In Conversation With #089 - Phoxjaw
Bristol alt-rockers Phoxjaw have just released their debut album ‘Royal Swan’ via Hassle Records. These collection of tracks were recorded at Devil’s Bridge Cottage in Wales, and you can certainly hear the cabin fever on this album - which creates an intensely beautiful listening experience and shows a band perfectly mastering their sound. Phoxjaw took a moment to talk to us about the release.
Hey Phoxjaw, how are you? The debut album is finally out there - how does it feel?
Hey blower of horns, I’m very well thank you, even in a time of plague. The album is finally here, and it feels like a dream. It’s like I’m in Brugge floating down a canal in a dream.
It is titled ‘Royal Swan’ - can you tell us what that means? Does it hold a certain meaning to you?
This record means a lot to us because it’s our first, and because we poured everything into this album. Real brotherhood exists and belongs in Phoxjaw, and we are so lucky to be doing this. Hopefully people will find something in it for them personally, as we hope this record brings people together and into new styles of music.
Where was the album recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the creative process?
The album was recorded deep in the hills of mystical Wales. 'Devils Bridge’, they call it. We call it Daddy Bridge. Wales is an ancient place, as is the rest of the island of the UK. Welsh language is the oldest to this island, and we felt the mystery of the place suited this album.
What are the key themes and influences on the album?
Analog, old and cold.
Can we hear a hint of politics in this album?
A sprinkle perhaps, but not tablespoons. We talk about the strange changes British folk are having, but also about a sense of hope and love.
Do you have a favourite lyric on the album? If so, which one and why?
'A sky is looming it’s as black as raisins'. I like that bit, it’s very silly
Now the debut album is out there, what next?
We have a second album in the cauldron bubbling down the sides as we sleep. Hopefully we get to fly to Asia and do it there, but the stones have the answers and they're deep beneath the soil. If lockdown wasn’t so harsh, we maybe could have bought some more shovels down B&Q and would have dug out some more answers.