Communion interview - Mumford & Sons & much, much more
- Jun 18, 2010
Communion is a community of musicians founded by Ben Lovett of Mumford and Sons and Kevin Jones of Cherbourg. Running their own label, releasing records, running club nights, helping introduce the world to the likes of Laura Marling, Johnny Flynn and Peggy Sue - they are a busy bunch. Kevin had time to tell Virgin Music what Communion is all about, by way of the tricky subject of nu-folk, music industry musings and future festival plans.
Greg Rose: Communion seems really nice. Good music, fan-orientated. How are you doing so well, especially when everyone else isn't?
Kevin Jones: Um i'm not sure! I guess we are just trying to stick to our principals. Maybe the answer is in the question to an extent, good music and fan orientated. We have faith in our artists on their musical merits, not on their potential to sell records or based on hype, and we treat fans as intelligent individuals who have eclectic taste.
GR: Why do most labels get so much stick?
KJ: Because they try and change things i think. They look at artists and impose their own ideas of what will sell or what they want to hear instead of bringing out the best in what is inherent in the band. If that makes sense. It's like a relationship - you have to love someone for who they are and bring out the best in them, not try and imagine what they would look like with a better haircut or a foot taller.
GR: You've got to be interested in making money now, surely? How have your motivations changed?
KJ: I'm interested in making a living but that's different! My motivations haven't really changed at all, make enough money to keep making and promoting great music!
Johnny Flynn director's cut from Robin Schmidt on Vimeo.
GR: There are lots of clubs becoming available at the moment (Fabric, Matter) – how about taking one over?
KJ: That's a bit too much at the moment! We are so busy with the club nights and records I don't think we could take anything else on, although it would be fun. Our friend Jay who runs the Flowerpot in Kentish Town - that would be a great thing to emulate further down the line.
GR: What is the most satisfying thing about running Communion?
KJ: When you book an artist no-one knows and watch the room fill, watching people start turning round to each other and saying how good an act is. That feels great, watching a room slowly fill as opposed to empty! That and hearing records finished and knowing that the artist is as pleased as you are with the results.
GR: And the hardest?
KJ: The rest! Admin, waiting for people to get back to you, finding funding for things, but I guess most jobs have an element of that in them.
GR: Does your experience as a musician make you cynical about the whole business, and have you picked up any sneaky tips along the way?
KJ: No, quite the opposite. I think it certainly makes it easier to see things from an artists point of view. It does scare me how short the shelf life of all but a few artists is, people can spend their whole lives working towards what in a lot of cases only ends up being 18 months of sucess/fame/artistic fulfilment. But not cynical, not yet!
GR: How is Cherbourg going by the way?
KJ: Alas Cherbourg is no more. We split up a little while back to pursue our own projects. Chris (drums) and me and are working with Marcus Foster and Matt Corby, both Communion projects. Davie (songwriter) is currently writing in an old mill in a remote part of Scotland and Phil i(Fiddle) is playing with super group Mt Desolation. It was a great band to have been a part of, we still go for pints together.
Portraiture w/Peggy Sue & Alessi's Ark from Read Platform on Vimeo.
GR: What is it like working with Ben from Mumford & Sons? Please tell me you have an anecdote about him going all diva since they got famous…
KJ: I don't think of him as Ben from Mumford and Sons, just Ben! Honestly they are the wrong band to try for divaish anecdotes - the most down to earth guys i know and have never let anything go to their heads.
GR: Nu-folk. Is it a thing?
KJ: It is something. But i don't think it's to do with banjos and four part harmonies, more about a mind set. Everyone on that scene, is genuine, honest, passionate and always up for helping each other out.
GR: Do you think most people understand what folk music is all about?
KJ: I'm not sure i know what it's all about! I'm sure there are some people that imagine beards, real ale and straw bales but that's an outdated stereotype. It's becoming so much part of the mainstream that I think it's just accepted as current these days. I'm sure it's the same with most types of music, people project their own understanding of the world into the music they listen to. I'm sure it's many things to many different people.
GR: Is everything happening in London and trickling out?
KJ: I don't think so at all. Look at bands like Stornaway, Kill it Kid, Kassidy, Holy Vessels. These are all great bands that haven't come from London. I think it's harder in London for good bands to get noticed in someways, although i guess there are more opportunities too.
GR: Lots of artists don't like being pigeon-holed. By all joining together through Communion, is it a danger that will happen even more?
KJ: I hope not! The next few releases we have lined up are distinctly unfolky. I guess it might hark back to your question about nu-folk, for us Communion is about an ethos and understanding not about a musical genre.
GR: Who is the most exciting artist featured on Communion in your opinion?
KJ: That's impossible to say! Everything is exciting for different reasons. That said, Matt Corby and Marcus Foster both of whom are doing releases with us in the Autumn are pretty outstanding.
Mumford & Sons // Gentlemen of the Road from Stay Loose on Vimeo.
GR: You have an almighty line-up involved in Communion. How hard is it fitting established stars like Noah and the Whale, Laura Marling and Johnny Flynn with up-and-coming acts?
KJ: When the artists you mentioned above played they weren't established stars, the idea behind the club nights is to showcase up and coming talent - over the years we have been lucky enough to identify rising artists and promote them. If I could get Noah and the Whale to play at Notting Hill Arts Club right now i'd be pretty chuffed!
GR: How do you know when a new artist has that special something (without a prime time TV show/circus at your disposal)?
KJ: I guess one thing is being able to spot great songwriters and singers and then, following on from that, judging audience reactions to them. When a room goes quiet during a gig and people are buzzing after it you know you are onto a good thing...
GR: Where do you see Communion going? A full-on festival in the future?
KJ: Yes! We have plans to do a London based one in September with Chess Club and then one day in the not too distant future, maybe find a field and do a big one!
Communion have far too much great stuff going on for me to stick it all on the end of this interview - go over to the website and be excited, be very excited.
Greg Rose
