THE MATHMATICS OF CREATIVITY: AN INTERVIEW WITH BILLY SHERWOOD
By Jeb Wright
Billy Sherwood is back with a new release from his
band Circa. The album, titled “And So On,” is an album
of progressive rock that encapsulates the musical vision
of both Sherwood, and his musical partner, Tony Kaye.
The band introduce two new members on this album, who
fit seamlessly into the fold.
“And So On” is another chapter in Circa’s life.
Although the band have primarily been underground in
nature, they have built a solid following, as the music
is very original and complex, capturing the imagination
of prog nerds around the globe. Both quietly relaxing,
ethereal yet energetic and rocking, Circa expands the
boundaries of creativity, utilizing both hemispheres of
the brain in order to accomplish their goal.
Read on as Billy and I discuss Circa’s new album,
welcome the new members and even chat about one of
Sherwood’s latest production credits he earned while
working on John Wetton’s latest album.
Jeb: You have some new members in the band. Tell me
about the drummer. I know Alan White used to play in the
band.
Billy: Alan White has not been involved since after
the first record. Jay Schellen came into the band after
that. Ronnie Ciago came in to play on this record and he
is in the band. Bands are always shifting around. Tony
Kaye and I are both still here. As long as people are
into the music and work hard, then I am always happy to
welcome people into the band.
Jeb: Tell me about Johnny Bruhns.
Billy: During the YOSO touring stuff, Jimmy Hahn told
me that he couldn’t do any touring. I knew we were not
going to get Circa out on the road without shifting the
lineup. TK [Tony Kaye] and I knew that Johnny was the
right guy for the band. He is from LA. I knew him
through mutual friends. He played in a Yes tribute band
called Roundabout. I heard about his playing and I went
and saw him doing his thing. We invited him into YOSO
and it was very natural to move him into Circa.
Jeb: He brings a lot to the band. He brings a rock
element when you least expect it.
Billy: There are a lot of twists and turns to the
music. You won’t get bored with this music because you
never know what is going to come next.
Jeb: Progressive Rock is a virtuoso field but only
the best get their own signature sound. Circa has that
going for them. There are some tips of the hat to early
Genesis and Yes but you are your own animal. Did you
realize Circa had developed a signature sound?
Billy: No, not really, I just do my thing and after
years and years of doing it, then it seemed to develop
it’s own.
I am drawn to certain styles and I like hearing
certain things as well. I even try to put my stamp on
other things that I do, like producing records. I try to
use my own sonics on it, if you will.
Growing up, listening to my favorite records, I
realized that a lot of the records I really loved were
produced by a certain click of producers. Even though
the bands were different, you could tell that a certain
producer made that record, Hugh Padgham, for instance. I
am happy to be able to be recognized for a certain
sound.
Jeb: Circa has a real ethereal sound to them.
Billy: I like space in music and I like chaos in
music, but they have to contradict each other along the
way to make it interesting for me. I am always trying to
play off that ethereal versus rock ‘n’ roll thing. Circa
is just a freeform thing and you don’t know what it is
until you are halfway there. When you are done you are
in a different place then you were when you starting
out. It really is about the process of seeing the music
grow and coming up with a certain arrangement and
deciding how many times you want certain emotions to hit
during a certain song. There is no real science to it
and there is no book written about it.
Back when I first joined Yes, I decided to let my
artistic side go nuts and make these solo albums that
are really out there. By doing that, it has become its
own styling, as we were talking about before. The
arrangements have their own sort of style.
Jeb: We better talk about Tony Kaye – we talked about
every one else. He is an icon. What does he bring to you
working in Circa?
Billy: He is sitting right here, actually. We are a
great team and we have been at this a long time, as this
is the third record. We are very committed to Circa. We
did YOSO, which was a lot of fun but we always knew
Circa would do more. Tony is digging it. He has a great
energy and I am happy to be playing with him.
Jeb: Are you only selling this yourself or are you
going to get a label?
Billy: At the moment, we are doing it all. We’re
going to do a deal for the European release, so it will
have a more formal presence over there. It will also,
hopefully, open the door for us to tour over there. This
record will be out on a label in Europe and we will do
it in a more traditional manor. As we have been doing it
in the USA, we have made enough of an imprint that
people know about it and there is a cool buzz going on
about it, which I think is really cool.
Jeb: Do places outside of the USA embrace this music
more than we do?
Billy: It may seem like that but I think when you
expose music to people that are like-minded then the
boarders seem to go away. The question is, how do you
find those people? I think it is a bit more of a jaded
society that we live in. People, who are hungry for this
kind of experience, even though they have a hard time
getting it because pop culture has moved on, will find
it.
I don’t think of what I do as rooted in 1970, I think
of it as 2011 and I am just making music and moving
forward. It just so happens that I like to make eclectic
music. There are people out there who like to listen to
that kind of stuff.
Jeb: When I saw you at BB Kings in New York that
place was packed.
Billy: People want to see it. People fly to our shows
from all over the world to come see Circa play. It is
inspiring and it makes you want to do more. We really
want to get out and tour Circa and really have it stand
on it’s own.
