[Interview] Exclusive interview with Andy Tillison of Tangent

Dear readers we have the pleasure to offer you in this article an interview with a UK Progressive Rock artist, with a new album out in May 2024. We welcome Andy Tillison of Tangent.

Hi Andy, it’s a pleasure to have you on our pages, how are you?

I am very well thankyou and thanks for asking. I hope you are too, both you and your readers. We live in a world that is ever stranger.

You are a singer, multi-instrumentalist and music producer, how did your passion for music and Progressive in particular come about?

Actually… Although you are right, I see myself first and foremost as a writer. Or “Composer”. The singing, playing and production you mention – well I do those because I write music. There are better producers, better musicians and hell I know there are better singers. Knowing what I want to create from the ground up makes it possible for me to build my pieces, and these are , in the end, the only reason why I do the other things. I discovered my love for music very early in life, listening to classical music in my home in the 1960s as a child, and then discovering the first rock band that could give me an experience that was comparable to listening to people like Beethoven or Mussorgsky. I was 12 years old when I bought my first album by Yes. Close To the Edge in 1972. And my love affair with Progressive Rock continued for a few years, I loved to listen to Yes, Genesis, ELP, Van Der Graaf Generator and dreamed that one day I might be able to play this kind of stuff. But by the time I was 18 years old I was no Rick Wakeman, and Punk was my way in. I could manage to play more like Dave Greenfield of The Stranglers, but Punk/New Wave was the big opportunity for people to get involved, so my first gigs were with New Wave bands. And that meant that New Wave/Punk music was a huge part of my life.

What have been your sources of inspiration in this regard?

I was always super interested in the lyrics of the bands. I liked it when bands were challenging and politically motivated and as such was interested in Pink Floyd’s “Animals”, “Final Cut” and many of Hammill’s works both solo and with VDGG. This continued into bands like Crass, Flux, Chumbawamba and was predated by Dylan, Joni Mitchell etc. But it wasn’t just Politics… the idea of music as a cinematic storytelling medium was key to what I wanted from music. Prog Rock and Jazz Fusion showed me what I could aim for, Punk Rock showed me that you didn’t have to have a degree in music to take part and that you could learn as you went along.

In the early 2000s you created The Tangent, how did the project come about and what memories do you have of that period?

One of the things that was key to it was the kind of “denial” of Progressive Rock music. I’d been playing in bands.. leading bands for 25 years by 2002. And it was just a realisation that I’d never had the chance to actually make a record like “Edge”, “Foxtrot” or “Pawn Hearts”. Although Po90 certainly was a progressive by nature band, it strove to disguise the past and dress it in modern clothes, having as much Muse, Radiohead, Mansun etc about it – and of course those bands were similarly “Prog In Disguise”. The day came when I knew I must make some real Progressive Rock, the full blown symphonic stuff with Epics was when I ran into the Flower Kings and saw them play live. I had no knowledge of what this band was about and would not have predicted that they would make me cry with emotion within 15 minutes of taking the stage.

The new album ‘To Follow Polaris’ was released in May 2024, how would you describe this work?

It is quite simple. It’s the 13th album by The Tangent, and the difference is that I made the whole album, every sound, every graphic myself from Nothing to a completed product with no other help. It is a one off… I thrive on the participation of other people, and particularly Luke, Jonas, Steve and Theo. But on this record I attempted to sound out my own capabilities, see what I could do alone and in doing so began to understand the musicians I normally work with a whole lot better than I did. It follows The Tangent’s philosophy of cinematic, story led songs with lyrics centred on the world we live in now in 2024. It has always been my motive.. to put progressive rock music into the context of NOW, not continue as though it’s 1976.

75 minutes of fine Progressive Rock, with intertwining instrumental sections and intense vocals, what themes do the lyrics deal with?

The album itself is centred around a piece called The Anachronism. This is a piece based on my view that right around the world, all political organisations are corrupt, self serving and archaic. I firmly believe that it is time for change in the way we are governed and to do this without war, conflict and hatred is going to be a task, not for politicians but for philosophers and thinkers at all levels. People who care, people who understand the needs of others who may not share their views, people who are motivated by making a better world for everyone, not for themselves and their friends. I personally feel that if we are to continue living a life on this planet, our approach to how we organise this should not be about being Governed by others, but by cooperating with each other. Around this central theme are pieces that look at specific details, like News/Media and their role in the maintenance of Governments, the alienation that Social Media has brought to so many of us – but an overarching note of optimism that is stated on the albums first track “The North Sky” which runs throughout the album.”

