Initially drawn to rock music, Nick Fletcher was inspired by Julian Bream and Andrés Segovia to study classical guitar at Huddersfield School Of Music. And although “for a teenager it wasn’t the coolest thing to do”, he felt justified in that Steve Hackett and Jan Akkerman had also explored that style.
On graduating in 1981, Fletcher played electric guitar in a prog band, Plan B, with keyboardist Dave Bainbridge, but they struggled to gain recognition. From 1990 there followed a period of 25 years spent teaching and composing classical guitar music, with solo albums, and duets with flautist John Hackett. In 2015 Fletcher took up the electric again and has played and recorded with the John Hackett Band and released a number of prog/jazz fusion solo albums. The most recent, the instrumental Quadrivium, released on Rough Draft Audio in September, features Bainbridge and Caroline Bonnett on keyboards and former Jeff Beck drummer Anika Nilles.
Would you say your classical guitar training informed your electric playing?
Yes, having that background made playing the electric guitar easier and also gave me a greater understanding of the instrument; how the notes fitted together on the fingerboard. It helped me enormously to unlock the guitar.
Which electric guitarists influenced you?
From the late 60s, there was a wave of incredibly talented players: Steve Howe, Jan Akkerman, David Gilmour, Steve Hackett, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page – the list goes on. I was fortunate to grow up in an era when I could assimilate that. John McLaughlin became a big influence, and Allan Holdsworth – his concept and approach to playing the guitar was very different and resonated with me.
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Bu hikaye Prog dergisinin Issue 145 sayısından alınmıştır.
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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.
