Start Listening To: Crows

Crows unveil the mystique of their latest album Reason Enough, crafted in a former convent and church.

Welcome to our latest feature, where we dive into the world of the dynamic London-based band Crows. Known for their intense, heavy indie rock and post-punk influences, Crows have been carving out their unique space in the music scene with a raw and unapologetic sound. Their third album, Reason Enough, has been described as their most refined and cohesive work yet - a testament to their growth and evolution as artists.

In this exclusive Q&A, we explore the band's creative journey behind Reason Enough, which was crafted in a former Catholic church and convent in the picturesque Stroud, Gloucestershire. From the chilling ambiance of the crypt to the playful Monopoly nights at the Airbnb, the album’s creation was anything but ordinary. We’ll also delve into their collaboration with the acclaimed producer Andy Savours, the impact of current events on their songwriting, and how the post-punk scene in London has shaped their music.

For those unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make?

We’re Crows, we’re from London and we make heavy indie / post punk influenced rock music. 

Reason Enough is your third album and has been described as a more refined and cohesive work. Can you talk us through the creative process and how it differed from your previous album?

We gave ourselves a lot more time to write this album so we had more chance to be critical and really work out all the bugs. Being able to leave a track, go do another song, come back and try something new with it  is something we’ve not really done to this extent before so it was nice to really  figure out what we wanted from the record. We also wrote more songs than we ever have for this album then picked out our favourite 10. Which is not an easy feat when everyone has a different opinion but I think we landed on a pretty solid set. 

The writing of Reason Enough took place in a former Catholic church and convent in Stroud, Gloucestershire. How did the unique environment of the crypt shape the atmosphere and sound of the album?

It really was funny. In true Crows style to do something so ‘dark and brooding’ when in reality it was mid winter, freezing cold and  we’d finish up for the day and go play Monopoly at the Airbnb haha. 

It was good though, taking long weekends away from London is the only way we write productively and it's really integral to our writing process. At The top of the convent was the old church hall, so I would go up and work on vocals in there after we’d made some progress musically and the natural reverb just made everything sound ethereal, like I got the voice of a god damn angel. 

What was it like working with Andy Savours, and how did his influence contribute to the overall polish and grit of Reason Enough?

It was a real honour and pleasure to work with Andy. He is a true gentleman and incredibly skilled and talented at getting his signature sound, whilst also making it totally unique. He really brought us, especially me, out of our comfort zones in terms of sounds and performance. He really wanted to steer us away from our usual reverb / delay drenched effects and focus on the songs. I’ve often hidden behind reverb and delay on my vocals out of self consciousness and Andy made me feel comfortable to see I didn't need it and the record would sound better.. Couldn't recommend working with him more. 

Lyrically, Reason Enough touches on themes of existentialism, personal struggles, and the state of the UK. Can you share some of the inspirations behind these themes and how they reflect your experiences over the past few years?

Honestly lyrical inspiration comes very sporadically for me. I’ll be watching a film, listening to the radio, reading a news article and one sentence will jump out at me and I’ll make a note of it, bank it, and probably not think about it for months. 

Then when we’re writing a song and I’ve got a rough melody I’ll start thinking about the feel of the song and what I’d like it to be about, then I’ll go back over all my notes and build from there. So this record whilst I’m going through a pretty chaotic period of mental health and the world news cycle, especially the UK’s role in it, is being fed to me by my addiction to social media… The only silver lining in that is creative inspiration. 

James, you recently fronted the band Humanist, which supported Depeche Mode on their arena tours. How did that experience influence your approach to songwriting and performance for Crows?

Working with Rob Marshall (Humanist) was truly an honour, he is an extremely talented songwriter, performer just one hell of a human being. Rob gave me full freedom to collaborate on some tracks and it was really refreshing to do something new outside of Crows. I don't know how it’ll have influenced writing with Crows but the process was definitely a huge boost for me and for my creative confidence. We’re talking about doing more together  in the future which I’m very pleased about. 

Crows’ music has always carried a political edge. With Reason Enough, did you find that current events and the state of the world played a bigger role in your songwriting? If so, how did you approach translating these feelings into music?

They say write what you know, and when I see something that connects with me, then I’ll no doubt write about it. You need to find positives in the darkest days so if I can write a song that someone has a connection with and it’s about something heinous happening in our world, then that's a positive. I might not be able to influence something directly, but if I can make someone else feel better somehow then I’ll take that small victory.

You’ve described Reason Enough as Crows in "high definition." What does that mean to you, and how do you think this album represents the band at this point in your career?

I just feel our older records were quite Lo-F in comparison. Again I think that's just a self confidence thing of soaking everything in reverb, which is why  this album is a good indicator of us having grown up a bit, not thinking we have to sound a certain way or write certain songs to fit ‘Crows’. We’ve written an album that we really love and it's been a journey of self discovery and very therapeutic for me so I hope it connects with people seeking similar things. 

The post-punk scene in London has been thriving, and you’ve been a part of it for a while now. How do you see the scene evolving, and where do you feel Crows fits within it today?

I personally don't love the term post-punk even though I find myself using it all the time. I feel it is quite an umbrella terms that  bands get shoehorned into unfairly. Especially now, when innovation and creating  something new is quite difficult to cultivate. I moved to London when I was 18 as I wanted to meet musicians and make a band and I did just that. It’s a tough city to live in,  it’s expensive and difficult for creatives to survive without splitting your time with other work,  but that does give you a drive to be more creative and hungry. Always striving for more and figuring out any kind of balance is hard but i do both love and hate London; it’s my home and it’s the best city in the world. 

What do you love right now? 

I’ve started watching classic series that I never watched and everyone else seems to have watched. Recently finished The Sopranos and now I’m on The Wire. 

What do you hate right now?

Vapes.

Name an album you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why it’s still important to you? 

Metallica - Ride the Lightning - Just a great fuckin album. Great for driving, great for walking, great for cooking, great for the gym. A true all rounder. 

With Reason Enough set to be released soon, what are your hopes for how it will be received, and what can fans expect from your live shows as you prepare to tour this new material?

I’ve got pretty modest hopes  for it to be honest, I hope our wonderful dedicated fanbase love it as much as we do and that we can tour it  in places we’ve never been to before, picking up some new fans along the way.