While busily working in the studio writing the follow-up to last year’s superb Variations on a Dream, Pineapple Thief mastermind Bruce Soord found a bit of time away from recording (and away from his day job), to answer some questions for Studio M.

First off, what can you say about the songs that you've been working on for the new disc? Any song titles? How much have you written so far?

I have written about 40 minutes worth of new material that has made the grade and about another 40 minutes worth that is in the s**t bin.  It’s been really hard work but one thing I’ve learned is that these things can’t be forced.  I’ve got some ‘working’ song titles ‘The World I Always Dreamed Of’, ‘Slip Away’, ‘Wretched Soul’, ‘Myself by Myself’ – doesn’t really sound like a party does it?

So judging from these titles and from the artwork on your website, it would suggest that the new songs are perhaps somewhat depressing.

Yeah, that’s me.  Mr. Moaner.  My friends tell me I should write about happy things once in a while.  You know, I tried – but it was embarrassing.  I’m not going to write ‘Walking on Sunshine’, not now, not ever!  I’ll stick to what I do best, which is admittedly on the darker side of the musical spectrum.  Lyrically, the songs are about loss, about wasting the ‘moments’ when everything could have been different, about giving in to the darker side of your soul.  But it’s not all bad news, there is always a shade of light in my songs.  But you have to experience the depths to have any kind of cathartic experience.

Do you have any new epics in the "Remember Us" mold?

I remember writing ‘Remember Us’ over Christmas 2002 – I hate Christmas so I tend to retreat into my studio.  I didn’t set out to write a 16-minute song, it just came together like that.  At the moment, I have two 10-11 minute tracks but I must confess I am in the mood for another ‘long song’.  But there’s no point in trying to make it happen.  But ideally, I would like an album with a healthy spread of 3,6,10 and 20-minute tracks.  Personally, I get bored of an exclusively ‘epic’ album.  Equally, I get bored of an album of 4 minute tunes.

Is the release date still set for later this year and will it be released on Cyclops?

Yeah, still on Cyclops.  I know I could do with more exposure and I am now one of the best sellers on Cyclops so I’ll have to see what comes my way when the new album is released (which is set for October/November 2004, although I’ll have some pre-release copies available via my website).  I have been with Cyclops (with Vulgar Unicorn) for well over 10 years so it would be sad to move on, but I know I need to get my music out there to a wider audience.

You released the 8 Days bonus disc with the initial batch of Variations. Are you planning on a bonus CD for the new disc yet?

Oh yes – I think I’m going to call it 8 Days Later.  Where the last disc had simple parameters (write an album in 8 days) the next one will be spiced up a little.  I am planning to use members of the Pineapple Thief newsgroup (anyone can join via my site – www.pineapplethief.com) to have an influence on the parameters of the music.  That’s all I can say at the moment, but it should be good fun.  I think the bonus disc is going to be limited to 2000 so I advise people to reserve one (again via my site) as the last 8 Days is selling for stupid money on Ebay (blatant self promotion there thanks).

Speaking of the 8 Days disc, could you tell me a little about how you came up with the idea to do that? I have to say that this bonus disc, recorded in eight days, is better that a lot of regular releases that takes some bands years to make.

Why thanks.  Malcolm at Cyclops was offered a free double CD from the pressing plant as they botched one of his jobs.  He asked me if I had any unreleased or live stuff.  I didn’t want to put out second grade material, but I also couldn’t handle writing another full album. So, the only way I thought I could do it was to try and write a song a day for eight days.  It really focused the mind and the result was surprisingly good (even if I say so myself).  I just didn’t want to sell the punters short.  I can’t stand a pointless bonus disc.

On your website, I notice that you're using a "the" before Pineapple Thief now, which makes me think of the old days when Pink Floyd was referred to as The Pink Floyd. Is this down to try to avoid confusion with another PT - Porcupine Tree?

Got it in one.  It’s a real shame we have the same initials but I have to say it’s my fault.  Many people compare my stuff with Porcupine Tree but people have to realise that I never even heard a PT song until after I had written 137.  I agree, there are similarities but only as far as ‘Coldplay’ sound a little like ‘Travis’ – myself and PT are prog with a small ‘p’ and I think we’re both trying to write credible, progressive albums which cross over genres from similar influences.  Perhaps it’s because there are not enough bands like us that people keep lumping me with ‘the other PT’.

Will a full band be used on the new CD? Who's in the band? Will they be playing on all tracks or just some?

Yes, there is a full band, the same one who gigged with me last year.  They won’t play on ALL the songs and I have guested some parts.  A friend of mine who has the most amazing 6/8 beat I have ever heard is playing on one song.  I’m also using more live musicians notably a violin player who plays with a top orchestra in London.

Since you’ll be using a band, then, are all of the songs still composed by you, or are any of the band contributing?

Nah – I thought about doing collaborations but people on my newsgroup reminded me ‘bands don’t work well by committee’ (I think Steve Hackett said that) – I have to write alone, particularly as the content is so personal.  Having said that, I am happy for people to add parts, but the underlying composition will always be exclusively with me.

