Blake is the pseudonym of Wiltshire-based singer/songwriter Julian Pugsley. With over 20 albums under his belt, spanning a similar period of years, he deserves the adjective ‘prolific’. With album no. 24 due for release 27th October 2024, I sat down with him at The Bell Inn in Bath; a favourite haunt with a pedigree for live music.
You’ve been writing, recording and performing music for many years. What was it that set you in motion down this path?
It was probably finding out when I was about nine years old that my dad had interviewed John Lennon in the sixties. I was falling in love with The Beatles at the time and this knowledge seemed to secure my destiny to become a musician. I bought my first guitar at sixteen and taught myself how to play by working out Beatles songs. This made me want to learn how to write songs myself. By the time I was 27 I could just about do it!
Is Blake your alter-ego? Where did the name come from?
I realised that I didn’t stand a chance of making it as a musician with my ridiculous surname, so a pseudonym was necessary. It’s taken from my favourite poet, William Blake. Unfortunately, when I started using it in 2003, I didn’t realise that within a few years there would be a plethora of bands using the same moniker!
In 2020, you signed to South Africa-based independent record label ‘Subjangle’. How has that relationship been?
I am very grateful to Subjangle for picking up on my music and supporting me as an artist. The label founder is one of these rare people who ingests an enormous amount of new music. He’s a real devotee to discovering new artists and giving them a platform to get their music heard by a wider audience. He supports Peterborough F.C. so I suppose he’s always been a fan of the underdog!
Does 60’s-tinged indie pop best describe your sound? What bands and artists have influenced you the most? Are there any influences that might come as a surprise to your fans?
Yes, I suppose it does, although I would probably swap the word ‘pop’ for ‘rock’. It will come as no surprise that The Beatles are a primary influence, as are most other sixties rock acts, but I also love the music of Elliott Smith, Bob Marley, Hamell On Trial and Status Quo. Go figure!
More than just the music…
“Holding that cardboard and plastic in your hands was, and still is, a tangible and exciting experience. You have the promise of what the music will sound like before you hear it.”
At the end of 2023, UK vinyl sales were at their highest level since 1990 (source: Music Week) Your song ‘Vinyl Junkie’ released several years ago captures the zeitgeist of the resurgence in desire for physical formats. What’s that all about?
‘Vinyl Junkie’ was written about a friend of mine who is an avid record collector. The kind of record collector who has a room for their records rather than a cabinet! Showing my age now, but when he and I grew up – we were school friends – you bought records. CDs didn’t exist. We are from the era where the record sleeve was a big deal. Holding that cardboard and plastic in your hands was, and still is, a tangible and exciting experience. You have the promise of what the music will sound like before you hear it. We go to record fairs together now and we’re both still giddy about finding rare albums. I’m not really surprised that it’s made a comeback. Our lives are so remote these days that this physical connection with art is grounding and real.
Your new album ‘Louder than Sound’ is released on the 27th October. What can your fans expect from this latest offering?
This album was recorded at Nam Studios in Holt, Wiltshire. The studio has a great pedigree having been used by artists such as Robert Plant, The Mission, KT Tunstall and Royal Blood.
The basic tracks were all captured live and performed with my long time bandmates Paul Kench on lead guitar and Hugh Lyford on drums. I sang and played bass, guitars and keyboards and then some other friends added overdubs: Joe Brown on backing vocals, Nick Sorensen on saxophone and Chris ‘Magic Booka’ Booker on lead guitar on one track. It was produced by Jacob Myles Tyghe and he has done a magnificent job. I think it’s the best sounding record I’ve ever made.
I’ve had a tough year in my personal life so the songs reflect that but there’s also a lot of optimism about the future and I think people will find it an upbeat album on the whole. Musically, it’s the usual eclectic mix of rockers, melodic songs and ballads with a dash of Quo-influenced boogie!
One final question in two parts: a) please tell us one band from the past that most people wouldn’t have heard of that we should really check out. and b) tell us one contemporary band most people won’t have heard yet that we should really check out.
Easy to answer: Badfinger – check them out. The first band signed to The Beatles’ Apple label. There is so much more to explore than their famous songs ‘Come and Get It’, ‘No Matter What’, ‘Without You’ and ‘Baby Blue’. Their final album with Pete Ham, Wish You Were Here, is a masterpiece. A track on my new album, ‘Something About You’, is written about the band and the lyrics are made up from lines in their songs.
As for contemporary acts, I know next to nothing but I will give a shout out to Goat because they’re ace and I’m going to see them perform live with my daughter this month.
Thank you Blake for taking the time to speak to Key South West!
Thank you, Nick. See you at The Bell again soon, I hope!
Louder Than Sound releases on Subjangle 27th October 2024. Find out more about Blake at thisisblake.com
