Interview He Didn't

After a decade supporting underground bands, the move to a solo act arose from the scarcity of like-minded musicians and a torrent of musical output. The blend of song-based noise and immersive sound characterizes "he didnt," influenced by diverse experiences and musical epochs. Exploring tension, dissociation, and elation, the journey weaves through electronic nuances and rock foundations, as live performances harness pedals' improvisational power. The moniker derives from Soundgarden's witty track, inspiring moments of creative daydreaming. Amidst myriad projects and releases, "he didn't" continues its artistic odyssey.

After spending a decade supporting various underground bands, what prompted you to transition into a solo act?

The straight answer is I couldn’t find anyone else in the area I live in who wanted to play the same kind of music as me..! But also I have quite a high output of music so working with other people sometimes slows things down – though I still do remixes and collaborations. I’m usually way behind on tracks to be recorded and released. If I had the £££ I could release 2 albums between now and Christmas plus some noise EPs.

Your background includes supporting bands like The Telescopes and The Magic Numbers. How have these experiences influenced your current musical direction?

The Telescopes are great because across their career they have moved from intense noise to calm and back again. Seeing them live was a lesson in that you can do what you want and people will still be interested even if you change from one album or song to the next. Plus they aren’t afraid to do long hypnotic challenging noise. I usually learn something from every gig I go to even if sometimes its what NOT to do.

Moving from the bustling atmosphere of London to the tranquility of Oxfordshire must have been quite a shift. How has this change of environment impacted your creative process?

It allowed me time to get back to thinking and engaging with myself. London is a great city but it can be debilitating and intrusive after a while. I think the move has let me develop my ideas more and actually hear what I’m doing. There’s also less pressure as you don’t feel like you’re on display as much as in London.

Could you describe the signature sound of "he didnt" for those who might not be familiar with your music?

Song-based noise or noise-based song. Rolling distortion and immersive sound in search of the other side of the void. Repetition of ideas/riffs and loops to try and achieve decompression. The aim is usually tension or tension/release.

What's your approach when it comes to integrating guitar pedals, drum machines, and other equipment into your live performances?

I initially used a drum machine but found it too restricting as it was something else to carry and worry about going wrong so now I just use lots of pedals to create the sounds and rhythms. The main pedal is the looper pedal which records the sound as you play it and repeats it ad infinitum. You can layer other tracks over it so the sound evolves and builds. I also use a delay pedal to get oscillations which can be controlled but give out fierce noise and feedback. I like to improvise at points so the pedals are a necessity.

Your music seems to combine electronic elements with more traditional rock sounds. How do you strike a balance between these two aspects?

There is defo an electronic influence but I don’t use any laptops/synths etc live – its all guitars/pedals. The recorded stuff I usually upload to a studio and manipulate the sounds/cut/edit ideas and move things around to make it more abstract. Of course this means I cant play everything I record live – at least not the same versions – but I view live and studio as 2 separate disciplines and the songs are fluid. The electronic influence is from people like Underworld whose songs evolve and mutate over lengthy periods so you can really get into what they are doing. That is what I try and do. Obviously, noisier Industrial bands are an influence as well in their attack or wall of sound.

What themes or emotions do you often explore through your music?

Mainly tension but more recently dissociation as getting older I have recognised things in my behaviour. Exploring the sound that connects with these feelings is liberating and cathartic. Though I would add elation is also in there somewhere – especially during the longer songs live.

Are there any specific artists or genres that have had a significant influence on your musical style?

Early 80s industrial/electronic music – those really cold harsh sounds. Sludge/doom/metal like Sunn and Electric Wizard. Shoegaze stuff like MBV, Spacemen 3 and loads of Liverpool/Manchester bands . Tense bands like Swans and Slint.

I trawl twitter/bandcamp and am continuously finding new music to listen to and be influenced by.

How do you typically begin the songwriting process? Do you start with lyrics, melodies, or something else?

It usually a guitar riff or chords. Something that connects. I’ll then jam out the idea and see where it goes before recording a rough version and writing down how to play it so I can remember! Sometimes I don’t know what to do with the idea. I used to spend more time on words and try to write music for them but cant seem to do that anymore so now the words are phrases or a few lines.

Could you share a bit about your creative routine? How do you keep the inspiration flowing?

See previous answer. Inspiration is everywhere when you’re feeling inspired. Once it goes it can be hard to find again so when this happens I’ll go back over older ideas I havent finished to try and get back in the routine. Nick Cave has an office in Brighton that he goes to every day between 9-5 and works on ideas. I never understood this before but now I see creativity can be like a muscle that need exercising regularly so I will play for a few hours every Friday and Saturday (when I’m not at work) without fail even if I only come up with one idea. Any progress keeps things moving - a line, a new way to use a pedal, re-working an older song. It’s a discipline.

Your project's name, "he didnt," is intriguing. What's the story behind this name choice?

Its a song by Soundgarden, off their debut album “UltramegaOK”. People missed their sense of humour. The lyrics go –

“He did nothing perfect, He did nothing quite well, He did nothing perfectly, much better then anyone I've ever seen”

It made me laugh. I always make sure I have a few hours over the weekend to do absolutely nothing but daydream.

Live performances are a unique challenge for solo artists. How do you ensure that your complex sound translates well in a live setting?

Rehearsal, improvisation and volume! That’s one thing about music that is sometimes free-form – no-one knows when you make a mistake and if you do make a mistake you can just go with it and see where it leads. I’ve written a few songs from mistakes.

Your journey through different musical roles and bands must have brought valuable experiences. Which experiences stand out as particularly formative for you?

Playing live, mainly. Loud music filling a space is a uniquely powerful thing and I feel it when I’m playing. I may be making the noise but i’m also listening to and experiencing it alongside the audience. When I make a cool sound I don’t think “Wow I’m amazing” I think “Wow what a cool sound!”. Also seeing how some other bands are professional and friendly. Both of these things are massively important and its amazing how many other bands/musicians lack them and think its cool to be a useless arsehole.

In an era of streaming and digital releases, how do you see the role of albums and singles in your artistic expression?

No idea. The amount of releases I do and the length of them is pretty much defined by how much money I have to put towards them! I cant be worrying about if some kid only listens to music via a 10 second advert on tik-tok and will that affect whether they like me or not. Spotify can fuck off though. I dont think people who pay for that service realise how much they are ripping off the artists on there. I wont be on there.

What's on the horizon for "he didn't"? Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations that your fans can look forward to?

I run a label – https://dronealonerecords.bandcamp.com/ – and I’ve got a few releases coming up in the next 3 or 4 months so any spare time will be on them. I’ve done a few remixes of some local artists in Oxford, a collaboration with a poet and will maybe be releasing an album by an experimental band from Swindon (they havent finished it yet so I havent heard it) plus I’ve finished the next he didnt release. If I get any extra time I’ve got a sludge/metal project that I need to record. There is never enough time!