Ever since breaking through with a vibrant array of delights in recent months, alt-pop outfit Rear Window, the moniker for Gang of Four vocalist JJ Sterry & blues aficionado Santi Arribas, have been quick to establish themselves as an inventive force to be reckoned with. And with plenty of praise and acclaim under their belts lately, they recently returned with their much-loved debut album ‘Happiness By Design’.
So with the new LP available now, we sat down with them to find out more about their backgrounds and what else they have planned for the months ahead as well.
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Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got started in music?
JOHN: My dad was a folk guitar player and he taught me how to play a few chords. I wasn’t really that bothered by it, but then there was some pop-punk album, might have been Green Day or something, and I realised I could play all the songs with what little I did know – that kind of kickstarted the idea of writing for me. Then I accidentally joined a band – the singer couldn’t make a show and I filled in, then he never turned up again…
SANTI: I started playing guitar at 13 and played in local bands for a few years. I was 18 when I set foot for the first time in a recording studio and from that day, I was fascinated with the idea of music production
Who are your biggest musical influences and how have they shaped your sound?
JOHN: I grew up with the Beatles always playing in the car and I think that must have informed my appreciation of melody and the idea that as long as you have that, you can explore any musical style you feel like. Later on I got into more of the post-punk stuff, and some of the English folk revival, people like John Martyn, Shirley Collins – a lot of those Melodies come from centuries ago and just goes to show the importance of a good tune.
SANTI: I grew up listening to The Beatles, Queen and a lot of classic blues and rock but when I moved to London, I discovered many other genres that I found very interesting, new textures etc such as post-punk and electronica. However, throughout the years, blues has always been my main influence, especially as a guitarist – there’s always a little bit of it in most of the music I write.
Was there a specific moment or experience that made you decide to pursue music seriously?
JOHN: I think when my first band headlined this little venue in our local town I felt like we’d helped create a little scene there – it was my ultimate goal and really didn’t see anything past that – but once we’d done that, I started thinking I wanted to do more. Then when I moved to London, I met more like minded people and music slowly became something I was doing more often than not.
SANTI: The first time I grabbed hold of an electric guitar… that was it!
Can you walk us through your typical songwriting process?
JOHN: With Rear Window it’s a little different to how I have worked in the past as we’ll come up with the music together, or sometimes Santi would create a basic chord structure – the music always came first. Then I’d go away and come up with a melody and lyrics. I often just play around with a few bars on a loop until something interesting comes out. The words are all meaningless at that point but sometimes there’s a lyric that I sort of like that fits and I’ll use that as a cornerstone for the rest of the song. I don’t really know what I’m going to write about until I’m doing it… our album Happiness By Design definitely has themes that run throughout it, consciously or not… but either way it helped to focus the lyrics and create something cohesive.
SANTI: When writing for Rear Window, I usually start with some kind of soundscape and a chord progression so John can put an initial melody on top. At that point we tend to start working together on the structure and what the song is going to be about but for some of the songs on the album we just sat with a couple of acoustic guitars and put them together that way before we even had an idea of what the final result would sound like. Then I’d go away and come back a few days later with an arrangement for us to both work on.
How do you find inspiration for your music and lyrics?
JOHN: On this album it was quite introspective – questioning what it is that makes me content. Running away, staying put, there’s more questions than answers and it kind of became an out loud conversation with myself. I was influenced by some of the civic projects that happened around the mid-century too – the idea that people’s lives can be better with design, in their day-to-day items or in buildings etc, as I found that fascinating. The album cover is a drawing of the Barbican centre in central London, which is kind of the epitome of that school of thought.
SANTI: I am very much influenced by visual images, either urban or more natural landscapes. I might just watch something on tv and if I feel like I can put some music to it, then that will usually translate into a song.
What themes or messages do you hope listeners take away from your music?
JOHN: That there’s joy to be found in trying to find answers to the questions everyone has about their lives. If you’re questioning whether you’re happy or fulfilled there’s hope that, as you’re trying, there’s no apathy there. You care enough about yourself to want more…
What challenges have you faced as an emerging artist in the music industry?
JOHN: I think when I was starting out it was maybe easier – you had more time and your friends / other musicians did too and could hole yourselves away for a few days to work on music. Now it feels like a struggle to get a rehearsal in. In a way I’m more productive now though – I know I may only have the weekend to write and so I try to use that time productively.
SANTI: I agree with John, I think we’ve found a very productive formula when we get together to write. We both have little time to actually get together but when we do, we manage to get a lot done, I think. My biggest challenge is to keep up with everything else around it – promotion, social media etc.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of your musical journey so far?
JOHN: Probably getting to tour the world – I got to see all these places most of my friends would have to save up and wait till they retire to see. And just every so often you get a message from someone, saying something you’ve written has really affected them – it might only be one person but that’s really nice to hear.
SANTI: I am at my happiest when I produce or mix, probably more so for others than for myself but seeing any project that I’ve been involved with come to light is a very rewarding thing for me.
How do you stay true to yourself and your artistry in a constantly evolving industry?
JOHN: I suppose just writing what you like. I’ve never really tried to ride any kind of wave of what’s popular at the time. If it connects with people, I suppose it’s because it’s genuine.
SANTI: Keep doing what you like, as John said, if someone likes what comes out of your head then it means you’re pushing the right buttons. We set ourselves not to adhere to any specific genre but to let ourselves go, coming up with whatever we really liked and felt right at the time.
What can fans expect from you in the near future? Any upcoming projects or tours?
JOHN: I’ve got a solo EP coming out soon as JJ Sterry along with some live shows too. As for Rear Window, I think we’ll wait for the dust to settle as we’ve just finished this album. Then I can see us writing some more tracks together soon.
SANTI: John has his solo EP coming out soon and I am currently busy producing two other artists, so we need a bit of time to do our own thing. I’m sure we’ll start writing new material after the summer though.
Where do you see yourself and your music career in the next five years?
JOHN: I definitely want to get more collaborative – I’m back in London now and keen just to work with as many people as possible really.
SANTI: I want to continue producing and mixing for other artists and hopefully be able to release a couple of more albums for both Rear Window and my solo project The Roadside Bandits Project.
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Listen to Rear Window’s debut album ‘Happiness By Design’ and watch the video for lead single ‘Rocket Man’ below.
