Delta High | Matt Connarton Unleashed

0:00 Speaker 1: That is called Summer Groove. The project is Delta High, and right now, let's get this up here. We've got Neil Jackson joining us via WhatsApp from Delta High.

0:10 Speaker 2: Hello Neil, Hello, Hello, Thank you for invoing me on your show.

0:14 Speaker 1: Absolutely yeah, it's good to have you on. We've been I don't remember now what the first single was of yours that we played on this show, but but it seems like we've been playing your music probably for a year now. But uh, Summer Grooves. I like that one because summer is my favorite time of year. Of course. Uh, as we are in the middle of October, I'm I'm longing for summer as an as anyone who knows me knows I'm not. I'm not a winter guy.

0:39 Speaker 2: Uh.

0:39 Speaker 1: Fall is nice, you know, the foliage and everything, but I prefer summer. So so I like that song a lot. But and all of your music though, So tell us about what the kind of the mission statement is behind Delta High, because everything's kind of uh, you know, it sort of takes us back to another time when we listen to it. You know, the production is fantastic and everything so, but so it's got a very modern sounding production, but it's but the vibe is from another time. Shall we say, tell us about Delta High.

1:11 Speaker 2: Yes, well I created Delta High. I'm the songwriter. I do guitars, keyboards and help mix the actual songs. I'm signed to a local record label in England in a place called Gorwich, and we've been releasing singles since twenty sixteen and we've actually got six albums out as well, so we've been very busy over the years. I actually formed the band. I mean I had a band at the age of eighteen when I was still at school and we called it School in Great Britain, and I just formed a band then because I think I was growing up and it was like the punk era and sort of indie music.

1:52 Speaker 2: So I absolutely love that stuff. But as I've matured, I've also latched onto sixties sunshine pop. I'm really into the Beach Boys, the Beatles, and then we went to from that to the harmonic stuff like Queen and ten CC. But so when I write a song, it tends to be a mixture of sixties, seventies and up to date indie. That that top of music. So if this particular song, some are some are groovy, is very very sunshine pop from the sixties.

2:27 Speaker 1: Yeah, what is it about that period of music that appeals to you so much? That that because obviously that's something you gravitate to it. I mean, what is it about that?

2:38 Speaker 2: Is that?

2:38 Speaker 1: The harmonies? I mean, the vocals on that track sound fantastic? Is it? Is it? That? Is it? The just the vibe? Is it? What? What is it? I mean? Can you pinpoint what it is about that music that appeals to you so much?

2:49 Speaker 2: Well, I've always been a big fan of harmony, so obviously I grew up mainly in the eighties, but I'd love listening to the Beach Boys, Queen the Beatles harmony, So I'm fixated with that. So when I write a song, I'm always looking at the harmonies and the tone of the vocals. I'm very lucky to associate with a guy called Dave Land who plays trumpet. You'll hear the trumpet on there, and his sidekick Simon Jarrett as well, So I tend to nine times out of ten I got brass in the songs, and that gives it that fluidity.

3:27 Speaker 2: From the sixties and the seventies, they'd actually played in a band and they created a song called Walking on Sunshine.

3:40 Speaker 1: Yes, and the Waves yep, that's.

3:43 Speaker 2: The ones he actually comes from that band, so he sort of he sort of brought that lively, happy, carefree brass sound with him. So that's that's why you're hearing that. And yeah, I just love all things harm and tuneful.

4:01 Speaker 1: Yeah, Now, tell me a little bit about the band, because in reading about it, I almost get the impression. Tell me if I'm right that it's sometimes you hear this term collective where it's not necessarily the same musicians on every track that you're working with, or at least it's different vocalists, right, you work with different singers? Is that correct?

4:22 Speaker 2: Absolutely? I guess a modern day band that are very famous. I'm not sure how famous in the USA they are, but it be the Gorillas, Oh you've heard of The Gorillas were sort of like that in that that the league guy Damien sort of brings in and out different people to sing, different people to play on his stuff. So I've got a nucleus of people that will actually turn up and record the music. But yes, I do actually swap vocalists and sometimes people on the guitars.

4:55 Speaker 1: When working with Oh go ahead.

4:59 Speaker 2: I'm just just gonna say my main singer is is Charlotte, and you'll hear a singer on that particular song. But yeah, I've probably got about five different vocalists, so it depends on what mood I mean and what top of song cad. Right, I'll grab a particular vocalist for it.

