The Spirit of Autumn’s Future...
Mostly Autumn - The Cathouse, Glasgow, 19th November 2010
"Promoting from within" is a phrase commonly used, and a policy commonly implemented, in many businesses and successful sporting franchises.
In house promotion makes sense if the chosen individual or individuals are already familiar with what's required, have served their apprenticeship and/ or have the ability to do the job. Sometimes even better than those they replaced.
Such promotion is seldom seen or heard of in relation to recording artists - it’s just not the nature of the beast - but there are a few occurrences.
For example, in progressive rock, Nick D’Virgilio and Phil Collins came out from behind their drum kits to take lead vocal duties in Spock’s Beard and Genesis respectively.
And there’s a third progressively promoting example…
Mostly Autumn are one of the best of the new breed of progressive rock bands in the U.K., although “new breed” is somewhat misleading as the band have been recording and touring for some 13 years.
Arguably, the start of the above line should read “Mostly Autumn were one of the best of the new breed” because outside of the core fan base many critics, prog and rock fans believe the band to have been on diminishing returns over the last few years and albums, never having come close to matching the superb Passengers album from 2003.
In general terms I agree, but I've seen Mostly Autumn more times than any other band in the last decade, and that's because they always strive to deliver the best show possible. And with some great songs in their back catalogue it's hard not to enjoy an Autumn show. This one however, was a little different.
The band, creatively and musically, have always been driven by founder member Bryan Josh (guitars, vocals), but singer Heather Findlay was also a major part of the sound and creative process for those 13 years, and the other prominent song writer or co-writer behind Josh (keyboard player Iain Jennings being the other long-term writing contributor).
Heather Findlay decided to leave the band last year to focus on her family and possible solo projects, and although she’s a hard act to follow, the band had no hesitation in continuing - by promoting from within...
Olivia Sparnenn, like Heather Findlay, has a fantastic voice and has worked with the band since 2005 both as a touring member and guesting on albums.
Olivia was also the featured vocalist in Breathing Space, a band project put together by Iain Jennings. All this leads to Olivia having an understanding of Mostly Autumn and a musical sensibility that perfectly lends itself to the band’s sound, style and creative process.
She is the perfect singer to take over from Heather Findlay.
Indeed, she is arguably the only singer that could.
It may appear that Josh and Findlay, and now Josh and Sparnenn, are the musical heart and soul of Mostly Autumn, but the band’s large sound and various musical textures are courtesy of a seven piece unit.
The aforementioned Iain Jennings, original keyboard player, is an integral part of the Mostly Autumn sound and after a spell away to pursue other projects, returned to the fold in 2008.
Rhythm and acoustic guitarist Liam Davison is another original; bass player Andy Smith has been with the band for 10 years.
The band is completed by Gavin Griffiths on drums and Anne-Marie Helder on backing and harmony vocals, keyboards and flute. Griffiths and Helder are members of another very capable progressive rock band, Panic Room, and have worked with Mostly Autumn since 2007.
The band were doing a number of UK dates to promote their new release Go Well Diamond Heart, the first album without Heather Findlay and the first therefore to feature Olivia Sparnenn as a lead vocalist and part of the creative team.
I was initially hesitant in going to the show for a number of reasons:
The change of singer, the set-lists in recent years being a little predictable and the worry that the new album would be another case of diminishing returns.
As it turned out I needn't have worried about any of those issues...
The vocalist is very important to any group, especially a distinctive or excellent one.
They are also especially important to me as a listener - as many know I tend to become disinterested when a significant or creative member of any band departs, especially if it’s the ‘voice’ of a band.
There's an exception to every Muirsical rule, however.
With Mostly Autumn, Heather Findlay was one of two featured vocalists - Bryan Josh shares vocal duties and takes many leads. And great singer that Findlay is, Sparnenn is her equal. They are very similar, but with different strengths.
And, of course, promotion from within.
Although I enjoy Mostly Autumn shows and they carry some truly great songs in their back catalogue, there was a definite need to shake up the set list.
