Salt

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SALT are an alternative post punk pop band. Powerful, broody, eclectic and dark. Daring to be vulnerable and confident enough to crush your soul!

Interview conducted on December 04, 2020

By Dan Locke

SALT is an alternative post punk band from Edinburgh, Scotland. Messing about with all genres to create what we feel like.

Salt Members: Simon Kettle, Robin Woods, Sharon Woods, Jamie Mearns

What is your upbringing?

Robin WoodsI was born in Blyth, Northumberland but moved to Edinburgh for University and stayed. due to various bands and relationships.

You are a post punk pop band. How did you discover music?

I have always loved making a noise, ever since my Dad bought me an electric guitar when I was 15, I could not play but I could make what I thought was a good noise. I really could not play other people’s tunes that well but could play my own riffs. This gave me more satisfaction. I always loved all types of music, my first album was the greatest hit of ABBA, but my first real love was the RAMONES and the Undertones and Siouxsie and the Banshees. I and my friend followed the banshees on part of their Juju tour. Sleeping in train stations at the age of 16, I remember meeting them and getting Siouxsie Sioux’s autograph on my jeans. I guess I have always modeled my guitar playing on the Banshees sound. My other great love was the RAMONES, I have played in a RAMONES tribute band for over 25 years – it’s fun but more like acting in a band. We are still going but we are all older than the RAMONES were when they died. It’s still fun. We are called Carbona Not Glue, the idea that only true RAMONES fans would know what we are about. In the last two years, I have discovered how much fun it is to create original music, especially with my talented wife.

How did you start to write music?

By hitting the guitar hard and making noises – I remember hearing my brother’s Bauhaus records and thinking, I could do that. I was in a band called “Vatican Shotgun Scare” – my first really proper band- we got our first gig before we could properly play -but it went down well, our second gig we got pulled off by the janitor of Galashiels College of Textiles after 3 songs. We did get better; we were doing grungy noise-punk when the rest of Scotland was all jangly.

Describe your music

Our music in SALT is varied, which is difficult when you are trying to describe ourselves, I always usually say Post Punk Alternative Pop, and it captures most things. I am very much a riff maker/arranger. Sharon writes all the words, and we all input our ideas. Our drummer is 19-year-old, much younger than the rest of us, but he is incredibly talented as a songwriter – it’s like a blank canvas for him, so it works with our ideas. The first rule in SALT was that no idea would be dismissed, all ideas tried out. a big melting pots. I still like to make a noise, but have learned to play more delicately.

How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?

Yes, my Hondo Professional Lead – my Dad bought it for me when I was 15, I gave it away to my nephew but he never played, so I got it back. It still has VSS Letraset on it. (Letraset, what we used to have to use for graphics). I have this guitar tuned to Nashville tuning, one for the guitar geeks out there- use it for recording only.

What is your guitar of choice now? Year, make and model?

I have my dream guitar of a Gordon Smith GS 2.0, not that old, got a good deal off eBay. I love it – best guitar I’ve had.

How did you form your band?

SALT formed out of a mass present of a practice session for the then, 17-year-old James King (Salt drummer). He was best pals to mine and Sharon’s child Pidge. (got to say child, as Pidge in non-binary -wish there was a better term). It went well, he’s a fantastic drummer, but was a bit untamed. Sharon came down and things clicked – I did not realize, that Sharon was such a good songwriter. she had been in a band in the late 80s and was the primary songwriter. she has a more emotional pop slant, so it combined well with my post-punk noise vibe. we got Simon in when we got our first gig and as we needed a bass player. He’s bass player in Carbona Not Glue, so an obvious choice.

How did your band get its name?

From an insult to Sharon by Jamie the drummer – he thought she was so old she was dust, so SALT came out of being a step up from the dust.

What was your first performance at like?

Sharon was so nervous doing a gig after a 20-year break – she introduced us by saying, “Hi we are Fear” – Fear was the name of the first song. It was funny, and it kind of relaxed us. I think we surprised a lot of people, especially me playing quietly for a change. Folk is so used to me making a noise, we still do – it’s just more measured for dynamics. It is always harder to play quietly or slow than fast.

What makes a good songwriter?

Listening to all ideas, and crafting a song – thinking a wee bit out of the box. Sharon always tends to sing across the meter of a song – different timings of vocals can make a simple song sound more interesting.

Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP?

Both me and Sharon are members of PRS, Performing Rights Society

What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?

My personal first song was a song called Roman Catholic Priest – I do have sing across it somewhere – recorded in glorious 6 track.

Tell me about the making of the video “Bird Cage”?

It was done very quickly – folk tend to listen more with a video, I am no video director so it was done in a very naïve way – like my guitar is done at the house, the rest of the band in the studio. I was holding a phone camera. We used the old waste incinerator that was being demolished near our flat. It’s not there now. We have redone that song with Birdcage 2020, so a new video will appear soon.

How did you get Dylan Mars Greenberg (American film director and musician- Dark Prism- which she shot while she was still in high school) for her documentary “Under the charts”?

A record company (American called HX records who brought out our album got in touch with Dylan about it. HX paid for it, it was a weird task to take on – for her – to take us on.

How was filming for it?

