Bond's away! Debut album all part of the big picture

WORDS alone cannot describe the ever-expanding multi-media explosion that surrounds The Bond's debut album Beyond Songs And Stories.

To fully understand what the ambient-acoustic collective are about it would be necessary to hear the music, surf the Internet, see the play, catch the film, discover the artwork and then buy the T-shirt.

At the core of all this activity are four people who are first and foremost musicians and then the managers of the sounds and schemes which make The Bond unique.

"We don't want people to think we are pretentious," said Luko, the band's deep-thinking and talented guitarist.

He means it and so do the rest of the band.

The Bond have been soaking up inspiration in the hills of East Lancashire for more than a year now and first became visible to the public at The Works, the now-defunct weekly showcase in Blackburn.

Since then the core musicians have gained friends and contacts who have collaborated to make Beyond Songs And Stories something very special and modern but NOT experimental, as the musicians are quick to point out.

Collectively as ever, they say: "We do not see it as the be all and end all.

"It's just the next step in the journey.

"We want to sell enough albums to be able to carry on what we are doing.

"We don't need the attention of record companies and do not want it.

"The Bond are a long way from a traditional band. Our material is like music for a play.

"That is important to us. "We get our inspiration from anywhere and everywhere.

"It makes a picture, or a story."

The people who bonded with the core members to help in the making of Beyond Songs might give some clues as to its diversity.

Taking part in the 12 month recording process at their own Secret Garden studio in Blackburn were opera singer Claire Howarth, Celtic-sounding lyricist Milla, blues harmonica player Ian Longworth, poetess Martina and the Lowland piper Iain McLean.

The result is a sprawling journey of sound which is breathtaking and entertaining while not boasting an obvious single or commercial success.

It's more like a film score or the soundtrack for a mystical journey than an album of songs. Fittingly, as reported in Pulse, The Bond are also working on a film project to be screened at the Edinburgh Festival later this year, as well as theatre-style projects. But, getting back to basics, they will be appearing live at King George's Hall in Blackburn on August 29 to promote the album.

Unfortunately, singer Andrew Mahon will not be able to appear because of illness.

But they have been able to enlist the help of Ian Longworth.

A group spokesman said: "He will be the guest vocalist on several songs and this shows The Bond love a challenge and can adapt and change, bonding with new concepts . . . but lets not get carried away!

"Speedy recovery and quick return Andrew."

Beyond Songs and Stories is available at several local record shops.

The Bond will also have a stall in Oakhill Park tomorrow as part of Holland's Sound '97.

The album can also be obtained by writing to Avalanche, PO Box 90, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 4GD.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.