We recently sat down with a bunch of bands from the Stencil label to find out what makes them tick. We had the opportunity to chat to Will Crewdson of Scant Regard to find out how his year has gone so far – it seems to have been a good one!
By Jane Howkins
How is 2018 treating you so far?
Very good. We’ve been very busy having already done 2 US tours playing guitar with Adam Ant and lots of gigs with The Selecter too. All that plus plenty of gigs with my solo Scant Regard project.
Have you released any music so far this year? If so, what can you tell us about that?
Yes, my fifth solo Scant Regard album came out a few months ago. It’s called Skipping Over Damaged Area and thematically it addresses the devolution of our planet in general. It’s a mixture of industrial funk and electro with a smattering of surf guitar and new wave juiciness over the top.
Are you working on any new music at the moment? What are you working on, and when will it be released?
I’m releasing a new EP which will be all cover versions in a Scant style. It’s called BUTCHERIZATION and will be out over the next couple of weeks featuring songs originally by Frankie Valli, The Church, Toni Basil, Edwin Starr and Danny Elfman. I’ve somehow managed to make it all sound like me. Only available through www.scantregard.com
Have you got any upcoming tours planned? If so, where are you playing and where are you looking forward to going most?
My next gigs are The Redwood in Los Angeles on the 12th November and then London Hope and Anchor Rockaway Beach night on the 7th December. I always love playing in LA as it’s where I first started doing this a few years back.
Who/what has influenced you the most as a musician?
That changes every day but probably that period right after punk hit when the music biz was in disarray and synths first came into use en masse. It was an extremely experimental and daring time to make music as nobody knew what was gonna happen next. That’s why I always reference it and go back to it.
What have you been listening to recently that you can recommend to our readers?
The latest music from Gazelle Twin is a revelation. She uses electronica in such a positive way and isn’t afraid to experiment and put across heavy views of the world all wrapped up in a very theatrical approach.
I’ve also been redecovering The Church since seeing them at Robert Smith’s Meltdown festival. I would recommend the album Priest = Aura which is completely timeless and innovative.
The Black Line album is very good too. It features Douglas McCarthy from Nitzer Ebb who’s one of my favourite frontpeople. The album has some of that industrial vibe but also some pop sensibility and experimentalism is evident.
I also never stop listening to The Tubes and Fad Gadget.
Why do you think people should pick up one of your records or come and see you live, and what can people expect from one of your shows?
Get the album and support new music that isn’t pandering to any genre or norm! There’s something for everybody on there.
The live show is very different as there’s more focus on the guitar. As I use a lot of programmed electronic stuff I think it makes sense to go out on a limb with the guitar playing and make sure it stays largely unexpected. I’ve never done a formal rehearsal for my solo shows and I hope this shows in a positive way!
Any last words for the fans?
Don’t draw blood unless you have a red crayon.