Are you handling producing duties again, or is someone else going to do that?

Production is shared with the band and an engineer friend of mine.  It would be nice to work with a different producer, but as the album is written and recorded over 6-8 months it’s not really viable at the moment.  Maybe when I move up I can work that way.

On the past releases, you listed a fictitious band line-up? First off, why was this done and secondly, where did you come up with the names?

First time someone has asked me that!  The first three albums were solo projects but I didn’t want to put ‘everything by Bruce’ on the credits.  It would put ME off buying it.  A lot of the names came from a film called The Hard Way, a pretty average (but entertaining) film with James Woods and Michael J Fox.  Nick Lang is the main character, the ‘party crasher’ is the baddie, ‘Captain Brix’ is the police chief, etc.  On 137, Mark Harris (credited for bass) was a friend of mine.  He cannot, by the way, play a single note on the bass…

You play quite a number of instruments - guitar, keyboards, bass, drums (what am I missing). How did you pick up the skill to play all of these?

I have no idea.  I was a guitarist first but played bass a lot when composing.  I’ve been composing for years, since the days of the old four tracks, so I had no choice but to slowly learn all the instruments.

How do you write songs - do you usually have lyrics looking for music to go with it or is it usually the other way around?

Always the other way round.  Usually, I sit with my acoustic guitar and play and mumble over the top.  My best songs have always come together within 10-20 minutes.  The process of producing and recording the tracks takes a bit longer though.  Some tracks are written with piano or Rhodes but I always start with the most basic of arrangements.  If a tune can’t stand up stripped down, it won’t ever amount to much.

You played a few gigs last year - were they the first that you've played as Pineapple Thief? Any plans for future concerts?

Yes, they were the first gigs.  A bit ropey really but it was fun and we made a load of new fans.  I haven’t been chasing gigs at the moment as I am so deep in the new album but I am hoping to play more gigs after the release.  We are playing two dates in the UK in the autumn (a festival in the south and a headlining launch party in the north) but that’s it at the moment It would be great to make it out to the USA as we have a lot of fans out there.

You mentioned your other project, Vulgar Unicorn, earlier. What are your plans for this project and are there any plans to make the Vulgar Unicorn back catalogue available?

Yeah, VU.  It was always pretty experimental, recorded a long time ago and a little naïve.  The first album is 100% prog, sound fx, drum solos, extended outros – you name it, all the ingredients for a prog album were there.  But it’s not something I would write now so I find it hard to listen to it now a days.  Fishes was fun but completely disjointed, Jet Set Radio (isn’t that the worst album title you have ever heard?) was a mess but had four or five really good tunes on it.  However, Neil and I finished VU4 (back in January before I started PT4) which is a great album.  I took a performance and production role while Neil wrote the basic song structures (otherwise it would have ended up being a Pineapple Thief album).  In the end, it sounds like a cross between VU and Pineapple Thief.  Incidentally, we can’t stand the Vulgar Unicorn name so the next album is coming out, in June/July 2004 under the name of Persona Non Grata called The Fine Art of Living.  It has a bonus disc of old VU stuff to keep the old fans happy…

What's your favourite Pineapple Thief song? And favourite Pineapple Thief CD?

Man, that’s hard.  Probably ‘Kid Chameleon’ from 137 and ‘Subside’ or ‘Remember Us’ from Variations.  Favourite album?  A compilation of 137 and Variations!  Is that cheating?  Best live track is ‘Subside’ or ‘Vapour Trails.’

What kind of music do you listen to? What musicians do you feel have been an influence to you?

I grew up listening to 70’s stuff – Pink Floyd, Yes, Camel, Steve Hackett, early Supertramp, Led Zeppelin, Nick Drake, Al Stewart.  I never got into Genesis or ELP.  Lately I have been listening to commercial stuff from Elbow, Snow Patrol, Muse (although the album is too samey for me), Radiohead.  Beck is a big hero of mine. Spirit of Eden by Talk Talk is an important album for me.  Music for 18 Musicians and other minimalist stuff has influenced my work also.  I’m conscious I don’t listen to modern prog.  And I DON’T listen to Porcupine Tree, not because I don’t like them, but the last thing I need is to be influenced by them.  I really want to listen to In Absentia but won’t, as I know I’ll be influenced.  Some people may disagree with this philosophy though.

Finally, Do you still have a day job? Do you feel that Pineapple Thief has/will become successful enough to allow you to work on your music full time?

Sadly yes.  It’s not a demanding one, I’m not a career boy but it made 8 Days even more challenging as I had to juggle a day job with it.  I really hope Pineapple Thief will progress to a point where I can ‘give up the day job’ and if the jump in sales of Variations is anything to go by, this shouldn’t be too far off.  But yeah, it depresses me.  All that time wasted behind a desk when I can’t do what I love the most, making music.  It’s a tough life(!) but I won’t be writing any more songs on the subject (‘Part Zero’).