Dear readers, it is our pleasure to present in this article an interview with Jon Courtney fromthe UK Progressive Rock band Pure Reason Revolution.
Hi Jon, how are you?
“All good thanks, currently sitting in a hot Berlin studio & sweating!“
What is the meaning of the name of your band Pure Reason Revolution?
“It came when I did my University Thesis. I looked at trying to establish if Brian Wilson was a genius or just a hard-working guy. I looked at Immanuel Kant & his Critique of Pure Reason. Around this time we were also looking for a band name & had 100’s of options. We were fusing interesting word combinations together & PRR stuck. The Revolution – because the music at the time felt revolutionary to us!“
You play modern Progressive Rock with alternative influences and more, where does your passion for these sounds come from?
“My first obsession with music began when I saw Nirvana live on the MTV awards 1992. I couldn’t believe the energy, the passion, the voice of Kurt, I was mesmerised. This, was, MUSIC! And so I began saving money & getting as much grunge music as I could. I would only spend 50p of my £1 school dinner money so I could buy a new cassette at the weekend.
As time went on I got into stuff like the Prodigy, the Chemical Brothers etc & then I discovered my Dad’s record collection…Beach Boys, Floyd & things took another turn. PRR is melting pot of influences, we make music with no boundaries, always have & always will.“
The band was formed in 2003, how did the project come about?
“We met at the University of Westminster back in 2001 & began doing music projects as part of our course. We sent these demos out to London’s A&R & along with lots of London gigs, we began to get label interest. We played at Alan McGee’s (man that signed Oasis & loads of other great acts) night club loads of times & did a single deal with him. Interest began to swell & we did a deal with Sony.“
There have been a few lineup changes over the years, how has your sound evolved over time?
“I’ve always been the director of how the sound develops & the personnel doesn’t hugely influence that. At times we’ve gone more electronic, which probably alienated & confused fans, but it was necessary exploration & we’re now back in the prog realm & here to stay . That’s what fab about prog, you have loads of scope for experimentation!
Your sixth album “Coming Up To Consciousness” will be released in September 2024, how would you describe this new work?
“Melancholic but hopeful, bleak but optimistic. It has light & shade, passion, riffs, jazz, laid-back vibes & intensity all packed into a sonic punch!“
Intense and sophisticated music and vocals, what themes do the lyrics of the new album deal with?
“The concept album deals with: Betrayal, deception, fear, grief, mortality & the questioning of sanity. This albums journey began when I had my 17-year-old dog put down(AUG22). This threw up all kinds of complex feelings…cruelty, the unexpected emotional impact(which I thought I was prepared for), deep grief… with this sharp focus on death in my head, I then had a possible Ass exposure, my life’s biggest fear…I lost it. I was on the edge of a precipice & I didn’t know what to do.“
I read in the press release that there will be some changes in the sound compared to the previous one, what can you tell us about that?
“Something that changed on this record was me purposefully avoiding “Jon specials”, and search out new chords as a starting place. I used my rather dusty jazz guitar book & that helped kickstart many songs. I don’t need much, just one new chord & I’m off! I really didn’t want regurgitate myself on this record, but forge something new.“
A mixture of genres and styles starting with Progressive Rock, how does the creative process of your music
take place?
“Either on guitar or keyboard I’ll start playing around, and get little idea going, then I’ll begin to sing an idea…I’ll then start scribbling lyrics & then the music starts feeding the lyrics & vice-versa!“
Your music is sophisticated and engaging, will there be a chance to hear it live in the near future?
“Indeed, we’ve got a few shows across Europe this year along with 5 shows in England. In 2025 we play Cruise to the Edge in the US.“
From the early 2000s to today, has the way of making live music changed? What has changed for you?
Live hasn’t changed really, but the studio has. Many years ago you needed a big & expensive commercial studio to get pro sounding results, nowadays you can do most if it from the bedroom & it can sound sonically fantastic, but obviously you still need good songs!“
The Prog genre has changed since its origins, how do you see the modern music scene?
“It has changed, but for us, we’re more an alt-prog band. None of us are virtuoso musicians, it’s more about playing with moods, feels, grooves & weaving sections together. We want to take you on a journey, to another realm, so you can forget your owes & be in the present, but on another planet!“
As a multi-instrumentalist and singer what are your sources of inspiration?
“Life experiences, sometimes other people’s stories, snapshots of life, capturing moments, reflections, love, despair, passion, my daughter, my wife, family, strangers, the variety of life, discovery, the past, the present, the future…wow, the lost goes on! Feeling inspired just contemplating all this!“
What advice would you give to young artists approaching music in a more sophisticated genre such as Prog?
“Don’t try & be another band, don’t strive to be at that same level caus you’ll be crushed when you can’t achieve that. Strive to purposefully be something different, unique & that’s how you will stand out.“
Do you have any other activities or artistic passions outside music?
“Music takes all my artistic creativity, bit I love Coffee, running & reading!“
I thank Jon for the interview and wish him all the best for the continuation of his artistic career and the release of the band’s new album.