Dig It! Magazine

Get your Go-Go boots or your dandiest outfit on, The Crystal Teardrop are back with another amazing single that will make you feel like you just got transported back into the sixties with all the groovy people around!

The Crystal Teardrop are a relatively new band from the UK consisting of Alexandra Rose Mason on guitar and vocals, Caitlin Hare on bass and vocals, Leon James with lead guitar and Stuart Gray on organs.

Their first single Nine Times Nine was in my opinion the perfect way to introduce the band to the music world.

Heavily inspired by classic rock and all things 60s especially The Beatles, The Kinks and The Byrds, the band formed after Alexandra, the lead singer met Leon, the lead guitarist at Le Beat Bespoke festival in London. Sharing a mutually great big passion for the 1960s and everything that comes with it, the band quickly got together.

By The River is a fuzzy, energetic song that makes you want to dance and throw your hair around as it perfectly captures all the great sounds that made 60s music so iconic while staying true to their own sounds.

I had the pleasure to interview the lovely lead singer of the band, Alex who shared her thoughts on this release. Enjoy!

Me: Thank you for sending me the song, I really loved it!

Alex: Thank you! I’m really glad that you liked it, it’s a big beast, so many instruments *laughs* – I’m really pleased that it’s finally emerging into the world.

So the bands newest single By The River is soon to be released on the 15th of September. Tell me a bit about the song. What was the recording process like and what are your thoughts behind the song?

We’ve been working on this track for a few months now and have played it live so audiences have heard it from the start – hopefully they will recognise it when it comes out! It first started when I got a mandola – it’s kind of like a fat mandolin *laughs* – and I picked it up and thought it sounds fantastic, I could make a really cool melody with this thing and I just started playing around with it. I got the main riff and started to develop the song from there. I presented it to the others, and they thought it was really cool, we could do this kind of ‘Beatles go to India’ style song that is 1967 inspired and that is how the process began. We actually recorded a lot of the instruments at the start of the year then we revisited it this summer. So, the recording process ended up taking longer than we thought because there’s quite a lot of acoustic sounds. A lot of our material is more garagey or psychy whereas this one is different because we had acoustic instruments to capture. It’s a bit softer than the others so it was more of a challenge but one that we really enjoyed and were really pleased at the final outcome.

I wanted to make a folky, haunted kind of song. Folk songs can be quite eerie and whimsical and strange in their lyrics and I wanted to make something like that, a bit profound. It’s loosely based on Ophelia (the painting) lying in the lake.

We were walking, by the river

In the morning, maybe afternoon

We were talking, now or never

In the evening, gonna be dark soon.

Through the shadows, our reflection

Gently moving, in the pool below

The smooth pebbles, tell a story

It’s one we already know.

Watch the water, see it flowing

No beginning and there’s no end

If you love me, as I love you

Take my hand and walk with me again.

The lyrics reference the transition between life and death and eternal love. It’s somewhat disguised with mysterious imagery of the river but the metaphor behind it is that love is eternal and we form these partnerships with people and they don’t just span a lifetime, they continue long after we’ve left, and though our souls have gone to other places, we are always connected to each other somehow. It’s a representation of the transition between life and death, the journey from one to another using the water, and how nature is going around in circles, how cyclical it is as reference points.

Nine times nine, the first single of the band was a strong start, is there any pressure in keeping up?

Thank you, that’s so kind. Yes there is definitely pressure as Nine Times Nine did so well and we’re really pleased with the positive feedback and responses we’ve had from the first single. We wanted to have something out for people to listen to when we did our debut gig in April – that was our thought process behind the release – and we were pleasantly surprised that it reached as many people as it did around the world, so yes I think it has put a little bit of pressure on us to make sure that this release is just as good. Now we know that people really value what we’re doing that’s a great incentive to really give it our best shot. We enjoyed putting this track together and we’re hoping that the range of instruments on this one and the different feel to it – trying to get to that “1967 East meets West” kind of sound, featuring sitar as well – excites people. Our friend Lucian Thomas from another band, a Manchester band called Farfisa, played session for us – he’s an excellent sitar player… we’re hoping that people will listen to this and think ‘oh yeah, now that’s groovy!’

How do you feel about the future of the band? Any big goals in mind? Dream collaboration?

Great question! I feel really optimistic about the future of the band, I mean we just love gigging with each other and we’re a happy group, we have such fun on our adventures and it’s like playing music you love with your best friends. If even one person listened to what we were doing then it would be worth doing for me because it’s just so enjoyable. My goal and I think our collective goal is to be happy and to see where it takes us. In terms of opportunities, things like that, we’ve got quite a lot of exciting plans for next year. We plan to have a physical release out in the Spring which is really exciting because it’ll be so great to hold our own songs in our hands! Some of the other guys have been on a vinyl record before but I haven’t, so I’m very excited about that *laughs* and we’re working on an album as well, so hopefully next year we will have that out as well. These are two big recording targets I’m really looking forward to and I’m also very much looking forward to the shows that we’re doing. We’ve got a cluster of dates going on this autumn to promote the second single and are going to France in December which is really exciting because we haven’t played abroad before. It’ll be such a great adventure to top the year off *laughs* so I can’t wait for that. We’re gonna do a mini tour in Southern France, just three dates, then hopefully next year we’ll have some really exciting big gigs to announce. Until I see the posters I can’t really say more but we just want to reach as many eyes and ears as we can and spread our love for this era and our own take on 60s music and see what opportunities come our way. We’ve already been really pleased with how it’s been going so we just want to continue what we’re doing and hopefully bring joy to as many music fans as we can.