We used found footage from live gigs, and did interviews over messenger – which was very strange. we also took some footage around lockdown Edinburgh and us playing in woodland areas wearing horses’ heads (not real ones- that would be too weird and gross) – got some funny looks. I think Dylan did a fantastic job putting it together. Also used a lot of Sharon’s kitsch influences.

Tell me about your album Cellophone?

This came about from Fred who looks after an affair with HX records, he asked to put together about 10 tracks that were already recorded – I remastered them. I did all the recording and mixing too. I mastered it for digital, did not realize that mastering for vinyl is totally different. I went out and bought a £20 turntable to play it on, and it sounded horrible. I then took it around to my friend Heidi’s flat; she had a better record player and it sounded great. It was such a relief. I am quite proud of its production.

Why only vinyl for now?

HX records, they are a vinyl record company – kind of old school, but we do have stuff up on Bandcamp and Spotify. Music | salt (bandcamp.com) Probably look to release the album digitally at some point. I know vinyl is making a comeback but at our stage, we need to be kicking on all cylinders.

What is your favourite track on the album?

Mine, is Hallowed, a simple two-chord song that has a lot going on, its groove, with many-layered guitars, that creates something that is bigger than its parts. Fantastic Bjork-like vocals from Sharon, it used to be called the Bjorky one.

How do you stay healthy while touring?

Not touring at present, done two online gigs.

What are you’re feeling about streaming music?

It’s a good way to get noticed but not at our stage a money-making venture. At the end of the day, our ambition is to get our music out there. We are so prolific we have about 10 news songs on the go now.

How can people forget about the origin hashtag # Sharp in a musical score?

Strange one that- by playing in major keys?

Digital vs. vinyl?

There is a place for both, digital is more convenient – vinyl is more romantic and tactile.

Is there 2 United States?

I guess so, the educated and the blind. I am not very politically motivated, I suppose my answer should be no, there are 50 states.

The UK is in a lockdown again. How long before it will end?

I guess we have been given the go-ahead for the vaccine, I should be a wee bit ahead of the line, I have Diabetes, Asthma and used to be in a band called high Blood Pressure.

I heard somewhere that they closed practice room during the lockdown?

Nope, ours has been open – it is deemed a place of work – we wear masks in public spaces but not in the room itself.

While researching the story I read about RED. Can you tell me something about it?

What is RED? Our story? Our drummer has a song called RED, but that must be coincidental. There are lots of SALTs out there, we are not changing our name though.

What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?

Oh, that is easy but I can’t say it but can copy and paste it: Prisencolinensinainciusol by Adriano Celentano Its brilliant, great dance routine -from the 60’s – I think he is still alive. Its rhythm and idea are great – he wrote it to sound like English but it is all gibberish.

Both Pfizer and BioNTech have conclude Phase 3 Study of the Coronavirus vaccine. With the vaccine it takes two shots. How many people do you think will take it and how many will forget to take the second shot?

In the UK, I think folk will take both shots, in time it will be just like normal flu shots which i get for being diabetic.

Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?

It has done already – live music not being a thing anymore- it’s not the same online gigs, we have done them – but they are different. Here’s one at Banana Row introduced by Dylan Mars Greenberg:

Why did you pick Tumbleweed for the Lockdown Music Session?

Because it was a new song, and song we were most excited about. It has a strange groove, with good dynamics and punk rock chorus. It was recorded live; we are recording the studio version soon.

How was it to delivered your record to record stores?

Not yet but will be via a series of Spotify releases by ourselves

Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?

Just continued music, and recording techniques, I watched a lot of YouTube videos on the various stuff you can do now. I have embraced the digital age; I use to run a 6 track Portable Tape-recording studio. There is so much you can do digitally it can be daunting but I now know what I want to do, and try to limit myself somewhat, to allow creativity to blossom

95% of people said that they have changed the way they watch television. This includes people who don’t have television and using their computers to do streaming of programs and movies. Which is your favorite streaming channel?

Netflix for movies /dramas, BBC iPlayer for history – I love history, but I am getting more into just finding stuff on YouTube.

Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook. Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will includes [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only.
How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?

It won’t affect anything for our own original music but you might have scuppered by RAMONES Xmas special – might have to ask CJ or Marky if its ok.

How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merch to them at the show?

Online I guess at the moment, interacting with them.

Is pay to play still a thing? Now pay to play also means thinks like playlist on the internet?

I HATE that, so many folks approaches us saying I love that, and then say oh there’s admin fee – I keep away from them now – you can tell the fakers, some of the time. Pay to play used to be a thing in London in the ’80s, my band Vatican Shotgun Scare had to play in weird places run by the IRA. to avoid the pay to play. Fun to play in London though would love to do that again. Dunno if pay to play is still a thing, it should ‘not be.

What about Holographic concerts in our living room?

Would love that, when is that happening? Sharon could a duet with Elvis.

If you can’t do music what would you like to be doing?

I like producing music, other people’s music. Is that a cop-out as it still musically related? If so, I’d say painting. I’ve done two paintings already.

Anything you would like to say in closing.

Thank you for checking us out and listening /reading, with SALT we are still learning and hopefully have new batch of songs out there soon. Our mission is to get our music out to as many people as possible, a chap from London is looking at sync deals, which I would love. Not exactly punk rock n roll but if it gets our music out there.
We still have a few vinyl records left, buy one here and get it signed by Sharon : https://salt.sunnyleith.co.uk/cellophane_vip.html