Hey, have you heard about Robin Mukherjee’s new album? It’s called “Further Ahead” and it’s pretty awesome. This guy from Manchester has been making waves in the folk scene, and this is his third album already.
The thing I find fascinating about Robin’s work is that he tries to combine traditional folk with indie music. His guitar is very, very good – lots of interesting single note picking, really. They are really thought-provoking. He covers all sorts of topics, ranging from politics to personal issues and even how the seasons influence us.
For this album, Robin collaborated with Will Falkiner and John Ellis at Limefield Studio for production work. He’s not restricted to the guitar only, he plays the piano, mandolin and even percussion sometimes. A couple other musicians to add some interesting parts are lap steel, electric guitar, and cello.
As a matter of fact, I had a recent discussion with Robin with regards to “Further Ahead”. I then engaged him in a discussion about his song production method as well as the characteristics of his music and the interpretations of specific songs.
If you have never heard him before, I believe that you would enjoy his music, or at least the songs he is performing. I especially like that his attitude is really authentic, there is something really memorable about it.
Want to check out the interview and learn more about Robin Mukherjee? I think you’ll be impressed by what he’s doing with his music.
Listen to Further Ahead
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Robin, can you share the inspiration behind ‘Further Ahead’? What themes and messages are you exploring in this album?
Well hi there! I didn’t have any message in mind when wrote the songs or put this album together. Having said that, I have since noticed that quite a lot of the lyrical themes are about a personal growth or a desire for change. Oddly enough, I’m at a point of quite major change in my own life so I suppose I was subconsciously reflecting that in some way, making the whole thing a lot more self indulgent than I’d planned! Perhaps I should rename the album ‘Self Indulgence Volume 3’?!
What was your creative process like for ‘Further Ahead’? How did you approach the songwriting and production phases?
I’d written the bulk of the songs and already knew what arrangements I wanted prior to recording. ‘Management’s Mantra’ is the only exception, which I’d only just written that day and made up as I went along.
That one was a lot of fun to do – those silly little harmonies and out of time handclaps were intentional to highlight the flawed and contradictory behaviour of the person the song’s about! With everything else, I’d already arranged harmonies, additional guitar/mandolin and cello in my own head so it was just a case of trying to convey that onto an actual recording, which was harder than it might sound!
In terms of production, I recorded it at Limefield Studio in Manchester and had a lot of help from Will Falkiner who mixed and mastered everything and was generally a good chap. I don’t think it shows but I get quite self conscious when recording and can’t stand hearing my own voice – Will’s humorous manner was enough to enable me to forget all that and crack on. And I must say he did a wonderful job of the whole thing!
How does ‘Further Ahead’ differ from your previous works? In what ways do you feel you’ve evolved as an artist with this album?
I think it’s more accomplished and sure of itself than previous albums. It has more variety despite the shorter length. The sincerity of ‘Next Time’ and ‘Butterflies’ is completely at odds with the silliness of ‘Manager’s Mantra’.
Putting an instrumental piece on an album is something I would never have done when I was younger either. I took a lot of influence from Bibio’s ‘Sleep On The Wing’ with that piece. And I got the title from a good mate who offered that turn of phrase during a rubbish gig we were at a few years ago!
Are there any collaborations or featured artists on ‘Further Ahead’? How did these partnerships come about, and what was it like working with them?
The cello parts were played by a chap called Ben Cashell. I saw him playing on one of those live feeds somewhere and liked what he was doing so asked him to get involved. I also had Vincent O’Brien playing slide and electric guitar. I’ve known him for several years and have played with him in a variety of outfits as well as on each others albums in the past.
He did an exceptional job on this album. In fact, I almost discarded ‘Next Time’ until he started flatpicking the pentatonic major in the second verse, bringing the whole song to life! The album would be mere shadow of what it is now without Ben and Vincent’s contributions.
Do you have a favorite track on the album? If so, which one and why does it stand out to you?
That changes frequently, but at the moment I like Further Ahead the most. I like the feel of the song and the way it gradually builds. And I’m happy with how I arranged the harmonies and mandolin parts. I could only hear all the parts together in my own head before actually recording it and was really glad it worked.
The title ‘Further Ahead’ suggests a journey or progress. Can you elaborate on the significance of the album’s title and how it reflects your personal or artistic journey?
I’m glad you think that because that’s what it’s about for the most part. As I briefly mentioned before, I think that many of the songs address change in some way – Polling day is obviously about wanting political change but I feel that the album also addresses seasonal change, overcoming bereavement and sticking two metaphorical fingers up at belligerent managers. I didn’t plan for change to be an overarching motif but that does seem to have become the case.
Will ‘Further Ahead’ feature any specific visual elements or music videos? How do you plan to visually represent the themes of the album?
I’m not planning any videos as of yet. I’m not massively fond of being on film or those cringeworthy videos where the singer pretends to play/sing, so it would have to have a purpose if I did one. And I did briefly toy with the idea of making a video for ‘Polling Day’, but decided against it in the end. I had a grand idea of making a dance video and contacted a Morris dancing troupe near me to star in it. They were quite keen but nothing came of it, which is probably for the best!
What do you hope your fans take away from ‘Further Ahead’? Is there a particular reaction or feeling you wish to evoke?
That’s a very good question! Firstly, I wouldn’t say I have ‘fans’, not at this level – I can barely sell out a phone box! Nonetheless, if anyone does hear this, it would be nice if they could listen to it as an album in full.
In terms of reaction or feeling, well, I suppose I try to create sounds that can transcend the listeners thoughts and feelings. The instrumental section on ‘Next Time’ and multiple guitar parts on ‘Assurance’ are probably the most obvious attempts at doing this. The latter was my attempt at channeling my inner Kings of Convenience! There isn’t anything quite as gritty lyrically on this record in comparison to my previous one but I hope some people will enjoy the odd song or find some of it relatable to their own experience.
Now that ‘Further Ahead’ is set for release, what’s next for you? Are there any upcoming tours, projects, or plans you can share with us?
I have a one off show in Manchester on July 13th to celebrate the album. It will also be something of a farewell Manchester show as I’m moving away very soon. I’ll be doing material from this album as well as from my previous smash flops, and will be joined by some rather lovely special guests. After that, I’ll be studying a Masters in Music Therapy so might not be performing for the foreseeable future.
If I’m honest, I’m not sure if I’m going to record any more music after this album either. I know the phrase “Never say never”, but something feels pretty final about this one. Time will tell, at the very least this is the end of a chapter but my instincts for now are telling me that this is it. I felt that way throughout the whole process of making this album, and the final song ends with a reference to one of my favourite songs from my first album. I’m probably the only one who’s likely to notice it but it’s there. And by being there, it adds a nice full stop to everything and it all goes full circle, back to the very start.
