Lochaber based rock group Carson are a great example of how hard work and determination really pays off in the music industry.  The band talk to the MIDAS project.

The band, Gordon Skene (vocals/bass), Chris Pashley (guitar), Matthew Casey (guitar) and Callum Morrison (drums) have been together for just under two years now and in that time they have achieved a great deal - winning the Daily Record’s 192 search for the best unsigned Scottish guitar band earlier this year is a good start!

A lot of their success is attributed to the amount of work the band have put in over the past few years with huge amounts of gigging earning them slots supporting Shed Seven as well as a number of appearances at the infamous Cavern Club in Liverpool. As well as performing, the guys follow a religious rehearsal schedule which has turned them into a tight and confident band who are making a very impressive name for themselves around the UK. MIDAS caught up with Carson at their recent Highland Festival show where they were headlining a triple bill of top Highland acts.
 

MIDAS: So then, how did it all start? How did you get together as a band and where did you play your first gig.

Carson: We all knew each other from an early age having gone through school together. We just started jamming as a band for fun a couple of years ago, but then after a while we decided to take it more seriously and see if we could make a go of it. That was about 18 months ago. After we left school we started rehearsing daily and gigging lots, all over the place. Our first gig was actually in a friends house at his party…… rockin!! Our first proper gig though was probably in a local village hall which we put on ourselves to get some recognition in the area.
 

MIDAS: How long had you been playing music before you got together to form a band? Where did you learn how to play and have you ever been part of any other groups or bands?

Chris: I started playing trumpet in primary three.

Calumn: I played clarinet and started learning the drums when I was fifteen.

C, G, M: We have all been playing guitar since about first year.

Gordon: I’ve been doing music pretty much all my life, cos it’s a family ‘thing’. I started out playing piano at about 5, then cello when I was 10 - I played cello in the Highland Regional Youth Orchestra for a number of years. I’d always had a bit of a relationship with the guitar but didn’t really get right into it until high school.
 

MIDAS: Gordon, do you think that your orchestral background has contributed anything to your sound or songwriting?

Gordon: Yes we like to experiment with different sounds and orchestrations. The fact that we can all play other instruments makes it easier for us to muck around with things and put the arrangements together. Having more than just the standard guitars and drums available to us allows us to add more to the sound especially when we are recording and can try out different instrumentation to make the sound more powerful.
 

MIDAS: Speaking about recording. How many recordings have you done to date? Can you tell us a bit about the recording process in terms of what it is like when you first had a go and what you have learnt from session to session.

Carson: We’ve had a few recording sessions… empty scream ep was the first proper one, and it was a real eye-opener in terms of what actually goes into recording, and even song-writing. Once we had got used to it, it was a great experience, especially with us being so young. I think that what we learned from that one was the importance of being well rehearsed before going in to record. For our next recording session we made sure we were completely confident in our knowledge of the songs, which is really important for getting a better job done and capturing the right ‘vibe’. We also learned from other sessions along the way that it’s pretty important to be comfortable with the environment and to have confidence in the people you’re working with.

MIDAS: Moving on a bit, you hadn’t been together long, at least in the public eye, before you decided to take a year out from studying and really make a go of it full time. Was it a hard decision to make and what helped you decide?

Carson: We had been together for about a year when we made the decision to put all our efforts into the band and go full time. We were still at high school and we were approached by a local management company who were keen to represent us. I think that helped us make the decision.
 

MIDAS: Was it quite a sporadic decision or do you consider all of the options before taking the plunge?

Carson: It was in a way, but at the same time we gave ourselves options. All four of us had unconditional places at university starting the following year (although it was never really an option in our minds) so we gave ourselves that time as a test period to see how it would go. Luckily it worked out for us and we have developed a lot in that time, to the extent that we are keen to keep going.
 

MIDAS: Have you had a lot of support over the past year and how important has this been to how far you’ve come.

Carson: We have had a lot of support from people around us and it has played a huge part in getting us where we are now. We have always had encouragement from our parents and they help out wherever they can, doing our merch at gigs, helping with our accounts and just coming to gigs to give us support. Our friends have been great be it coming to the gigs or letting us crash on their floors. Without all of their support the past 18 months would have been a lot more difficult It is important that your friends are behind what you are doing because at the start you are completely unknown and most of the gigs you play are to them. It gets better though!

MIDAS: Moving on, you’ve done some cool stuff over the past year, winning the 192 competition, supporting at a sold out Shed Seven gig. What’s it been like, what have been the highlights and were there any low points along the way?
 

Low points… when Matt got his hair cut at new Year, that was pretty hard to cope with but we all pulled together and I think we all agree that it’s made us stronger as a unit. Seriously though, we try to maintain a fairly positive outlook so we can’t really think of much negative stuff.

MIDAS: After 192 your profile must have been pretty good what with you appearing in the Daily Record etc. Now that it has died down a bit what are you up to and what are your plans for the future. Any tours or records to speak of?

Carson: We have been gigging a lot through the past year so we are going to take a bit of time away from that and work on some new songs and developing our sound as a band. The exposure that we received over the course of the 192 competition helped us in securing new management so we are establishing a working relationship with them and looking at some plans for the future. At present they are helping us find a booking agent which will make it easier to get gigs and some good support slots.

MIDAS: There seems to be plenty there to keep you busy anyway. Once you are ready to move on do you have any specific aims or ambitions in terms of labels you’d like to be on, people you’d like to work with or gigs you’d like to do.

Carson: There aren’t any specific companies we’d like to work with. We are keen to retain an element of control over what we are doing and the path that we are going to take - that is one of our main concerns. We want to work with people who understand the ethos of the band and love our music as much as we do. In terms of gigs we’d like to do, we saw Silverchair at the Shepherds Bush Empire in London recently and it is an amazing venue. We’d love to do a gig there at some point in the future. Aye, and the [Glasgow] Barrowlands - obviously!
 

MIDAS: What would be your dream gig - bands, venue, regardless of time?

Carson: Nirvana in the Barfly, Glasgow. Small venue, huge band - lovely stuff!

MIDAS: What advice would you give to any bands who think that they’ve got what it takes and want to try and develop their musical activities.
 

Carson: Practice! Practice as hard and as often as you can - remember to work on your sound as well as your songs. Try and build up a bit of experience by playing some gigs in your local area. Once you have done a few local shows look at getting some gigs in other areas. Playing to an audience of people you don’t know really does keep you on your toes and over time will build your confidence as a band. If you are thinking about having a real go at it be sure that its what you want to do. Don’t rush into committing yourself, a lot of bands have full-time jobs or are studying and still find the time to work on what they are doing - if you want it badly enough then you will find the time to work at it.
 

MIDAS: What pitfalls are there to be aware of? Have you done anything that in retrospect you would have done differently?

Carson: There are some things that we might do differently if we had a second go at them but what is more important is that you learn from any experience you have - good or bad. You learn from your mistakes and all that. If something has consequences then just take on board what you might have done wrong and use that experience to prevent you from making similar mistakes in the future. One thing to remember is that you have to look after the interests of the band. Be wary of offers that you get, not because everyone is a crook, most folk aren’t, but it is better to be sure about things before committing to them.
 

So, there you have it - hard work, learning from your mistakes and more hard work are just some of the things that can help you develop your bands potential. For more information on some of the points raised above have a look at the MIDAS Music Tip-Sheets which contain an expanding series of advice topics to help you make those first few steps on the road to success.

© MIDAS, 2003