Bill Ryder Jones is the ex guitarist of The Coral and the last 4 years he writes music for films and of course he composes his own music.
Last Year he released IF from Domino records.
Some people called it a masterpiece,others characterised Bill as a merseyside Morricone,some others found the great melancholia in his tunes,these days he also produced and mixed By the Sea First LP.
Either way Bill is a pure talent,but noone can say it better than himself.
Here is the Interview i did with him a while ago.
Good evening Bill how are you?
Hey i'm good thanks.
I made the first question because i feel through your music that i've known you for ages,we've been friends and all,you know your music does that,have they told you that before?
That's very sweet, ive never been told that but i do understand the feeling. That's why certain people in music grab you i think, you get to know them through their music. Im glad you feel that way.
How did you get into music bill,what made you get along with it?
I'm not sure really, my brother played violin as a child. I've got a few memories of him playing things. I started playing violin after him. It's hard to say why you stick at something, ive never felt like ive a particular gift with music or anything. You just live each day and then end up somewhere i think. I always wanted to dig up dinosaurs as a kid.
Did you ever considered your self as a professional musician or just a boy who loved to play and compose beautiful melodies?
I guess im starting to think of myself as a professional musician. It's strange, you lose a little bit of the love when something becomes your job. I have be a realist like everyone else, got to make money in order to be able to write music all day. Luckily i have a great record label behind me who are really understanding and really love what i do.
Some people say that you're one of the most talented guitar players in england,did you ever had any offers to join a famous band,and if you had what was your answer?
That's nice, its not true but very sweet still. Ive not really had any offers from famous bands really, i was asked my Alex and Miles to do the last shadow puppets thing with them before they got it going but i was still in the coral and the timing wasnt right. I'm not really fussed on being in a band at the minute, musicians have egos and generally are pricks. Plus the lifestyle isnt for me, i need to be careful about the things i do now. Cant run around like an 18 year old anymore. Maybe one day.
Now ''IF'' for me personally it's one of the biggest testimonies from the heart in music,was it your sounds from the insides?
That's nice. Yeah i guess it was. As im writing a lot more ive come to know the difference between writing something that is alive in you and just writing what you think you should be writing. The best things on 'If..' just happened or came to me in the night.
Where did you composed ''IF''?
A few places. I wrote the title track on holiday in Spain in a village called Benahavis. We stayed in a hotel there and they had a baby grand piano in the lobby. I'd play on that a couple of times a day. I write a lot in my head throughout the day. I'm pretty good at hearing music and knowing what chords and notes im hearing. That means when im out and about or somewhere there isnt a piano, i can picture visually what i'm hearing in my head and then just write it down later on. So yeah, all over the place really.
Can you tell us some things about making this record,any obstacles that might came up,your callaboration with a big orchestra and all.
Well the orchestra was the biggest thing really. I'd told Domino i wanted to spend most of the budget on the orchestra which meant we couldnt afford anything to go wrong on the day of recording. Luckily it didnt otherwise i'd have been in trouble. I guess the other obstical was writing for the orchestra. I know a fair bit about music and had written for stings before but writing several pieces for a whole orchestra is difficult. It's not just a case of writing a couple of melodies and sticking them together, there's no computer programme that will do it for you. There's a lot of thinking and moving to get it right, there's certain rules that you discover as you go and i wrote every single note on 'If..' i'm very proud of that.
The production is very delicate,did you produced and mixed the record?and what do you have to say to anyone who wants to do this kind of music?
Thanks, yeah i produced the record generally. The string session was produced by a guy called Christian Hildebrand who does that as a speciality. I mixed it with a guy called Mike Crossey who is also a really brilliant producer. The only advice id give is for people to put the effort in to work out what you are musically. I think if you spend time working what you want to say then saying it becomes easier.
''Some absolute end'',when i first heard it i burst into tears,cause your record came out at a period that i had lost one of my most favourite persons in the world,i just wanna thank you for that,it was a salvation for me and really i had never heard any other song that can describe the end,whatever that means,more beautifuly than this one.is there a story behind that song?perhaps one personal story of yours.
Thats sad but i guess its good that it brought you some comfort. Ultimately that's the point isnt it? I'm very proud of the song, it does come from a certain place that i dont usually talk about in interviews though. Everyone knows death at some point and everyone struggles it's just part of the deal unfortunately.
I would like you to tell me some things about The Coral,before and after your departure from the band and if it's possible the reason why you had to stop callaborating with your friends.
As i said before, i dont think the lifestyle that comes with being in a band was particularly healthy for me. When i left i was finding life hard and felt like i had been holding them back for quite a while. It had become obvious that i didnt really have it in me to go out and tour and promote like a group should and that was it really.
When butterfly house came out,tell me,what did you think,any particular feelings?
It did feel a little weird but it didnt last long. I think had my leaving the group been made easier then there would have been no weird feelings at all, no little bits of resentment or upset but thats life and it didnt last long. It actually helped me move on in a way. End of a chapter for the coral and me.
What about you bill?can you tell me some things about you,you as a person,i consider you as a very sensitive man,more sensitive and dreamy than others.
I dont know about that. I guess im am pretty sensitive, probably think a bit too much and am prone to feeling sorry for myself but there's worse things. Its not for me to say what type of person i am really though.
What about By the Sea?you did a wonderful job to this band,how did it came up to help them,would you produce and other bands?
Yeah i love By The Sea. Liam and Andy are a couple of my best friends so i would have helped them even if i didnt think they were brilliant, which i do. To be honest i dont have to do a lot for them, they all know what they're doing, all in it for the right reasons. They just want to write and play music and have a laugh with their mates. I really love working with them and yeah i like producing, it's a real break from writing all the time.
Any plans for performing ''IF'' live with an orchestra?
One day but not any time soon unfortunately.
Would you ever come to greece for a gig?
I'd love to come to greece, ive never been but no i dont think id be up for a gig. I dont enjoy performing. Aside from the anxiety and all that, i think its a really unhealthy thing to do. Im much happier these days hidng away and releasing music quietly.
Your music is your truth?
I dont know about that. I guess, yes and no. It's a distraction from the truth which i guess makes it a truth of its own. That's a little too philosophical for me to answer, im not that intelligent.
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