5:14 Speaker 1: Sure, sure, do you ever working that way? It sounds exciting, but does it ever get Do you ever have a situation where you might choose or ask a particular vocalist, for example, to do the song and then it's just not working and then you have to say, well, maybe well we'll switch to a different person for that. I mean, does that ever happen where you have to kind of change midstream?

5:39 Speaker 2: That's a great call. I've released six albums and I reckon I've got five albums that I've actually pushed on the wayside because of what you just said. I've sort of sat down and I've listened. I thought, actually, it's not working. So absolutely it's I do my best to choose the right vocalist, but it doesn't always work, and you never know once you're in the studio, just don't know if it's going to pan out. It normally does, and I'm really really happy with what the guys actually bring to my songs, but yeah, there are occasions over the years where it just doesn't work.

6:12 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm curious if kind of a variation of that. I'm curious too, if you ever find a situation where there's something you get into the studio or you know, because you have a lot of people kind of contributing to the song, does it ever end up something very different than what you initially had in mind? But maybe in a good way. Maybe it's a happy accident. Maybe it comes out even better than what you thought.

6:36 Speaker 2: I think mainly the songs I write tend to actually sound on record, so to speak, the same as I want them to, because we're not put the music out there and show the others. Despite my droney tone, I do actually sing okay, So I get the guys to actually sing the same melodies, etc. As me. But do you know what, every now and then you spot on even now and then someone will change it and I just think, wow, that's so much better. So that does happen, and it's probably it probably happened on Summer Groove, you know, there's something added to that.

7:11 Speaker 2: I fool. I'm going to stick with that that version.

7:13 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, that's fun. Yeah yeah, that's that must be exciting when when something comes out even better than what you had wanted. And now, so what's the live situation with this project? Do you play out? Because again I would imagine with with the very working with various people that that would probably be TRICKI or maybe not. Maybe you have a standard band that you play with or how does that work well?

7:36 Speaker 2: That that's the problem at the moment. For two years, I've been trying to create a live band, but a lot of the guys I work with they're actually looking at other projects and that they're already doing live shows with other people. So we haven't got a live band. But I do plan to go live next year. So that's something I'm working on. But it's not very not very easy for the reasons you've actually pinpointed. I did have a live I had a prior group before Delta High, and I did have a live band then.

8:08 Speaker 2: It was so much easier. But we were like schoolmates, you know, so none of us were sort of doing anything outside that particular band that and that worked, and I really do miss that. So I need to to create a live band for Delta High.

8:24 Speaker 1: Yeah, I can see where that would be. That would be a challenge. Yeah, what was the previous Was it pleasure Device? Was that the previous band that you're in?

8:32 Speaker 2: It was, Yes, you've done your homework, so yeah, it was it was it was a yeah, it was Pleasure Device. And I don't know if you've you spotted it, but we supported R E M. We we did a gig Notingham in England and Arim we're doing a show and that that actually heard about us and they said can you come along and support us? And we sort of didn't want to say no, so we turned up. Yeah, so my claim to fame was from my pre his band.

9:00 Speaker 1: Oh wow, what what was that? Kind of was that kind of the apex of that band opening for Arim?

9:06 Speaker 2: Absolutely, But because we were of an age where we weren't sure what we were doing, we didn't sort of continue with the band, and people moved away, got married, blah blah blah. So the band broke up just at the time, just after the time we'd supported R E M. So that crushed and burned in a big way, in a good way. But now I've got the studio band with Delta High. But I really do need to do some live stuff.

9:32 Speaker 1: Yeah, no doubt, no doubt.

9:34 Speaker 2: Yeah.

9:34 Speaker 1: Now what so you're your output with Delta High has been been pretty consistent. What what's kind of the future trajectory? Obviously Summer Groove is the newest single. Correct?

9:46 Speaker 2: Correct, Yes it is?

9:47 Speaker 1: Yeah?

9:48 Speaker 2: Yeah?

9:49 Speaker 1: What what what's on the horizon?

9:51 Speaker 2: Okay, so I've got an album out at the moment. I say, we've got an album out at the moment called Awesome, which came out in June this year. Yeah. That that again, that's I tend to do an eclectic mix of music. So it opens up with a surf instrumental, believe it or not, But then it progresses to a song that I actually wrote after watching The Shining So that's a bit of a bit of a horror bit of a horror movie type song, and then it goes on to you know, my usual sunshine pop and there's a few indie tracks on there.

