The Mojave Collective
Packing 21 grams of Parsons and a dusting of the Flying Burrito Brothers, Pountney, Clarke, Simpson & Philips come strolling into town like the Fabulous Furry Funk Brothers to preach the holy gospel of country, rock and acoustic beauty.
The Mojave Collective, four young men from the Deep South (of Liverpool), play American roots music with a British Pop sensibility and a haphazard sense of style which has seen them hailed as 'crap' (Woman's Own), 'indifferent' (Auto-Trader) and 'pretty damn good actually' (NME).
Tell me about your history? How did you get where you are now?
The group was formed by Mark Pountney and Tommy Clarke in 2002. The decided on a new musical direction that would set them apart from other bands in the area back in 2000. They brought in a country influence.Mark(Lead Vocals/Guitar) and Tom(Lead Guitar/Vocals) were joined later by Chris Simpson(Bass/Vocals) and Carl Phillips(Drums and Vocals). It wasn't until summer of this year that they found a fifth member in Peter Johnson who plays pedal steel and completes the sound that Mark and Tom had imagined years ago. The group disbanded in 2011
Have you performed live in front of an audience? Any special memories?
The band used to play regularly around Liverpool, Chester and Yorkshire, with the occaisonal international gig. We used to host a monthly showcase in the Vines Pub, next to the Adelphi Hotel, caled the Medicine show until 2003.
Your musical influences
We have a lot of musical influences within the band. The songwriting is influenced by many great sonwriters Lennon/McCartney, Van Morrison, Tom Waits, The Band, Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson. The bass and drums come from a Motown/Funk/Jazz angle. The guitar work by people such as James Burton/J.Hendrix/J.Page/K.Richards/S.Cropper. The list is endless.
What equipment do you use?
When recording we use whatever we can get our hands on.