This tour Josh and the gang did just that and the new album dominated proceedings.
A brave call in many ways, but this time the band has a lot of solid new material to back it up...
Go Well Diamond Heart is certainly their best since 2005's Storms Over Still Waters but I wouldn't go as far as to rate it a Mostly Autumn classic, as many fans and critics have already done.
Jerry Ewing, editor of Classic Rock Presents Prog magazine, reviewed the album stating it was "the album of their career."
Sorry, Jerry, Passengers was the album of their career and they may well yet deliver another career high in the future, but GWDH isn't it.
It has some great songs destined to become Mostly Autumn classics and it's a positive step forward for a band that must have wondered how its future would develop when Heather Findlay stepped out.
But my feeling is the next album may be the more telling and definitive release, based on the positive steps taken on GWDH.
Mostly Autumn - The Cathouse, Glasgow, 19th November 2010
"Promoting from within" is a phrase commonly used, and a policy commonly implemented, in many businesses and successful sporting franchises.
In house promotion makes sense if the chosen individual or individuals are already familiar with what's required, have served their apprenticeship and/ or have the ability to do the job. Sometimes even better than those they replaced.
Such promotion is seldom seen or heard of in relation to recording artists - it’s just not the nature of the beast - but there are a few occurrences.
For example, in progressive rock, Nick D’Virgilio and Phil Collins came out from behind their drum kits to take lead vocal duties in Spock’s Beard and Genesis respectively.
And there’s a third progressively promoting example…
Mostly Autumn are one of the best of the new breed of progressive rock bands in the U.K., although “new breed” is somewhat misleading as the band have been recording and touring for some 13 years.
Arguably, the start of the above line should read “Mostly Autumn were one of the best of the new breed” because outside of the core fan base many critics, prog and rock fans believe the band to have been on diminishing returns over the last few years and albums, never having come close to matching the superb Passengers album from 2003.
In general terms I agree, but I've seen Mostly Autumn more times than any other band in the last decade, and that's because they always strive to deliver the best show possible. And with some great songs in their back catalogue it's hard not to enjoy an Autumn show. This one however, was a little different.
The band, creatively and musically, have always been driven by founder member Bryan Josh (guitars, vocals), but singer Heather Findlay was also a major part of the sound and creative process for those 13 years, and the other prominent song writer or co-writer behind Josh (keyboard player Iain Jennings being the other long-term writing contributor).
Heather Findlay decided to leave the band last year to focus on her family and possible solo projects, and although she’s a hard act to follow, the band had no hesitation in continuing - by promoting from within...
Olivia Sparnenn, like Heather Findlay, has a fantastic voice and has worked with the band since 2005 both as a touring member and guesting on albums.
Olivia was also the featured vocalist in Breathing Space, a band project put together by Iain Jennings. All this leads to Olivia having an understanding of Mostly Autumn and a musical sensibility that perfectly lends itself to the band’s sound, style and creative process.
She is the perfect singer to take over from Heather Findlay.
Indeed, she is arguably the only singer that could.
It may appear that Josh and Findlay, and now Josh and Sparnenn, are the musical heart and soul of Mostly Autumn, but the band’s large sound and various musical textures are courtesy of a seven piece unit.
The aforementioned Iain Jennings, original keyboard player, is an integral part of the Mostly Autumn sound and after a spell away to pursue other projects, returned to the fold in 2008.
Rhythm and acoustic guitarist Liam Davison is another original; bass player Andy Smith has been with the band for 10 years.
The band is completed by Gavin Griffiths on drums and Anne-Marie Helder on backing and harmony vocals, keyboards and flute. Griffiths and Helder are members of another very capable progressive rock band, Panic Room, and have worked with Mostly Autumn since 2007.
The band were doing a number of UK dates to promote their new release Go Well Diamond Heart, the first album without Heather Findlay and the first therefore to feature Olivia Sparnenn as a lead vocalist and part of the creative team.
I was initially hesitant in going to the show for a number of reasons:
The change of singer, the set-lists in recent years being a little predictable and the worry that the new album would be another case of diminishing returns.