10:27 Speaker 2: Yeah, there's even there's even a song called Caribbean, which is very South American SUSA. I've even put that one on there. So that's out at the moment. But I've literally just completed my next album, which will be out January February time, and that's called Delta Train. And again it's a it's a mixture of sunshine pop. It's got a few indie songs. He's got some South American Sauser song, so yeah, I'm mixing it up big time.

10:59 Speaker 1: Outstanding. Wow, I mean it sounds like you like to challenge yourself. I'm getting that vibe you like to see you know what you can really see what you can do.

11:07 Speaker 2: Right, absolutely, I mean a lot, but a lot of the bands I like back in the back in the eighties and nineties, I really like their first few hours, but then they got Stelle. So I sort of promised myself that when when I signed up to this independent label, I just promised myself that I'll try and vary stuff to keep the excitement going for me, but also to keep a variation out there for listeners.

11:30 Speaker 1: Yeah, when you see it? When? When?

11:34 Speaker 2: So?

11:34 Speaker 1: How how far into the project did you sign with? It's Ashwood Music? Is that the label?

11:39 Speaker 2: It is Ashwood Music. They signed me up on twenty eighteen.

11:45 Speaker 1: Okay, okay eighteen? Yeah, yeah, and you've been with them ever since.

11:51 Speaker 2: I have been. Yeah, Yeah, I mean how much.

11:53 Speaker 1: How much? Because you know, you do like to challenge yourself and you like to try different things. I mean how much do they I know indie labels are generally not as invasive, shall we say, in the creative process essay, if you're on a major, but I mean, how much input do they have in terms of what you're doing as far as the music that you're creating or do they let you do your thing?

12:17 Speaker 2: They let me do my thing. They actually let me create and produce. I mean I sit down with a guy called sooss is, the guy that runs the record label Music, and it's a free reign. I mean he actually helps out on some of the instrumentation as well. Oh wow, I'm very lucky that the guy that runs the record label, like to say, music actually follow bandses me so I get full support from them, obviously on the technical side when he's mixing a master and there's loads of things that he's taught me that we need to do.

12:48 Speaker 2: I've got a free rain is a very very very good agreement for me.

12:54 Speaker 1: That's excellent. Yeah, that's excellent.

12:56 Speaker 2: I think I think the other thing took that really ex sites me is we've got a distribution label which is Sony in New York. So I'm very lucky that although I'm on an independent with distube, the songs are distributed by Sony Sony Records. So that's a big tick in the boxing that we know the distributions good. It's just it's just getting those songs that are going to sort of hit home in the commercial market, which we're still we're still trying to search for.

13:26 Speaker 1: I'm curious and now to imagine that so in the UK, like, what what's the situation with radio there? Because I don't know, you know, and I don't know what the radio formats are there. You know, I know what they are in the US obviously because I'm in radio. But I mean, where does your music fit in over there on the radio or does it because what you're doing is is you know, it's unique for its time, certainly.

13:49 Speaker 2: Thank you. Yeah, the the commercial radio stations are very very limited. Unfortunately, the commercial stations have been buying up local radio stations in the the various regions and there aren't that many local radio stations left and it's only those guys, probably including you, that will play unknown sort of local bands. So we've got limited airplane A way. Obviously, the trick is to try and get onto the commercial stations. But again it's it's almost like a closed shop. There's certain people in business that say, well, to these commercial stations, they say, well, I only want you to play them if these people are in the mix pushing these guys along.

14:34 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's almost a closed shop and it's really really difficult.

14:38 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's it's difficult in the United States too. Fortunately, here we have we have college radio and college radio stations. Obviously, you know, it's I always tell people, you know, if they like you, they'll play you, simple as that. So so a lot of a lot of independent artists come up through college radio here in the US. But but yeah, but commercial radio just same as there here. It's it's it's very very difficult. Yeah, so yeah, that's always a challenge. But but what you're doing is great.

15:06 Speaker 1: It should be on the radio. So I'm glad you know that we can help out on on on this on this side of the pond. I'm glad you know if we can help help you at all, that's that's I feel good about that. So because you know, love what you're doing.

15:18 Speaker 2: Oh, that's that's so coining. What about in the USA. Is it was it Manchester?

15:22 Speaker 1: We are in Manchester, New Hampshire. Yeah, so we're in the Northeast.

