Their passion for bands from plenty of genres drew them together, unleased their own sound, and inspired them to create “For The Ages.” Timothy Sturt and Alexander Beckett are a Buckinghamshire-based indie pop-rock duo. We chatted with them and learned more about them, from how they met, all the way to their latest release “Wildside” and their upcoming plans:
Initially, tell us how you two met. And how did you come to the decision to form “For The Age?”
Tim and Alex met one serendipitous evening in Chesham at a pub called The Generals Arms. Tim was wandering around this local watering hole when he stumbled upon Alex, who was dressed in a selection of loud clothing and staring at the sky in a whimsical way. Tim’s first words were “you must be a musician” and a long conversation ensued about their shared passion for writing and playing songs. Alex had a band he was starting and asked Tim if he was interested in joining. A few weeks later Tim met up with Alex in a ‘Alice in Wonderland themed bar in London for an official welcome into what would be known as ‘For The Ages’.
“For The Ages” is a catchy, timeless name. How did you come up with it?
We took some time to get this right – Alex wanted a classic timeless name and Tim wanted a catchy name so initially, we settled on ‘The Ages’. Sadly this name was already taken by another band but this gave us the idea to inject some action into the title hence ‘For The Ages’
You mentioned your love for a wide variety of genres. How did you manage to create your own authentic sound among all the genres out there?
It’s true – we like so many! We want to honor the amazing genres that have gone before by remaining true to their sound while creating songs we enjoy. You’ve got to be happy with the music you create and we put a great deal into crafting what we hope are memorable tracks. We’re also sensitive to current issues and Alex is an environmentalist so you’ll find world-saving messaging in ‘Morning Blue’ and ‘Bold Pattern of Life’. Our ethos is that no style is out of our range so watch out!
Was Buckinghamshire your main inspiration for crafting “Wildside?”
*To start with, the main inspiration for Wildside was, as with a lot of great songs, a very catchy guitar part (N.B. Tim had come up with it). It seemed to lend itself well to lyrics about freeing oneself from the trappings of urban life – so that’s what Alex penned. The song quickly evolved from there. We’ve tried to capture the vibrancy of the countryside in it and it has become a favorite of ours to play. We had a lot of fun coming up with the percussion arrangement.
Buckinghamshire has some fantastic green spaces and we’re lucky to live in Chesham, which is in the Chiltern Hills (Alex likes running through woodland). It’s not the only inspiration for the song as each of us has lived in places with such majestic natural beauty – Tim used to live in St. Austell, and Alex comes from Cutcombe in Exmoor.
Besides “Wildside,” has to live in the country-influenced your music?
Living in the countryside and in towns and cities has given us insights into the different ways life can be lived. We prefer a relaxed and appreciative approach. Making music shouldn’t be a competition (e.g. whose song gets the most plays etc) – one should enjoy the process of creating. Sometimes we all need to be reminded of the importance of the journey and what’s around us. We think this is imbued in our sound.
Would you take us through the “Wildside” writing process?
*please see above
The percussion arrangements in “Wildside” truly stand out, giving it a peaceful vibe. Which brings me to ask Tim: How long have you been playing drums? And why this instrument in particular?
Well I began playing when I was 12 had a real passion for rhythm much to the annoyance of my teachers and the tables I hit so hard, I have always felt at peace with a calming rhythm or allow my stress to run free with heavy drums if playing heavy music I play to the style I Am given and quick to adapt having spent the last few years studying at uni to refine my drumming at LCCM I also picked up studio and programming qualifications along the way this meant additional to playing live drums I knew how to add electronic pads and control midi drums to really make our music stand out and add to the skills i bring to For The Ages as a member
“The Quest,” tells a fictional story. Is Alex’s passion for Sci-Fi what sparked the track? How did you come up with the story? And would you take that interest and craft an EP or album-themed around it?
We both love fantasy and have indulged in the tales of Harry Potter, hobbits, elves, Dungeons & Dragons games, etc. Alex wanted to involve as many mythical elements in ‘The Quest’ as possible. It had to have adventurers with typical weapons – longbows, swords, etc, a good dose of magic (a sorcerer, and magical beasts), a damsel in distress, and baddies (demons). Having structured the chords with Tim, he locked himself in his bedroom to write the lyrics until the story flowed from beginning to end.
We also love Sci-Fi and science in general which is why the chaotic existence of someone who brings ideas to life is celebrated in ‘The Inventor’.
2021 was a busy year for you guys! What was it like to be productive during the pandemic?
We stayed isolated for the most part and things were complicated due to other pressures at the time. Tim was still at university (at the London College of Creative Media) and working at a care home, while Alex was homeschooling his children part of the week, and working various jobs to make ends meet. When we could we got together and had a great time creating new material – music is a savior!
Why did you decide to remaster your previous releases?
We were approached by a fabulous producer called Francesco Zacchi (from Into the Loop Sound Lab) who offered to remaster our first album of music. It was great to get another set of ears to appraise the eight songs and he did a fantastic job optimizing their sound. So that was the start of a solid friendship and he continues to work with us.
You two are doing an amazing job as a duo, but do you consider adding members to your band in the future?
We have always been adamant that as a duo we own the band equally but we would always be open to adding more members if they resonate with our ethos.
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