Anthony Reynolds - A Painter's Life

Featuring contributions by Robert Dean (Japan), Carl Bevan (60FT Dolls), Richard Glover (Dub War), Fiona Brice (Placebo, Mid Lake, John Grant), Kirk Lake and Gary Le Strange...and scores of others.

For those few who don't know, Anthony Reynolds was the founding member of the band Jack. They signed to Beggars Banquet in 1995 and have sold in excess of one million albums and toured worldwide.

Since the band split in 2002, Anthony Reynolds has gone on to collaborate with Vashti Bunyan, Martin Amis, Colin Wilson ('A World of Rocket Wilson on Rocket Girl rgirl86), Momus, Dot Allison and Dan Fante.

He has released 14 albums in total and written 5 music biographies which have been translated into 18 languages.

His new album features contributions from Robert Dean (Japan), Carl Bevan (60FT Dolls), Richard Glover (Dub War), Fiona Brice (Placebo, Mid Lake, John Grant), Kirk Lake and Gary Le Strange...and scores of others.

A brief conversation with Anthony Reynolds, by Nat Tate

NT:  You were a member of the critically acclaimed but commercially undernourished band “Jack” between 1992 and 2002.  You’re still going. You’re still using Orchestras.  This Is your fourteenth album. What drives you?

AR:  I guess I need to bring forth beauty from the ugliness.  Or attempt to.

NT: Ugliness?

AR:  Yes.  The sometime ugliness of my life. Of the Society I live in.

NT:  There are a lot of references I’m picking up on this album.  It’s almost like a compilation album.

AR:  Yup. ‘I was Born’ is basically my homage to Gil Evans.  “L.A. Tango” in particular.  ‘Yves Saint Laurent’ could almost be a Japan out-take.  I guess writing about Japan (For the Biography I wrote on them ; A Foreign Place) and getting to know the ex-members of that group rubbed off some.  I... uh, wanted to make Fretless Bass cool again...heh.

The origins of the record are from an Opera I wrote about the Ghetto in Cardiff I grew up in. A Place called ‘Splott’.  I tried to make the slums sound beautiful...Someone has to, right?

NT: The title track features Rob Dean, ex Japan and Brit-Pop, cool cymru legend Drummer carl Bevan formerly of The 60FT Dolls…

AR: Yeah...for once the twain meet.  And it works.

NT:  Can you paint?

AR: I’m the world’s worst painter.  Anything I’ve done, you’d never want to look at it twice.  But I love the mythology of the painter’s life style; The creativity, the chaotic studio, the drinking, the smoking, the rages.  I’ve got it all down except the Art bit.

Anthony Reynolds was born in South Wales in the early seventies. Between 1993 and 2004 he was founding member of the groups Jack and Jacques, releasing five albums. Since 2004 he has released various albums and also worked as a writer, publishing four biographies which have been translated into 14 languages and two volumes of poetry which haven’t been translated at all.. He has collaborated with the likes of Momus, Dot Allison, Peter Walsh (Scott Walker), Colin Wilson and Vashti Bunyan.