Ninety-Two by One: Chris Olley Interview

By Richard Lewis 23/11/2010

Hailed as one of the best bands in Britain at the tail end of the 1990s and well into the last decade, Six by Seven were highly revered by the music press and their peers. Tracks like Candlelight, IOU Love, For You and the fast food industry savaging Eat Junk, Become Junk were equal parts melody and noise, capable of switching between aggression and tenderness at a stroke. The huge critical acclaim didn’t translate into record sales however, and the group remained a cult proposition with a hardcore following. Initially inspired by the drone pop of Spiritualized and the delicate melodies of Mercury Rev, they introduced elements of electronica, punk and post-rock into the mix, forging a highly distinctive, hugely idiosyncratic sound.

As their abrasive, slow burning brilliance went unrecognized by mainstream radio, the group notched up a highly impressive set of four Peel Sessions. In recent times an echo of the band’s sound can be discerned in Elbow, who emerged around the same time and cover similar wide-ranging sonic territory. Led by British born, German raised songwriter Chris Olley (his formative years were the subject matter of debut single European Me) the singer has continued to release music via his own website and record label.

Following the eventual dissolution of Six by Seven in November 2008, lead singer, guitarist and creative force Olley returned to his first love - photography. As the band began to take off in the mid to late 1990s he found less and less time to devote to the subject and he returned, refreshed ten years later. What he then decided to undertake was a true labour of love, photographing every single football ground in the professional English league; ninety-two in total. A mammoth undertaking, the project had never been attempted before, especially not by one individual.

In keeping with the DIY aesthetic that influenced Six by Seven and informs his solo career, Olley funded the entire project himself. Setting off on a 250cc motorbike with a sat nav and his equipment, the project took two years to complete. Aside from once occasion staying at a relatives house and a single night spent in a Travelodge, he travelled back home to Nottingham every night to keep costs down. Shooting all of the grounds in stark black and white mostly on Sundays, Olley’s aim was to capture the stadiums at their most tranquil.

Monochrome also allowed him to avoid the club’s colours affecting the photographs, meaning the project has greater unison. Currently exhibited at the Derby Silk Museum until the 21st of February next year, the work can also be seen online.

Musically, being free of a band, majority decision making and the recording industry, Olley’s work rate has increased exponentially. A Streetcar Named Disaster, his 2009 debut solo work received good notices, less than a year since the end of Six by Seven. The ‘official’ releases are complemented by an ongoing programme of Six by Seven reissues, live albums, demos and bootlegs. The Blackest Soul EP, his most recent official release is entirely worthy of comparison to his old band, boasting swarms of buzzing distorted guitars, symphonic keyboard interludes, biting lyrics and Beatle-esque vocal melodies. Since releasing this in September, Six 8-Track Demos has also surfaced a raw, unvarnished affair that showcases the tracks in their inchoate state. In addition to this, Olley is co-founder of a company that specializes in the manufacture of distortion pedals and effects boxes, recent buyers including The Coral, The Arctic Monkeys and Ronnie Wood.

Nerve interviewed Chris Olley on the 92 Stadiums project, his music and the state of the national game.

Hi Chris, how are you?
I’m very good thanks.

How is it different working as a solo artist as opposed to being in a band?
I prefer it as you don't have to put up with the drummer monk, being disruptive, doing fuck all and thinking he is the band! However, politics aside, I'm really enjoying finding myself in music and not having to compromise it because I can make mistakes and ultimately take the responsibility it's more liberating. I do miss the volume and talking utter shit in the back of a van with people who you wouldn't normally be sitting in the back of a van with though.

What inspired you to create the 92 Stadiums project? Do you have any plans to exhibit the work anywhere else/make it into a book?
Yes, I'm trying to get a book published and so far have only been knocked back…’too niche’ etc./ ‘no commercial value’, it's a lot like being in the band in the early days. I won't give up though, it's fun when those same people ring up and ask for a pass to get in to see you on Jools Holland and you can tell them to fuck off. I was really inspired by Bernd and Hilla Becher and Walker Evans to do these pictures.

How did it feel to finish the project after two years work?
Thank FUCK!! Felt quite empty. A non event.

Who do you list as your musical influences (visual as well) have there been additions to them in the past few years?
Neil Young, The Beatles, Sex Pistols and AC/DC… SHIT…I sound like Noel Gallagher!!

What current music are you listening to/Who inspires you at the moment?
Underworld… they just get better with every album. Can't stop listening to Barking at the moment, it's just replaced my overplayed and battered copy of Oblivion with Bells on my CD player.

Can you hear the influence of Six by Seven on any bands around at the present time? (I can hear an echo of you guys in Elbow, certainly)
Yeah, Elbow, Coldplay, British Sea Power, Sigur Ros, Arcade Fire and especially The National, it's great to hear it but a little bit like "If only we were coming out now!" Life is all about timing!

Do you enjoy the autonomy the 'net gives you? No record company hassle etc.
Yes, yes and yes. It's the only way now for me and it's actually building up quite nicely.

How do you feel about the current state of football? Re. asking your son who he supported, saying it was important to stay loyal to the same team.
Yeah, I’ve always supported West Ham. Football has changed but I think it's important to remember the fans haven't, they are the salt of the earth and they are kicked and battered and overcharged but still keep turning up, especially the England supporters. Kill the people at the FA and put real football people in charge, not suits who negotiate television deals. Same with Sepp Blatter, how can you have someone with a background in tourism, business and economics telling us how the rules of the game should be and changing the ball and telling us where we can play? South Africa was all wrong, as a tournament it sucked, pro players couldn't score a free kick with that ball. As for goal line technology, everybody knows it should be in place except him and he was hired by a Swiss watch manufacturer to sell the Olympics new time keeping systems for more accurate timings in the 1976 Montreal Olympics to make it fairer to see who went over the line first. Twat. It's all about money.

How do you feel about the state of the music industry at the moment?
I so couldn't give a fuck about the music industry because it has nothing to do with music and everything to do with selling music. I have no feelings for it or any of the cocaine snorting career merchants I had the displeasure of meeting.

You released the Six 8-Track Demos EP recently, saying you preferred the sound of analogue recording, Would you ever become a fully fledged 'bedroom musician', recording at home?
I already am.

Do you plan to keep releasing music at such a rapid rate as you have been doing over the past twelve months?
Yes.

Do you plan to put a band together to tour the material, or will you continue to perform solo shows?
Solo for now.

Is there anything you would like to add?
Just like to say thanks and "Up The Irons!"

Thanks very much for your time Chris.
Thanks mate, let me know when it's out and I can do a link!

Visit Chris’s site to view the 92 Stadiums images: chrisolley.photoshelter.com
For new music, back catalogue info and gig dates visit: www.sixbyseven.co.uk

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