Long tracks with intense instrumental textures, how does the creative process of your music take place?

Ha ha. Well I don’t accept that my tracks are actually LONG. Yes, they are often 20 minutes long. And 20 minutes is shorter than an episode of “Friends” which is hardly the stuff of epics. They are, in reality, a bit longer than most rock songs, being the equivalent of about 5 songs by other bands. But in many many cases, there will be more content, change, stylistic variation in one of mine than there is in 5 by others.  I am totally uncensored, unedited, not managed, not told what to do by anyone. I am not trying to get rich, this is all about me being able to write the music I want to write. The vision is cinematic, narrative, romantic and is based around the earliest form of art… the story. I get inspiration from being in places which are a story in themselves… Roman Ruins, Railway Tunnels, Valleys, Cities – and I try to gather my thoughts into songs whenever I find myself in such places.

You composed, performed and produced the album yourself, why this musical choice?

This is a fairly simple and easy question to answer really… there’s nothing huge to reveal! The band were busy doing stuff to make a living, and I fancied a change and to see what I could do alone. The record was started in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic. It was originally going to be a solo album but the record did come out as a Tangent record because… well, it just IS one! The Tangent is an IDEA. A fair few people share that idea and we are working on more music right now. This album was just one person working with the idea. It stands on its own two feet as a Tangent album. And only two feet were involved 🙂

Given the evolution of the project into a one-man band, will there be a chance to hear your music live in the near future?

The band has not evolved into a one man band… as I say, that was a one off recording. The chances of The Tangent playing live are nothing to do with whether we can, or want to, it’s all down to whether it can be afforded. Each year it becomes more difficult to get the band out there on stage.  Political decisions like Brexit hamper our ability to move about freely, add enormous levels of cost. Getting into the USA last time we played there cost us ALL the money we earned there. Hotels, rehearsal spaces, transportation, food, day to day living cost thousands of Dollars. To make a tour that just breaks even is almost impossible unless you are a lot more high profile than the Tangent. There are bands who can afford to take the loss because of the sales of records that are symbiotic with the tour… and many bands can afford to do it as a hobby… The Tangent is not one of either of these groups.  One of our live records is called “Hotel Cantaffordit”. I think that sums it up!  Last time we did a gig I spent 3 months preparing it, enjoyed every second of it and made a total (myself) of 200 Pounds (About 250 dollars) for three months of work.  If people want to see bands like The Tangent, then really… this needs to change. And… let me say this… I am not sitting here complaining. I wouldn’t have said anything, but this is the honest answer to the question you asked!

Before The Tangent you played with Parallel and 90 Degrees, what memories do you have of these experiences and how do they differ in sound?

I am 65 years old and Po90 was a band I formed when I was in my 30s. At the time I was listening to bands like Soundgarden, Muse, Oasis, Blur, Groove Armada, Ozric Tentacles and Porcupine Tree.  I was aware of a re-emergence of Progressive Rock and wanted to build a band that took that into account. As a (comparatively)reasonably young man at the time I was still working towards a late attempt at a breakthrough band – one that could actually chart, be famous and all that stuff. So the Prog was a bit more in the background in that band… but always there.  In the end, it was by being full on prog that actually brought some success when I formed The Tangent which was supposed to just be a one off “prog” album. 23 years and 13 studio albums later – we’re still The Tangent.”

How has the way of experiencing live performances changed from the 90s to today? And what has changed for you?

