens, David Filipponi
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