Fishing4Compliments

Let’s start at the beginning. How did you all meet and form Fishing for Compliments? What brought you together as musicians?

We formed very gradually and organically over a number of years really. It all started when I met Ashley (rhythm guitarist) and introduced him to my songs. He was very encouraging about them and soon we began taking them to a few folk clubs and open mics. Ashley had met Steve (bass player & backing vocalist) and Jim (lead guitarist & backing vocalist) through his formation of a 60s band and gradually he kind of reeled them in to work on my songs too. Jim started out playing drums initially but following a very early days gig he made the game changing decision for the band that he would like to try developing lead guitar parts for the songs. At that same gig Jim’s great friend Ben expressed an interest in being the drummer for the band which he subsequently became for a quite a few years before he decided to move on to pastures new. Before joining the band officially Steve (bass player & backing vocals) had been our dream bass player in the background for some time listening to and experimenting with the songs. He joined us for a gig back in 2011 and as he would say he just never left. That really for me was the point at which the music of Fishing 4 Compliments was born. David (drummer / percussionist on all our recordings to date) joined our Fishing crew in 2018. We had placed an advert on gumtree and when he turned up to meet the band with bamboo instruments on his car roof we knew we wanted him in. It turned out he had also joined the 60s band for a really short while many years before so it kind of all somehow felt like it was meant to be. While unfortunately David made the decision to leave the band last year he remains a supporter of our music and is a huge part of the heart of the songs we have recorded and that are out there or soon to be out there in world. But for now we are moving forward as the original core four who have long shared a passion for developing and transforming my songs into something that we can call our own. I always think they work some kind of magic on them and I am so very grateful to them all.                                         

And how did you come up with such a memorable band name?

The name was Ashley’s idea and it came from me always saying in the early days after a performance ‘Did I do ok?’ to which Ashley replied ‘stop fishing for compliments.’ I actually wasn’t so keen on the name but it just seems to have stuck. I like to think of it in an alternate way in terms of the band being the long awaited musical complements to the songs and that helps me live with the name J           

Your song ‘Drunken Tree’ was featured on Kirklees Most Wanted. What’s the story behind that track? What inspired it?

Yes indeed and thank you so much for the feature. I actually always find it hard to talk about the stories of my songs as quite often they are inspired by feelings or past times in my life that I find difficult or unable to share openly about and ‘Drunken Tree’ is a key example of that. I really need to say that I can’t take much credit for the title as it was inspired by an artist friend of mine who sent me an image of a tree she had transformed and which she called ‘Undrunken Tree’ and quite quickly that title sparked ideas for a song in my head which was to become ‘Drunken Tree.’ At gigs I often say ‘this is a little song about temptation, the clue as to what being in the title.’ The track actually really is inspired by very dark times in my life and the much appreciated Kirklees Most Wanted review by Anna really is very insightful regarding the song’s themes and I think sums it up much better than I ever had.       

I was delighted when the band got on board with this song and worked their magic on it and as always our producers Joseph and David Dunwell added another layer of magic dust and now in the words of Fenella (who has often been our dep drummer) the track sounds like ‘a party starting’ and the kind of uplifting party vibe continues throughout. So thanks to the musicians around me for me it’s transformed from kind of having difficult mixed emotions about someone to kind of celebrating their unique personality and thinking about them in a very happy way.                           

You’ve also got a new album coming out later this year. How long did it take to make? Was there a particular theme or concept you were exploring? And, of course, what’s it called and when is that out?

We have yes finally as it has taken some time to complete as we started working on the tracks gradually back in the autumn of 2021. As with our first album the motivation for this new project was to record the songs we had been developing and gigging together over the years for posterity and so we didn’t have a particular theme or concept we were exploring. From our previous experience with our producers (The Dunwells) we knew they would kindly offer their creative input and so we were also motivated by the excitement to see the way in which the recording process with them could potentially transform the songs, particularly a couple of newer lesser developed ones. This new second album follows our 2020 debut album ‘Off The Isle Of Somewhere’ and will be called ‘Filled With Good Intentions’ to be released this Autumn 2025 (with the exact date to be decided and announced very soon).                                   

What are some of your musical influences and inspirations? Who are the artists that have shaped your sound?

The band have a real eclectic mixes of influences including: The Beatles, XTC, Tom Petty, Mark Knopfler to name but a few and for me personally I would say I am an old indie chick at heart and I have been influenced and inspired definitely by The Sundays, The Cranberries and The Cure for example. We all listen to a wide array of music genres and between us undoubtedly it all filters into and shapes our collective sound.              

You’ve played a lot of gigs across Kirklees. What have those experiences been like? What do you enjoy most about performing live?

All our gig experiences have been special in their own unique ways and we are very grateful for each and every gig experience in Kirklees so we would like to thank all the venues and events that have taken and continue to take a chance on us and enable us to play our own creations and do what we love. It’s been a great journey from unleashing our songs on unsuspecting audiences in local pubs to people starting to recognise our songs and seeing them singing along at gigs, which is always the loveliest of feelings. That said we continue to play many gigs in places and spaces where people won’t have ever heard our songs before and it is always exciting though nerve wracking at the same time to showcase them and see how they will be received by audiences. We have spent a lot of time working on the songs and developing them as a band so one particularly enjoyable aspect of playing live is the feeling when you sense that all of that collective work has come together to create an overall sound that we feel very happy with as a unit. Seeing smiling faces and dancing and people generally enjoying themselves definitely makes performing live a really happy experience. I know we really like the feeling that our music is appealing to differing age ranges at a gig also. For me personally the feeling that all of the band members and the audience are enjoying the show and having a nice time is a hugely relaxing and happy feeling that obliterates all my worries and cares for that short time so it’s a hugely beneficial part of my life. Of course when people come up to you after a performance and tell you they’ve had a good time or they have related to the lyrics of a particular song that is a very rewarding aspect of live performance and really makes the whole journey with our music worthwhile and we have made lasting connections and friendships as a result which really means a lot to us.             
What would be your dream venue to play?

We still have many dream venues on our wish list but I would say we would all really love to play The Piece Hall main stage and I feel like I also have to mention that bringing one of our songs to Alexandra Palace Theatre following an invitation to be part of the Later…with Jools Holland Show is a long held dream of ours.   

In your opinion, what makes a good song? What are the key ingredients that resonate with listeners?

That’s a tricky one but for me coming from a listener perspective the songs that resonate with me the most are songs that take me on an emotional journey and connect with my heart and soul in some way so it’s kind of an indescribable feeling in many ways. I’d say that igniting that kind of indescribable feeling is what makes a good song really and beyond that I’d say for me personally key ingredients within that would be relatable lyrics, a melody and overall musical composition that moves you in some way and variety and build up within the song going back to the idea of a song taking you on a journey.                  

When you’re not making music, what do you all do in your free time? Any hobbies or passions outside of music?

Ashley (rhythm guitarist) likes to cycle and is very into steam locomotives, volunteering as a fireman on full size, owning and operating miniature railways locomotives and also garden railways. He has also recently started learning Italian. Steve (bass player & backing vocals) enjoys reading and he says he is going to pursue his interest in gardening and plants and revisit his childhood interest in scale modelling and creating small miniature landscapes when he retires. Jim’s (lead guitarist & backing vocals) list of spare time activities include; walking his dog, golfing, painting and he been involved in various ways in local pantomime productions for a number of years. As for myself, Eileen, I enjoy walking, visiting and exploring the architecture of new places and I hope to go to more yoga classes soon as it really helps me relax and I also hope to soon reignite my childhood interest in cartoon drawing.