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Can you talk to us more about your latest single “Find Your Own Way”?
The lyrics came first. Dan (Kearney) says he has little recollection of writing it. “It just seemed to come out of nowhere.” He sent it to Davie (Nettleship) who put down the melody which he says came to him late one night when he was thinking about his two children who had recently left home to go to university. He was letting go of them and they were embarking on their own journey – finding their own way in life. Then, for whatever reason, the demo was put to one side until Derek (Quinn) “resurrected” it and pushed for it to be recorded and produced by Iain McKinna at Offbeat Studies in Edinburgh.
Did any event inspire you to write this song?
Dan’s wife, Deborah, had recently lost her mother and she was being bombarded by friends and family to do this and to do that to come to terms with her grief, but she just wanted to be left alone to come to terms with her loss. To find her own way of dealing with things. This experience might be at the heart of the lyric but, as Kearney says, it just seemed to “land from somewhere out there.” Of course, everyone reads something different into a song – that’s the enduring thing about music. So we are keen to stress this is only one possible interpretation. Who knows really what goes on during the creative process. Usually the final product is an amalgam of all sorts of things so it can be all things to all people. Once it’s out there then it no longer “belongs” to a person, or a band. It is universal and its appeal can often be deeply personal.
What inspired the video for the track?
The video gave us an opportunity to explore in another medium the lyrics that seemed to appear to Dan out of the ether. Derek is deeply influenced by Eastern philosophy and mindful of this, he was able to see some deeper truths and insights into the lyrics. He says, “For me it was obvious that the lyrics touched upon something eternal and fundamental. I read them as an insight on how we can become caught up, obsessed, and enslaved to our thoughts which is the root of most, if not all, of our own personal suffering. So it became important to me to try and highlight this and to show how people struggle with distractions – mobile phones, social media, etc. – and the anxiety which inevitably ensues from this unhealthy preoccupation. This is the human condition. The video then highlights the fact that when we finally let go of these negative thoughts, we can find our own way to tranquility and peace. The denouement hinges on the line, “Sometimes we just let go.” From this point on the song is itself like bathing in a wave of calmness. I tried to express this in the images and narrative of the video. Hopefully I achieved this but, I have to say, the song stands on its own merits and intrinsic beauty.
How was the recording and writing process?
The recoding and production was done by Iain McKinna at his studio in Edinburgh. Iain quickly picked up on the vibe and enhanced what was already there with his thoughtful and entrancing arrangement.
How has REM and Depeche Mode influenced your writing?
We’ve always been into music with a contemporary folk vibe, such as REM. The eighties too had a seminal influence on us – it was a time of great music – and so Depeche Mode, The Pretenders, OMD, early U2, Paul Weller and many more have coloured our musical landscape.
Does the new single mean we can expect a new material – how’s that coming along?
Yes. We have many more tracks that we’re currently working on – perhaps an album. Find Your Own Way is our fourth single to date. All our songs share a similar outlook and reflect our personal interest in social issues. Our first song When The Bees Go deals global warming and the destructive effects of human activity on nature and on the planet. A Brother to Me explores the theme of racism. Something which is not innate in us, but which often a child picks up from its environment. Finally, Edinburgh, explores the idea that the grass is always greener somewhere else and how sometimes we seek to escape our surroundings by moving away but we can’t escape the frustrations and the anxieties we face in our lives by simply getting on a train. In many ways the song echoes the themes in Find Your Own Way too. Derek’s videos, which accompany the songs, are superb.
Any tentative release date or title in mind?
Probably later in the year if we can get back into the studio. Not so easy when we all live in different parts of the UK – Davie is in Edinburgh, Derek in Newcastle, and Dan in Manchester – but we’re making tentative plans at present.
What else is happening next in Campion Crew’s world?
We got back together – having studied together in the eighties at Campion House College in London – before going our separate ways to peruse other paths. The initial idea was to form a creative hub – music, drama, and other creative projects, possibly film. For the last few months we have focused om music, but we hope to expand shortly into other avenues of creativity.
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