How do you feel about the UK music scene? Is it treating you well so far?

Yeah, I’d say so! We are blessed with a lot of really good venues in the UK and wherever you are there tends to be -even in small cities- great venues to access. We are happy with what we’re doing over here and we’d love to tap into Europe and other places as well which I’m confident we will do at some point but yeah in general I think the scene is really supportive, particularly the 60s scene and the people involved in that, they tend to be really up for it. I think people on the scene really appreciate it when they find something new and fresh that reminds them of their favourite time in music history, I think people tend to want to encourage it because it’s unusual and therefore we feel well supported… that’s what we’ve experienced. Rob Bailey who runs Le Beat Bespoke, he puts on fantastic gigs, has been really supportive about what we’re doing and we love playing at nights like his where there’s such great line-ups and bands. It’s very cool. So yes I’d say that the UK scene is healthy, I think like anywhere in the world, more can be done and more support can find its way to the arts but overall we enjoy being here and playing some cool shows.

Your sound is definitely 60s but you can’t really compare it to bands from that time, maybe The Kinks or The Rolling Stones but that’s a broad comparison, who do you consider as an inspiration sound or look wise?

Stuart [organ player] and I both collect and dj vinyl and we’re really into the rarer garage and psych singles from the time – anything from Nuggets and Pebbles, obscure compilation albums that kind of thing – we really like that sound and they have acted as big sources of inspiration. We also of course love the big names like The Beatles, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones and The Byrds, we are really influenced by The Byrds actually, and Love, but in terms of actually sounding like or taking inspiration from these bands… we’re kind of just taking bits from all of these people and putting together our own take on it. In terms of vocals… I really like harmonies. We take inspiration from the Beatles’ harmonies but invent our own thing with it. I love Jefferson Airplane, Grace Slick, Shocking Blue so in terms of female vocalists I think that’s who I admire most. I’d love to sound like Grace Slick but I think my voice is a bit too soft *laughs*. We don’t focus on just one band in particular or even a couple, we are so invested in the music from that time that we just kind of want to evoke that sound, make it contemporary, make it accessible to a 2023 audience as well as people on the 60s scene. And in terms of image, Grace Slick is a great example of what I base my image on as well as the 60s models, Pattie Boyd, Twiggy and what not… I also love Beatle fashion, I haven’t gigged yet in a suit but I’d love to, I always get too hot on stage *laughs* I wouldn’t want to ruin it! But we love colourful outfits and I guess what the Byrds or Jefferson Airplane looked like, their kind of image would probably be the most indicative of what we like to wear, kinda like 1966-67 outfits.

Do you have any words for women wanting to start music or a band?

Oh absolutely. I’m really passionate about this because the music industry continues to be a male dominated one and it’s important that female voices are literally and metaphorically heard within it. It’s so important. I’ve had an incredibly positive experience in The Crystal Teardrop so far and gender hasn’t stood in the way of anything – thank goodness! Though I know from experience that isn’t the case for everyone, I’ve been in bands before where it’s been a different story and I think it’s important to not be defeated by it. I mean if anything, it makes me want to do it more because I like proving people wrong *laughs*, I think the hardest hurdle sometimes is being taken seriously. Sometimes people judge the way you look before they open their ears and listen to how you play. There are a lot of assumptions when it comes to female musicians I feel, which is something I try to battle and challenge at any given opportunity but what I’d say is that it’s incredibly rewarding playing in a band that you love, playing the music that you love, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. And I think any resistance just makes me more determined. So I’d say to younger people or other women that, like anything else that is worth doing in life, it’s never straightforward, there’s bound to be frustrating aspects, but don’t let them put you off. You should go out there and do it. Don’t let the world stop you! Do what you love and if someone has something unfair to say then, well… choose your words as you see fit! *laughs*

Do you have any weird concert stories?

Gosh, that’s a good question! We haven’t had any drummers combust yet like in Spinal Tap *laughs*. You know we haven’t had anything super weird happen but I’m sure that will change *laughs*. We’ve had a really positive experience with our gigs – they’ve been really special – no mad hiccups! I hope it stays that way… I think when we go to France and go on big adventures to places that we’re not familiar with, I’m sure there will be a few tales to tell then! We’re gonna make sure of that! One thing I would say is that we do love partying in this band, we love dancing the night away and throwing ourselves into it, I mean I’ve blown the heels off my shoes at two gigs now. I often get whiplash after a gig for two days afterwards because I enjoy throwing my hair around on stage… sometimes I get that enthusiastic about it I go at it too hard and then pay the price but we love giving a good performance. Performing is my favourite part about it so it’s kinda worth it to me. I just hope I’m not doing myself any lasting damage – very rock and roll! *laughs*.

The Crystal Teardrop will be on tour and they will be doing a couple gigs in the South of France in December! Make sure to look out for new dates and further announcements as there will be many and they’re very exciting!

The Crystal Teardrop on instagram: https://instagram.com/thecrystalteardrop?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kGAnG78ACB3ADsU6pMqCe?si=uL3yijC-QpiIGsNBmFAPNw

Thanks for reading! Follow Dig It! on instagram: @digitmusicmagazine