As it turned out I needn't have worried about any of those issues...
The vocalist is very important to any group, especially a distinctive or excellent one.
They are also especially important to me as a listener - as many know I tend to become disinterested when a significant or creative member of any band departs, especially if it’s the ‘voice’ of a band.
There's an exception to every Muirsical rule, however.
With Mostly Autumn, Heather Findlay was one of two featured vocalists - Bryan Josh shares vocal duties and takes many leads. And great singer that Findlay is, Sparnenn is her equal. They are very similar, but with different strengths.
And, of course, promotion from within.
Although I enjoy Mostly Autumn shows and they carry some truly great songs in their back catalogue, there was a definite need to shake up the set list.
This tour Josh and the gang did just that and the new album dominated proceedings.
A brave call in many ways, but this time the band has a lot of solid new material to back it up...
Go Well Diamond Heart is certainly their best since 2005's Storms Over Still Waters but I wouldn't go as far as to rate it a Mostly Autumn classic, as many fans and critics have already done.
Jerry Ewing, editor of Classic Rock Presents Prog magazine, reviewed the album stating it was "the album of their career."
Sorry, Jerry, Passengers was the album of their career and they may well yet deliver another career high in the future, but GWDH isn't it.
It has some great songs destined to become Mostly Autumn classics and it's a positive step forward for a band that must have wondered how its future would develop when Heather Findlay stepped out.
But my feeling is the next album may be the more telling and definitive release, based on the positive steps taken on GWDH.
Promoted from within: Olivia Sparnenn, featured on Go Well Diamond
Heart and playing a major part in the spirit of Mostly Autumn's future.
The policy of having a retail single CD version and a limited edition 2CD version available via the band’s website continues, and this time they have got the balance just right.
The retail release stands well on its own and is a solid benchmark of where the band is right now.
The second CD isn't just a bonus for-fans-only disc, it’s a strong collection of songs in its own right.
Tracks from both CDs were featured heavily during the set and a particular highlight was 'For All We Shared,' the opener on GWDH.
The song, named after their first album, is a celebration of the bands first 13 years, and a clear thank you to not just Heather Findlay but the fans that have supported the group from their earliest days.
The heavy rock of 'Deep in Borrowdale' and 'Something Better' featured and special mention should go to the title track of the new album. Written for the troops that put their lives on the line for their country, Bryan Josh made specific mention of those in Afghanistan.
Particularly poignant was the similarly themed but dramatically different musically 'And When the War is Over.' Not so much progressive rock as a progressive waltz.
Tracks from the second CD that made their mark included 'Ice' and 'The Sound of the World.' And the set-list shake up didn't start and end with the large amount of new material.
'Slow Down' from Josh's 2008 solo album made an appearance, but for me the highlight of the show was 'Questioning Eyes,' a Breathing Space song that is very dear to Olivia Sparnenn.
Great song already, the Mostly Autumnised rendition truly shone.
As regards overall crowd reaction however, it was eclipsed by another truly great song and performance...
'Evergreen' is one of Mostly Autumn's finest creations and for many fans will always be Heather Findlay's finest vocal moment.
However Olivia Sparnenn and the band produced such a performance that the small but incredibly appreciative crowds reaction was to create a wall of noise and applause that made the band take a physical step back.
That's a Weegie crowd for you though. We know when we're being short changed and we know when an artist or band is giving 100%.
Other highlights were the title track from 'Passengers' and blasts from the classic past such as 'The Spirit of Autumn Past.'
The show concluded as just about every Mostly Autumn show does with 'Heroes Never Die', Bryan Josh's tribute to his father, but a song for anyone who has suffered close personal loss.
It's actually a very uplifting song, more celebration than soliloquy, and thunders to a finish behind some blistering six-string work from Josh.
The only downsides were the venue, crowd size and sound mix (which fortunately got better as show progressed).
The Cathouse doubles as a night club, which means that in most cases any live act has to be on early and off before 10pm, especially at a weekend.
