I first heard about The Crystal Teardrop this past spring when I first heard their debut single “Nine Times Nine”. It blew me away with its authentic true to the 60s psychedelic sound and when I read their list of influences it was like looking at what I’d have on my iPod… or rather Spotify playlists I most frequently listen to. I wanted to hear more from the band and when I saw them live at The Night Owl in Birmingham a few months ago, I was impressed. When I got an email from them telling me about their follow up single and how it has a sitar and mandola, I was excited to give it a listen. It’s a song that reminds me of George Harrison and his love of the sitar. Very Beatles circa 1966-1967. Dreamy and beautiful, simple as. The band collaborated with Lucian Thomas of Farfisa, who played sitar on the song.
We’re lucky to have Alex from The Crystal Teardrop here for a follow up interview. If you want to learn more about the inspirations behind the song, keep on reading!
Angie: How have things been since I last interviewed you in April?
Alex: We’ve had such an exciting year so far! We’ve been absolutely thrilled by the response we received from audiences who have seen us live and streamed “Nine Times Nine”. The single reached all corners of the globe and we’ve been so pleased by the comments and reviews.
The live shows have been SO much fun and I think people really dig the energy – we have such a great time on stage and audiences have really responded to that. We’ve performed at some great gigs including Le Beat Bespoke in London, ACIDFEST in Liverpool, Owlstock in Birmingham… they’ve all been magical and we can’t wait to showcase our sound at other venues around the country over the next couple of months.
We couldn’t have asked for a more positive introduction to the scene and we’re working on some very exciting plans for next year – there’s a lot to look forward to! More on that soon…
Angie: What was it like writing and recording By The River?
Alex: “By The River” started its life on an acoustic mandola. I love the resonance of the instrument – its 8 strings sound so beautiful and full! I tuned it to a drone scale and found a riff that has a tantric ethereal vibe and the song developed from there. Leon added a further riff with his 12-string Rickenbacker which elevated the song and created a Byrdsian feel. And Connor’s thunderously hypnotic drums made sure the song really took on a life of its own!
We started recording “By The River” earlier in the year and revisited it this summer – the song is quite intricate with many different acoustic sounds at play so we’ve really taken our time to make sure it’s right. Early in the recording process we realised how much we wanted sitar to feature on the track so our friend Lucian Thomas kindly agreed to play session for us. He’s a brilliant musician and if you are unfamiliar with his band Farfisa go check them out! We’ve enjoyed the challenge of recording and mixing “By The River” – it is full of essential elements of the Crystal Teardrop sound and we hope that listeners love it just as much as “Nine Times Nine”!
Angie: What is the song about?
Alex: “By The River” is a song about eternal love. The lyrics focus on juxtaposing truths, nature and the transition between life and afterlife.
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 imagery is based on John Everett Millais’ painting of Ophelia – it’s quite a haunting picture as she is drowning in a pool which symbolises her broken heart. I’ve always found it fascinating, particularly her extended arm connecting life with death and the ambiguity between love and pain. The song is based on my interpretation of that painting, in that love can extend far beyond the length of any of our lifetimes and that nature is one never ending cycle of life, death, love and loss.
Angie: You’ve played this song live at your concerts, how has it been received?
Alex: “By The River” goes down really well at our gigs! We usually close with it because the majority of the set features more up-tempo garage rock and it’s great to end with a song which lets the band stretch out and provide a memorable finale. We start the song quietly before gradually building up the tempo and volume for maximum effect – each performance is different – it makes it more thrilling that way!
Angie: What is the upcoming music video going to be like and do you have a favourite video of the 60s?
Alex: The music video aims to capture the otherworldly feel of a journey where it is never quite clear which destination each of us is travelling towards, what is real and what is imagined. The scenes featuring the band are interspersed with liquid lightshow clips and kaleidoscopic frames and the video was directed by our talented friend James Shuker.
My favourite music video of the 60s has to be The Beatles’ Strawberry Fields Forever – it’s so colourful and dreamlike and I love the backwards segments.
Angie: What are your favourite classic rock songs that feature sitar?
Alex: The incorporation of traditional Eastern instruments into Western pop music that was pioneered in the mid-late 60s absolutely fascinates all of the band and is one of the many reasons why that period in music history is so influential and innovative. There are so many tracks that we love from that time!
In terms of big names, The Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows”, “Love You To”, and “Within You Without You” are all favourites of ours along with “Paint It Black” by The Rolling Stones, “Paper Sun” by Traffic and “Hurdy Gurdy Man” and “Three Kingfishers” by Donovan. We also love “Defecting Grey” by The Pretty Things, “Real Life Permanent Dream” by Tomorrow and my current favourite is “Mathar” by The Dave Pike Set!
Angie: What are your next recording plans, do you plan to release an album?
Alex: We record all of our material ‘in-house’, and are making good progress towards having an album’s worth of material ready to go! We have plans to release another single early next year with a view to then releasing an album during 2024.
Angie: Anything physical?
Alex: Yes! We have plans to release a 7” single early next year… we can’t wait to have our material out on vinyl, the best way to enjoy music!
Angie: Goals for next year?
Alex: We aim to have some pretty wild adventures in 2024 as we have some really cool gigs lined up already that we cannot wait to announce and we’re very excited to have a physical release available. In the meantime we are busy gigging in several cities in the UK. Our next appearance at Biff Bang Pow in Leicester is on Saturday 16 September (the day after “By The River” is released) and we are rounding off the year with a mini tour of Southern France in December! Ultimately next year is about reaching as many eyes and ears as possible and sharing our love for what we do with everyone. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
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