Voluble, knowledgeable and infinitely positive, Dave Foster’s the kind of guy you’d happily spend a day in the pub with talking music, from its surface ephemera down to its deepest workings. We’re here to talk about The Dave
Foster Band’s sterling fifth record, Maybe They’ll Come Back For Us, but the happy tangents come thick and fast, about his favourite musical scale (the Lydian mode, anyone?), David Bowie’s divisive Tin Machine outing (“misunderstood”) and even the anti-arthritis injection recently stuck into the thumb of his impressive left hand. It was, he assures us, “The worst eight seconds of my life!”
We’re catching up with him right after the official announcement of another painful moment – his departure from Big Big Train (see sidebar). But that’s a lone cloud in an otherwise sunny sky for him. The album’s out and doing nicely, and he and DFB vocalist Dinet Poortman are on a high after some support slots for the Steve Rothery Band, among whose ranks Foster very firmly remains.
At those Manchester shows they played acoustic tunes from their 2016 album Dreamless and 2019’s Nocebo plus, of all things, a Suzanne Vega cover.
“We’ve been doing Marlene On The Wall,” he says, “which really suits Dinet’s voice. And she’s not just singing the words – she’s actually becoming something. I watched her at the shows and saw the way she’s developed as a singer and performer in front of my eyes. I’ve known her for a long time now and she’s amazing. I’m very proud of her.”
It’s been over 13 years since mutual friend Rothery introduced the pair at the bar during a Marillion Weekend in Port Zélande, Holland (Poortman’s home country). The two hit it off and set about making a proggish brand of pop-rock that really began coalescing with Nocebo, built up artistic speed with 2023’s assured Glimmer, and hit high gear with this latest selection.
Bu hikaye Prog dergisinin Issue 153 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Prog dergisinin Issue 153 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
The Bottom Line
The experimental Aussies have turned heads with their dual bass player set-up, but chief songwriter Matt Fack says The Omnific are no mere gimmick. Having honed their craft to its sharpest point with' second album The Law Of Augmenting Returns, he sits down with Prog to discuss their desire to redefine what bass guitars can do.
UNFADING MEMORIES
Experimental Norwegian jazz-rock trio Elephant9 return with eight new tracks that make up the exploratory Mythical River. The band's co-founders, bassist Nikolai Hængsle and keyboard player Ståle Storløkken, reveal the appeal of long coffee breaks, collabs with Led Zep bassist John Paul Jones, and why three really is the magic number.
Life, Death And The Decemberists
Death, Billy Joel and angelic visitations are just three of the ingredients that shaped The Decemberists' latest album As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again. Vocalist Colin Meloy talks to Prog about creativity as a form of hallucination, sneaking progressive music into the record collections of unsuspecting listeners, and why you have to earn the long songs.
Spellbinding
Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Jo Beth Young is back with a third album, which she describes as art-pop or experimental folk. Prog catches up with Young to learn more about the inspiration and process behind the thought-provoking Broken Spells.
COME BACK STRONGER
Tears For Fears, an A-grade solo from Steve Rothery and, erm, whalesong have all made their mark on the current release from Dave Foster Band. The guitarist and vocalist Dinet Poortman discuss their more relaxed approach to Maybe They'll Come Back For Us, and Foster opens up about his recent departure from Big Big Train.
A Family Affair
Norwegian chamber proggers Meer are back with their hotlyanticipated third album, Wheels Within Wheels. Prog catches up with co-vocalist Johanne Kippersund Nesdal and guitarist Eivind Strømstad to discuss the writing process, running their own festival and the challenges of being part of an octet.
Goodbye Blue Sky
When Pure Reason Revolution made an unexpected but very welcome return with 2020's Eupnea, all eyes were on them to see what they'd do next. However, internal changes, personal grief and a case of writer's block made the future seem less certain. New album Coming Up To Consciousness allays those fears with a selection of powerful new material and a modified line-up. Frontman Jon Courtney chats to Prog about finding inspiration during dark times, working with Guy Pratt and his renewed vigour for the band he founded at university.
PYRAMANIA
Egypt's pyramids have long captivated our imagination, with some even believing the magnificent structures harness magical or healing powers. In 1978, masters of the concept album The Alan Parsons Project explored themes of pyramid power and ancient magic on their third studio album, Pyramid. Prog and Parsons step back in time to uncover the story behind the group's Grammynominated and recently reissued record.
Still Life
\"I like to mix things that don't belong together and see what happens,\" says Eivør Pálsdóttir. The singer-songwriter talks to Prog about channelling the folk traditions of her Faroese home, the power of solitude, and the inspiring magic of the natural world into her transformative new album ENN.
Prog, Pop and Progress
By stripping back their instrumentation, Norway's art-rock sensations Leprous have found a different beast lurking below. Heavier and catchier than ever, they hope it can help them reach new frontiers. Prog catches up with vocalist Einar Solberg and guitarist Tor Oddmund Suhrke to uncover the story behind their new album, Melodies Of Atonement.