Mostly Autumn's Friday gig started just after 7pm; with no support, many fans arrived late.
The smaller than perhaps expected crowd reflected both the current climate and the diminishing returns Mostly Autumn have been suffering over the last few years outside of their strongholds (they command far healthier audience numbers in other parts of the UK and are a strong festival attraction).
However they have already announced a tour for the Spring of 2011 and with their vital signs strong it may well be they can rebuild their audience numbers across the entire country and start filling theatres again instead of club venues.
A year or so ago and then with Findlay's departure earlier this year, there was a danger of the fans being left with The Spirit of Autumn's Past.
But by late 2010 the signs were that the fans will get to celebrate The Spirit of Autumn's Future.
Hopefully for a long time yet.
Ross Muir
November 2010
Photo credit: John McGuigan
Heart and playing a major part in the spirit of Mostly Autumn's future.
The policy of having a retail single CD version and a limited edition 2CD version available via the band’s website continues, and this time they have got the balance just right.
The retail release stands well on its own and is a solid benchmark of where the band is right now.
The second CD isn't just a bonus for-fans-only disc, it’s a strong collection of songs in its own right.
Tracks from both CDs were featured heavily during the set and a particular highlight was 'For All We Shared,' the opener on GWDH.
The song, named after their first album, is a celebration of the bands first 13 years, and a clear thank you to not just Heather Findlay but the fans that have supported the group from their earliest days.
The heavy rock of 'Deep in Borrowdale' and 'Something Better' featured and special mention should go to the title track of the new album. Written for the troops that put their lives on the line for their country, Bryan Josh made specific mention of those in Afghanistan.
Particularly poignant was the similarly themed but dramatically different musically 'And When the War is Over.' Not so much progressive rock as a progressive waltz.
Tracks from the second CD that made their mark included 'Ice' and 'The Sound of the World.' And the set-list shake up didn't start and end with the large amount of new material.
'Slow Down' from Josh's 2008 solo album made an appearance, but for me the highlight of the show was 'Questioning Eyes,' a Breathing Space song that is very dear to Olivia Sparnenn.
Great song already, the Mostly Autumnised rendition truly shone.
As regards overall crowd reaction however, it was eclipsed by another truly great song and performance...
'Evergreen' is one of Mostly Autumn's finest creations and for many fans will always be Heather Findlay's finest vocal moment.
However Olivia Sparnenn and the band produced such a performance that the small but incredibly appreciative crowds reaction was to create a wall of noise and applause that made the band take a physical step back.
That's a Weegie crowd for you though. We know when we're being short changed and we know when an artist or band is giving 100%.
Other highlights were the title track from 'Passengers' and blasts from the classic past such as 'The Spirit of Autumn Past.'
The show concluded as just about every Mostly Autumn show does with 'Heroes Never Die', Bryan Josh's tribute to his father, but a song for anyone who has suffered close personal loss.
It's actually a very uplifting song, more celebration than soliloquy, and thunders to a finish behind some blistering six-string work from Josh.
The only downsides were the venue, crowd size and sound mix (which fortunately got better as show progressed).
The Cathouse doubles as a night club, which means that in most cases any live act has to be on early and off before 10pm, especially at a weekend.
Mostly Autumn's Friday gig started just after 7pm; with no support, many fans arrived late.
The smaller than perhaps expected crowd reflected both the current climate and the diminishing returns Mostly Autumn have been suffering over the last few years outside of their strongholds (they command far healthier audience numbers in other parts of the UK and are a strong festival attraction).
However they have already announced a tour for the Spring of 2011 and with their vital signs strong it may well be they can rebuild their audience numbers across the entire country and start filling theatres again instead of club venues.
A year or so ago and then with Findlay's departure earlier this year, there was a danger of the fans being left with The Spirit of Autumn's Past.
But by late 2010 the signs were that the fans will get to celebrate The Spirit of Autumn's Future.
Hopefully for a long time yet.
Ross Muir
November 2010
Photo credit: John McGuigan