Jeb: I don’t get tired of this music. It is very
interesting.
Billy: There is a lot in the arrangements; they are
pretty deep. I used to find myself listening to records
that you would listen to a lot, and then months later,
you would still be listening to it and still picking up
new things. It is kind of like a movie for your ears.
Jeb: I love “Life’s Offering”
Billy: I like that one as it goes to a lot of
interesting places.
Jeb: “Notorious” is interesting as well.
Billy: I like that one a lot. The lyrics are kind of
cool. It is a good karma kind of song.
Jeb: “In My Sky” is very emotional.
Billy: I wrote that about a dear friend of mine who
passed away last year. That was my goodbye song to him.
We were rehearsing it to play live but I couldn’t get
through it without losing it. We are going to try it
again and see if I can compose myself, as it would be a
great track to play live.
Jeb: Tell me about the album title, And So On.
Billy: Going back to when we were on the road last
year, with YOSO, we were talking about Circa and trying
to figure out what we wanted to do. Jim was out of the
loop and we were playing with Johnny and it was working.
We didn’t have the drummer in order yet and we didn’t
know what we were going to do. To make a long story
short, TK and I were talking about reforming the band,
and playing live, and writing songs and so on, and so
on.” I knew that was the name right then.
Jeb: You have recorded with a lot of great people,
including Yes. Is Circa the band that is closest to your
heart?
Billy: It really is because I love the kind of music
we’re making and it feels very authentic. I was proud to
be in Yes but when I was there it was a very confusing
situation and I think the music was reflecting that.
There was a lot of push and pull and you try to do your
best but you’re within certain parameters and you have
to stay within that. I have enjoyed being in every band
that I have been a part of. I don’t’ want any of my
ex-comrades to feel bad. Circa is one that I’m really
proud of because Tony and I have a unique relationship
that goes way back. I am in love with my own band and I
want it to succeed and thrive and that is what we’re
moving towards.
Jeb: Tell me about the cool album cover. I love the
color of the booklet because it really fits with the
album cover.
Billy: My wife is an artist and she does a lot of
work in her studio where I’m looking over her shoulder
going, “That’s cool. Can I borrow that?” She has done
all my solo covers and all the Circa covers. She is now
starting to do covers for other artists. I agree,
totally, as I think it really sets the mood. It’s a
picture of a drop of water kind of processed and tripped
out. The idea being that there is a ripple effect to
things and that it goes on and on.
Jeb: In the liner notes you thank Jim Ladd.
Billy: Jim is an amazing friend of mine. We’ve been
friends for years. Quite frankly, he plays Circa music
on KLOS all the time. He is a big advocate for this band
and he is always pushing us. I thanked him because he is
a bro and he is helping with the cause. We are musical
colleagues as well.
Jeb: Talk about the creative process. It sounds, as
this music is half inspiration and half mathematics.
Billy: The mathematics come in when you start
figuring out how to get around certain corners, melodies
and musical events. When you do that, sometimes the
mathematics need to be adjusted and you have to move
into odd meters. I may hear a drum groove in my head and
I sit down and start sketching out the drum part and
then write a song on top of that, which is what I did
for the song “Cast Away.” Other things come with a bass
line, as it did on “”True Progress.” I started playing a
riff and thought it could be a cool chorus for
something. I don’t know where it comes from but it
comes. I am doing this at my own pad, so I can get
inspired and, if it sticks, then I can start working
with it the next day. It makes the creative process
really happen and having that access right in my house
is a big part of it for me. I am in the studio all hours
of the day and night.
Jeb: Before we go, I want to talk about John Wetton.
You produced the latest album by John Wetton. What was
it like to work that closely with him?
Billy: We worked together over the internet on stuff
in the past and we always talked about working together.
When he was going to do a solo album he said that he
wanted me to produce it. He came into town and we worked
together for about 29 days. He was very gracious and
kind. He is amazing as a musician. He is totally
musically prophetic. He is into getting things done,
which is how I am. We got a flow started and we started
bouncing around ideas. I had a few titles that I threw
out there to see if he would take them anywhere. One of
the titles I floated out there was “Lost for Words” and
he came back with all of those lyrics. It was really a
cool creative process and John was very open to the
whole thing. We got some really cool stuff. Those songs
and lyrics are all very personal to John. I think it is
a very emotional album and I hope people dig it because
I sure enjoyed making it.
Jeb: He comes across as such a proper Englishman…
Billy: …and he has such a great sense of humor. Most
days we would just start going off on this, that or the
other and whatever it was we ended up with we made that
the joke for the day.
It is not official yet, but there is a rumor in the
wind that Circa and his solo band might be doing some
dates together. I am seeing some conversations going on,
which is a good thing.
Jeb: I interviewed John and he said he had to come
over to LA to write the album because the town he lives
in is full of old people and it is very boring.
Billy: Some crazy stuff went on while he was here.
There was a lockdown because some guy was walking around
the neighborhood with a rifle, which is a typical day in
LA. I don’t live in a war torn area of LA but John
caught some adventure when he was here, that’s for sure.
