High Voltage

The pace of the current music industry often sees artists bowled through every possible medium, in the hope that someone, somewhere will care. Behind the scenes, PR people bounce emails around, in a perpetual state of panic, pushing bands as products, desperately trying to turn pure talent into dirty, dirty cash cows. Some bands however, remain untainted, pure at its core and creatively unbridled.

Airship recently embarked on a European tour with Editors and having supported the likes of Frightened Rabbit and The Joy Formidable in the last few months, the band seem to be picking up the pace somewhat. This increasing buzz has paved the way for their own UK headline tour, which commences in May.

“We’ve had some really great support slots,” says guitarist/vocalist Elliot, “but you always feel like your imposing a little bit; you on someone else’s tour. And you only get half a hour a lot of the time so we’re really looking forward to our own tour.”

The band have been careful though, not to hurry the process, laying low and concentrating on the often neglected, yet highly important aspect of any band; the music. “We used to try a lot of our new stuff out at Night & Day,” says Elliot, “and this helped us develop, allowed us to find our sound.” This sound, he says, has no geographical affinity, and while their Mancunian roots are not shunned, Airship are keen to wriggle free from the rusty shackles of been dubbed ‘a Manchester band’.

Understandably, the band get squeamish when previous associations with Joy Division are mentioned. “We never really got that,” admits Elliot, “as soon as we mentioned we had connections to Macclesfield, we got the Joy Division stuff.” Lazy journalism indeed... A simple encounter with the band’s material and any notion of Mancunia dissipates with the soaring euphoria and supple delicacy of a truly universal sound.

This sound is in no small part due to their ambition, not just to craft intelligent, pop songs, but to transcend imaginary boundaries and do away with the prescriptive ‘how to be in a band’ manual. Their influences also pave the way for a determined attitude towards their own song writing. “We’ve got a lot of influences but, it’s things like The Beach Boys’, Pet Sounds, that we really admire. I’d love to be able to write an album like Pet Sounds. We’re big believers in writing great albums.” says drummer Steven. And while he considers the best way to approach this feat, it’s easy to forget that Airship have only just entered their twenties, yet they speak with the guile and maturity of veterans.

Elliot and Steven muse upon the wider musical spectrum with a dry whit but while cynicism renders most bands bitter and flummoxed, Airship appear relaxed and comfortable with their current situation. Clearly, the band chose to spend more time concentrating on how they can give themselves a chance at success, rather than waiting for openings in the market; intelligent introversion, if you will. They do however, keep a close eye on the Manchester scene and like many, they welcome the emergence of several local outfits.

“There’s a really great pool of musicians in Manchester at the moment,” says Steven, “bands like Dutch Uncles and Young British Artists are doing something really good for the city. It’s nice the see something different happening...” Unknowingly or not, Airship are certainly main players in this minor revolt and while their vision is far more peripheral that their immediate locale, they too are doing their bit to quell the lingering yesteryear sounds.

Their aspirations creep into their songs too, and while Elliot concedes that Airship’s songs “are just about everyday things,” there is something fantastical about them. The videos that accompany Airship releases are obscure and point towards a fascinating perspective of the world. The lyrics to, are an unusual balance of pessimism and hope, encapsulating unspecific forebode and triumph over such woes simultaneously.

Airship have recently announced their release of their new EP, Algebra, a fitting title for a band who seem to work methodically through the perilous gauntlet that so many young bands wilt within. “We do a lot of our recording in Stockport,” says Steven, “but we often get better results when we go out of Manchester.” Elliot continues: “It’s not so easy to be distracted when you’re in London; you can’t go home, or see your friends so you become a lot more focused.”

Having spoken for a good hour, this final comment becomes pertinent. Airship are indeed a band who are intent, purposeful and yes, focused on all the aspects that separate the humdrum, run of the Manchester mill outfits, from the forward thinking, innovative ensembles like themselves. And while they might not be ‘proud’ to be a Manchester band, much of Manchester will no doubt be proud to call Airship, one of their own.

Airship’s headline tour of the UK starts on May 9 at Hare and Hounds in Birmingham. The Manchester gig will take place at The Deaf Institute on May 21. Support comes from Young British Artists. Their new EP, Algebra is out on May 10.

TAGS: Airship, Algebra, Editors, Frightened Rabbit, The Joy Formidable, Young British Artists, Dutch Uncles

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