Hell - Ain't A Bad Place To Be
It's been 30 years since Stuart Braithwaite, Dominic Aitchison and Martin Bulloch formed a band in Glasgow. In 1995, nobody could have had any inkling that a group playing mostly instrumental post-rock would make it to the top of the UK charts (with As The Love Continues in February 2021). Mogwai's success is as surprising as it is heartwarming, and proof that independently-minded artists can sometimes prosper by sticking to their musical principles.
Mogwai have had a good run from almost the beginning, charting from the off with 1997's Mogwai Young Team, while their homespun label Rock Action has proved durable, these days boasting an ever-expanding roster that includes Kathryn Joseph, Arab Strap and Bdrmm. So, how does Braithwaite feel about the fact that Mogwai are still here and seemingly going from strength to strength? "Oh, I'm definitely proud," he tells Prog from his home in Glasgow. "I'm proud that we're still making music, and I'm proud that people still want to hear the music we're making. I'm pretty chuffed about it." One imagines a No.1 album at the start of their career would have been downright dangerous, given their propensity for hedonism.
"It would have been, yeah," agrees Braithwaite. "I don't think we would have lasted too long after that, to be honest. It's probably quite good that it happened when we were well into our 40s." How did it feel to have the bestselling album in Britain, keeping pop artists like Dua Lipa and Ariana Grande at bay for a week, at least? "It was lovely. I think the kind of support and warmth we received around that time gave us a lot of confidence going into this record."
By this record, he means The Bad Fire, their remarkable 11th long player, which we'll get to in a second.
"The only unfortunate thing about it was that it happened during the pandemic, and we couldn't do a big celebratory tour with our No.1 album.
Bu hikaye Prog dergisinin Issue 157 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye Prog dergisinin Issue 157 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
SOLSTICE
Since their formation in 1980, Solstice have been led by guitarist Andy Glass through various hiatuses and line-up changes. It took until 2020 and the start of the Sia trilogy to truly find their feet, but this strange route to success has left them in an interesting position.
SAVATAGE
It's not entirely accurate to use the word \"reunion\" if a band never broke up in the first place, but semantics aside, it's fair to say that American progressive/ power metal trailblazers Savatage have spent the better part of the past two decades far away, in a land caught between time and space.
Against The GRAIN
US veterans Glass Hammer have ripped up their own rulebook - yet again - on Rogue, an hour-long concept album that takes the listener on a journey of self-discovery via life's highs and lows. Bassist and co-founder Steve Babb takes Prog on a deep dive into its themes, its innovative recording process and the global mix of musicians involved in the project, and explains why, after more than 30 years in the saddle, his fire for creative reinvention still burns as brightly as ever.
JOHN LODGE
It’s lovely to be here,” says John Lodge. “In fact, it’s lovely to be anywhere,” he adds, adapting the old joke and explaining that just over a year ago he had a stroke. Yet with “Prayers, love and good vibes,” he continues, “here we are.”
True Or False
Aband featuring members of Porcupine Tree and King Crimson were always going to be considered a prog supergroup, but O.R.k are continuing to prove there is much more beyond the label. With fifth album Firehose Of Falsehoods another impressive addition to the quartet's catalogue, Prog catches up with bassist Colin Edwin to find out more.
HATS OFF GENTLEMEN IT'S ADEQUATE/ GHOST OF THE MACHINE
The new album by modern prog mainstays Hats Off Gentlemen It's Adequate is an expansive, polystylistic release centred on Heisenberg's uncertainty principle.
DIVIDE AND DISSOLVE
Sax, drone and rock'n'roll with an anti-colonial message.
SALLY POTTER
The avant-garde musician, filmmaker and activist on exploring the human connection, staying optimistic in the face of uncertainty and her memories of brother and VdGG bassist Nic.
BLIND CONVERGENCE
Ambitious ambient solo project from Thieves Kitchen guitarist Phil Mercy.
Chris Squire: "The greatest bass player in prog rock history." - his 30 greatest performances
He was one of the most influential and creative rock musicians, who transformed the way the bass was viewed. Chris Squire's impact on the world of progressive rock is still felt to this day, as is the music he played a major role in creating. Prog asks former bandmembers, collaborators and musical fans to share their favourite songs from his back catalogue. Is yours among them?
