Musical Memories: The Southern Companion
The Southern Companion have just released one of the most raw and refreshing records we have heard in the last decade. 1000 Days of Rain showcases a storyteller who tells his own truth in the purest form. From an ode to his young daughter to a reflection on his birth being in the wrong decade, to the most moving tribute to a late mother we have ever heard, The Southern Companion proves himself the UK equivalent of his current idol, Jason Isbell. Wanting to know more about his journey, we took him on a trip down musical memory lane.
What song reminds you most of your childhood?
“Run to You” by Bryan Adams, that Reckless album got played a lot in our house when I was a kid.
Which song inspired you to become a musician/singer?
I can’t remember if I’m honest, I loved music from really early on, my dad and his mate would play guitar together in the lounge when my mum worked a couple of evenings a week at the local pub. I was allowed to stay up late and listen to them play until she got home.
Which song do you wish you had written?
The first time I heard “Cover Me Up” by Jason Isbell it just floored me. So simple yet so on point, that whole Southeastern record is a lesson in songwriting, beautiful..
Which artist/band has been the most inspirational to you?
I always find it so hard to choose or pin point one artist but if you go back to when I started out the first band that really lit me up was The Black Crowes. That “Shake your Moneymaker” album and the follow up “Southern Harmony & Musical Companion” changed everything for me, them and Del Amitri who I think were Britain’s most under rated band of their time, two very different bands but both great.
Which song/album currently dominates your attention?
The Chris Stapleton album “Traveller” has been played a lot, I also love Jason Isbell’s new record and Sturgill Simpson’s. Dave Cobb produced all three so he’s on a roll right now.
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
I’d love to work with any of the bands / artists I’ve already mentioned, If I had to choose one to write with it’d be Jason Isbell as I believe he’s the best songwriter of my generation, if it was to do a show with it’d be The Black Crowes so I could fulfill my teenage fantasy’s, pretending to be Marc Ford for a night.