15:26 Speaker 2: In the Northeast, So what's the main sort of music vibe in that that particular area.

15:31 Speaker 1: Oh? Around here, there's all kinds of stuff because we interview so on this show, for example, you know, we talk to people from other parts of the country or or in this case even other parts of the world, but we also have a lot of local talent that come in. In fact, on the third hour of the show today we have Dad Harrison uh coming in who are a New Hampshire band, And there's so much incredible talent here. Just like almost anything you could imagine, any kind of music, any kind of vibe, somebody's doing it and doing it well.

15:59 Speaker 1: I mean that that just that because people occasionally will ask us, you know, how do you how do you get how do you get find these great guests, And it's like, well, it's it's easy. There's there's so much talent around you know.

16:12 Speaker 2: Good. Yeah, it's good to hear.

16:15 Speaker 1: Absolutely absolutely. Oh. By the way, so where does the name come from? Delta Hi? What's the significance of the name.

16:21 Speaker 2: Well, when I was looking at the band. I was sort of thinking, what sort of music do I want to do in it? And I thought, well, I actually really liked that the California Sunshine pop that that type of thing, and for that reason I came up with Delta. I don't know why, but Delta felt like it was California bound. No idea why, and I thought, right, I can't just call it Delta, and it just flipped into my head is Delta High. I'll call it Delta High. So I called it Delta High. I set up a website, obviously for the band, and it's quite funny.

16:51 Speaker 2: The first few months, I had so many, so many invites to netball. Is it netball you play? Do you play netball in America?

17:00 Speaker 1: Netball?

17:02 Speaker 2: Is it netball? You play?

17:03 Speaker 1: No?

17:04 Speaker 2: Ladies?

17:05 Speaker 1: What is it?

17:07 Speaker 2: Ladies? So they are college? Do they play netball?

17:12 Speaker 1: Volleyball?

17:15 Speaker 2: Sorry, I've got invited to so many volleyball games and I was thinking, why are people in America inviting me to a volleyball games? Were realized that they were sending messages to Delta High, which is a college. Oh yeah, and it was filtering through to me. I'd love to go, but I can't. It's too too expensive to get there. That's a story.

17:38 Speaker 1: That's amazing. I love it.

17:41 Speaker 2: Delta High, it felt it felt sunshine Pop California.

17:45 Speaker 1: So yeah, yeah, that's great. That's great. Well, Neil, I've really enjoyed our conversation, and uh, you know, obviously we'll have you back in the future because you're going to keep releasing new music and we'll keep playing it and supporting supporting you any way we can, and we'd love to have you back. And I was thinking about closing out the segment with I Met a Girl, another great track.

18:06 Speaker 2: Thank you.

18:08 Speaker 1: What can you tell us about this song? Anything we should know about it?

18:12 Speaker 2: Well, basically I wanted to do a sort of a more indie flavord song with the head guitars. Yeah, but I still wanted to have that sixties film, so it's almost like that the vocals and the words would be something to come out of Greece, you know, Grease the film, Yeah, from fifties and sixties, but it's got the up to date, grungy indie sound, so that's it. It's a combination of the two.

18:38 Speaker 1: Ah yeah, I really yeah, I get that. I really really like this. So we're going to hit that in a moment, but before we let you go. So, Neil, where should people go? Where are the best places to go online for our listeners who want to keep up with everything that you're doing and everything Delta High is up to.

18:53 Speaker 2: I've got lots of videos and songs out on YouTube, so if you just look at YouTube and look up Delta High. Yeah, I've also all my music's on on the usual suspects like Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, but there's also websites Delta, dot High, dot co, dot uk ye which which is basically independent website, but it's it's on the all the usual digital channels. You can find the.

19:27 Speaker 1: Music yeap, yeap, very easy to find, which is important of course. Yeah, but uh, all right, so we're gonna hit this track. I met a girl. We will let you go. Neil Jackson from Delta High. Thank you so much for joining us today and like I said, we'll definitely do this again in the future. And love what you're doing. And it's been great talking with you.

19:43 Speaker 2: Great. Thank you very much for inviting me to the show. It means a great deal to us.

19:48 Speaker 1: Oh, thank you, all right, we'll talk soon. Thanks Neil, Bye bye.

19:51 Speaker 2: Bye bye bye bye.

19:53 Speaker 1: All right, that was Neil Jackson from Delta High and yeah, this is a great song. Check this out. This is called I Met a Girl and the band is Delta High