My view of gigs is not the same as for many prog people. My first gigs that I went to see were mainly (not all) Punk gigs, and among the first artists I got to see were The Sex Pistols, Johnny Thunders Heartbreakers, The Damned, The Clash, Stranglers, XTC, Slaughter & The Dogs, The Vibrators. At the same time I also saw gigs by Yes, Van Der Graaf Generator and Genesis. These were the only three prog bands from the 70s that I actually Saw in the 70s. The atmosphere at THOSE concerts was very different from the punk shows – and although I really enjoyed them, I was miles away from Genesis, a bit closer to Yes, and about 24 rows back for VDGG. However, for Buzzcocks and the other punks, I was right there… right by the stage. I shook hands with Dave Vanian and Captain Sensible, Dave Greenfield and Jean Jaques Burnell, I danced with Siouxie Sioux at a Sex pistols gig and I sat on top of the pa system at a Mekons gig.  I will always judge the experience of rock concerts in comparison to those early days. As a performer I have to go back in time to the bands I was playing with in the late 70s very early 80s to remember people dancing and fist punching to a performance I was giving.  The performer I saw the most was Rory Gallagher. This man blew everyone else, the proggers, the punks, the Metalheads – EVERYONE into a cocked hat. There is no-one who ever, even remotely came close. When an interviewer asked Jimi Hendrix what it was like to be the world’s greatest guitarist  – he said “You need to ask Rory Gallagher that question, not me”.  I believe he was right.  I never ever bought one of Rory’s records. This man was the essential live performer. You had to have been there.

Music is constantly evolving, how do you see the modern scene in the field of Progressive Rock?

Well there’s a question. Ha ha. Well.. “in the field of Progressive Rock” – well of course there’s 

1: A Lot of bands who just stick to the 70s/80s formulae and sound, usually a lot, like Marillion or Genesis. They occasionally go “folk”. While it would be unfair to mention names here, I actually really enjoy hearing a lot of their music because it fills a hole in my life quite nicely.  A lot of it is exquisitely crafted and I study it a lot. Don’t think I am being snide about them. These guys make some wonderful music. 

2. Bands like Porcupine Tree, Leprous, Maschine, Opeth, The Anchoret who have made a new form of progressive rock music take shape. Much of this approach has involved the use of innovative metal like structures. This, I also like A LOT and also point out that Voivod invented it and hardly anyone mentions this. 

3. Bands like The Tangent, Argos, Frost, Karmakanic, Flower Kings, Wobbler are bands who are based in the world of Progressive Rock but can be seen to draw on a lot more sources than Yes, Genesis and Floyd. You’ll find more Jazz Fusion, Modernist Rock, Funk, Pop, Classical in their music than perhaps you would in the first group I mentioned. 

I like ALL of these groups, but then again I also like a huge amount of music to start with. My favourite band is Earth Wind and Fire and my favourite album of all time is by Groove Armada. My favourite song of all time is by Diana Ross and my favourite writer is Peter Hammill. I love Yes, ELP, The Spice Girls, Jacques Loussier, Squarepusher, Radiohead, Abba,  Strawinsky, Debussy, UK, Joy Division and Steven Wilson (when he is making astonishing music of his own – not remixing great records and spoiling them).”

Given your experience, what advice would you give to young artists approaching music with progressive sounds?

Do it!! It’s a gold mine of inspiration! There’s so much to find in this genre… from the huge to the tiny. Progressive Rock music includes (but is NOT JUST ABOUT) “The Wall” Flying Pigs and King Arthur On Ice. It’s also about Hamilll beating his acoustic to a pulp with the veins on his neck ready to bust, it’s about the thousands of obscure bands from Canterbury, Italy. The USA, Canada, France, Belgium, Czechoslovakia (as was) in the 70s – the Scandinavian influence from the 1990s onwards, The jazz fusion bands, the psychedelic bands, the prog metallers… wow… so much to mix up and prepare for the future. If MONEY is your goal, think of The Stock Market, accountancy, politics or media.  If music is your goal… the world of prog has offered way way more ideas than other genres. It is in itself a massive index of possibilities because it has been the most open minded and diverse musical genre in history.

Do you have any other passions or artistic activities outside music?

I love Railways. Real ones and model ones. I keep tropical fish and I am a Radio Amateur and CB radio operator. I love my partner Sally, we both love dogs and we are getting a new one this year, our last dog Roobarb died in 2023 and we have left a year before thinking of a replacement. We love the countryside and living in a remote place. As I write this we are snowed in.” 

I thank Andy for the interview and wish him all the best for the continuation of his artistic career.

Thank you for these well asked and knowledgeable questions, and the very best for 2025 to you and all your readers.

Purchase and Stream the album here: https://thetangent.lnk.to/ToFollowPolaris

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Author: Jacopo Vigezzi

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