This interview was a huge one for David who has been a massive fan of the band for far longer than he’d care to admit. Jon Davison and the rest of Yes bring The Classic Tales of YES to the UK from 23rd May ending on 4th June at the Royal Albert Hall. Full dates below.
Thank you for agreeing to answer some questions from The Moshville Times!
I understand you were in a church choir that was led by your mum. I have a picture of you in my head wearing a white robe, with a ruff round your neck, looking positively angelic… but that is probably more of a British thing. What was the choir like? Did it give you a good musical grounding?
Well, I was hardly angelic. I remember being called out a few times for bad behaviour, and considering my own parent was in charge, I soon figured out it was far better for me keeping in line. My choir was out of a relatively small Baptist church and was therefore far less formal. Unlike the English traditions of cassocks and neck ruffs, we were only required to wear our Sunday best, which lacked the striking uniformity of traditional British boy choirs. Most importantly though, the experience did give me a stronger sense of feeling comfortable on a stage and equipped me with a healthier sense of self confidence.
When did you develop your own musical tastes? Who were the artists you first got into and why? (My musical journey really started with Rush.)
I must have been about 10 when I started buying records. I was into all kinds of stuff. I remember having a lot of Queen and Foreigner records. By 12 or so, the popular craze among mates was for bands like The English Beat and Madness, and soon after, The Police and U2. The latter two inspiring me from a guitar student point of view. As an aspiring guitarist I was just enamoured with the totally unique guitar styles of The Edge and Andy Summers. By 15, and like you, I totally shifted gears and got way into Rush.
This then led me down the profound pathways of the Progressive Rock genre which to this day, still astound me.
If you could tell your teenage self that, one day, you’d be the lead singer for Yes, how would you have responded?
I would have assumed it was just as likely I’d grow fairy wings and fly away to a magical land. More than any band in my opinion, Yes portrayed through their music and through the artwork of Roger Dean such a fantastical and surreal-like quality which, to this California kid, felt wonderfully remote, far off and otherworldly. I would never have dared to dream that the course of my life would eventually cross paths with theirs. It’s all so extraordinary, really.
Taylor Hawkins is often described as your “childhood friend”. First – what a loss! But second – what an astonishing friend to have! There must be tales of stuff and nonsense that the two of you got up to when you were teenagers. Any stories you are willing to share?
We were as much a slapstick duo like Lloyd and Harry from Dumb and Dumber as we were the tight drum and bass rhythm section we’d become in High School. That says it best, really.
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When did you first discover you could write original songs? Can you still remember/play the first song you wrote?
I recall Taylor and I in our little Mod band playing the 6th grade talent show. We were called the Inspectors, a name that Taylor had proudly come up with. By that time I had written my first song called “Come My Way”, which we performed at this show. I wish I had a recording of it. It would be worth a lot of laughs to revisit!
Is performing live what you like best? Or in the studio? Or a bit of both? Where would you put your heart?
It’s really a bit of both and an aspect of being a working and creative musician that I really enjoy. As soon as you fatigue from one you have the other to pick up again. This balancing process helps keep my musical inspirations afire.
In the upcoming “Classic Tales of Yes” tour, what songs are you most looking forward to performing? What’s been (will be?) the hardest to master?
There are so many enthralling yet challenging aspects to our current show that it’s difficult to list them in order of performing preference. The ‘Tales’ medley we’ve crafted is quite challenging to pull off when you consider its musical breadth and scope but one that is always a joy to sing.
I was told you are “…in and out of the studio just now.” Can you tell us anything about what you are recording? How is it going? Is it coming together easily or is it a bit of a struggle?
It’s actually going really well. The creative process is flowing in new and exciting ways, quite different from the directions explored on our two previous releases, The Quest and Mirror to the Sky. It’s rewarding to witness first-hand the many creative ways in which Yes continues to thrive.
What bands/artists would you like to recommend to us here Moshville Towers? Who should we be listening to?
My playlist is constantly rotating and evolving. Lately I’ve been gravitating back to an interesting corner of early 90s music with a colourfully impressionistic album by Talk Talk called Laughing Stock. Also from the early 90s, the only two albums ever made by the brilliant band Jellyfish. I highly recommend these. Definitely worth revisiting or perhaps for some, discovering for the very first time.
Thanks again and all the best for the tour!
Thank you, I’ve really enjoyed the interview. I found your questions interesting and fun to answer!
Tour Dates
- Thursday 23 May – Manchester Bridgewater Hall*
- Friday 24 May – Glasgow Royal Concert Hall*
- Sunday 26 May – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall*
- Tuesday 28 May – York Barbican*
- Wednesday 29 May – Southend Cliffs Pavilion*
- Friday 31 May – Bristol Beacon
- Saturday 1 June – Birmingham Symphony Hall*
- Sunday 2 June – Gateshead The Glasshouse (formerly The Sage*)
- Tuesday 4 June – London Royal Albert Hall
Buy UK and European tickets from the band’s website and UK tickets from SeeTickets.
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Header image by Rentzphotography
