Preston : How did the band start?

Tom Welch:The band as I guess many have as a project at the start of lockdown during Covid. Billy and I had been in bands together for years playing more Rocky stuff but always had a love for the more 60/70s sounding melodic stuff, of course being big Steely Dan nerds/fans

Preston : How did you meet Billy Hawkes?

Tom Welch:I have known Billy since I can remember, we went to the same school from nursery until leaving primary school in Bermondsey in South London. He was always one year older than me though so we only had a nodding acquaintance in primary school due the cavernous 12 month age gap back then. I convinced him to forget this age gap many years later when we started our first band together at age 14 and did our first gig in which I forgot to plug my guitar lead in due to being absolutely terrified haha. Our record collections are EXACTLY the same, it’s scary.

Preston: How did the album These Times come about? How did you connect with Keith Carlock?

Tom Welch: It was the title track which started everything, but was actually nearly binned because I couldn’t get a decent drum track for it, I got a guy online and it just sounded so dull, maybe not the fault of the guy but it just didn’t gel so I left the song on the shelf, then a few months later I saw Keith Carlock tweet about being down to play session drum tracks for people as Steely Dan couldn’t tour due to the lockdowns, so I sent him the track and waited for a polite refusal but he said he loved the tune and of course he absolutely nailed it! I remember getting an email from him with the 3 different drum takes and I was like a kid at xmas. It was about midnight over here in Japan when he sent them but I couldn’t help putting on the headphones and listening to the drum only tracks and thinking how do I choose, they were all perfect! Before Steely Dan started touring again I managed to get Keith to play on one more tune of ours too called I Would Be King which was great too, Keith is such a beast on the drums, a true pro and a really down to earth nice dude which makes it even better! I asked him to add some Aja flavour to that track and he said “cool I will add some Aja flavour at the end” and he did that great drum out, I think thats my fave part of the whole tune to be honest haha.

Preston : Where was it recorded?

Tom Welch:I recorded guitars and vocals at my home studio in Yokohama, Japan. Billy recorded bass at his studio in London. Keith recorded at his home studio in Nashville and another great piano/sax session guy who has also played with our one true leader Donld Fagen called John Lee Sanders played his parts in Spain where he now lives. It worked out well somehow despite 4 different time zones and thousands of miles.

Preston: What is your recording process?

Tom Welch: Either myself or Billy will have a demo of a song and we will work it up. Billy tends to write on the keyboard and I normally use guitar and start to build around that. Sometimes the lyrics come together at once, sometimes a track will have no lyrics at all though and just a chorus idea with a phrase that we fill in after. That’s how the recent tune Case Of The Missing Man came about, Billy had that great chorus and I just filled out the picture will the verses trying to make a story from that line. So the writing process has changed along the way I think, the second album is a lot more piano/keys led from Billy whereas the first album was a bit more guitar led from my early demos back then.

Preston: What tools do you use to compose?

Tom Welch:: We use Logic which is great, it’s so easy to record with and has so many cool sounds to mess around with, it has a nice Rhodes sound and even the guitar pedals on there are decent enough but I still like to crank up the amp when the neighbours are out.

Preston : What are your primary guitars and instruments you record with?

Tom Welch:: I was so lucky to get one of Walter Beckers guitars at auction and quite a few of his effects pedals too, some of which had his settings pencilled on them still which of course I treasure. I wish I didn’t have them of course, but they have a good home and take pride of place among my guitars. A lot of the songs are played on Walters custom built Grimes Strat, but sometimes I play my Fender Strat or if it needs some filth I break out the SG!

Preston: What are your 5 top albums?

Tom Welch:: Ah man, thats a killer question. So tough. It changes a lot but I think my top 5 is the same as many peoples – not very controversial haha: Tapestry by Carole King is of course there, Katy Lied has to be there as thats my fave Dan album, Revolver never leaves my record player area and if you have Revolver you have to have Pet Sounds so that’s there too and lastly I would say Talking Book by Stevie because it’s just such a great album which Bill and I used to blast way too loudly in our first job together after leaving school working in Channel 4 postroom hahaha.

Preston: Upcoming Projects?

Tom Welch:: Of course we have never taken this show on the road, which I would love to do, hopefully this year. Also, lots of songs to finish off but its hard finding the time with jobs and kids and world chaos but we will get there soon hopefullly and stick out some more tunes! https://patreon.com/tomwelchmusic?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan&utm_content=join_link

https://wendel.bandcamp.com