Introducing: Golden Fable

Emerging from fine folksters Tim and Sam’s Tim and the Sam Band, North Welsh three-piece Golden Fable have taken some time to step back, get lost in their surroundings and learning that experimenting is key. The results have manifested themselves in stirring, cinematic swells and intricate textures that weave their way around ethereal vocals like they’re all racing towards a euphoric finish line. It’s nothing short of inspirational so we decided to catch up with singer Rebecca Palin and Tim McIver ahead of their performance at End of The Road Festival a couple of weeks back.

For those who are new to the band, could you give us a brief introduction of who you are, where you’re from and who plays what part in the band?

Rebecca Palin: Golden Fable are a three piece from Mold, North Wales. Whilst Tim and I write the songs initially, within a live set Tim predominantly plays guitar, I play keyboards and sing, and Jack plays the drums and percussion. We combine organic, pastoral sounds with elements of electronics and choral style vocals.

You started out as part of Tim and Sam’s Tim and the Sam Band – why did that come to an end, and what are the benefits of working as a two piece?

RP: Tim and Sam came to an end simply because getting five or so members together to play and write became difficult. Tim and I were the key songwriters anyway, so we just carried on writing but under a different guise, experimenting with different sounds and techniques and incorporating more vocals. It felt like a very natural progression. We really enjoyed being able to write so freely and it was really liberating taking a new approach to music making.

Could you tell us a little more about your musical backgrounds? What did you both grow up listening to, and who/what do you consider to be your biggest artistic influences?

RP: My musical journey began with being a chorister in a church choir. As a result I was immersed in choral and religious music as I was growing up and was taught in a classical fashion initially. Later on I relished discovering all different kinds of music. I have been influenced by, and have enjoyed everything from Radiohead, to Efterklang, to John Barry.

Tim McIver: I am the youngest of 5, so I grew up listening to all of the records that my brothers and sisters loved. So while everyone else was listening to Spice Girls, I was listening to The Cure and My Bloody Valentine. I was then inspired to take up the guitar by my brother, and I became hooked. As I’ve got more interested in guitar I started exploring the guitar greats, and through that grew to love the likes of Bert Jansch and John Williams.

You’ve been at Bryn Derwen studios recording your second album – how is that coming along?

RP: Our second album is coming along nicely thank you – we’re really excited about it. We went into Bryn Derwen in July for a week, predominantly to record drums but some other parts too. We absolutely loved it there – it’s a fantastic studio in Snowdonia surrounded by glorious scenery. It was truly inspirational to wake up there each morning and be creative. We’ve still got some finishing touches to do in our home studio, but we’re almost there. When we’re finished all the audio files will be sent to David Wrench for mixing and final production.

What was it like to work with David Wrench, considering he’s worked with the likes of Bat For Lashes, Caribou, Everything Everything and Fanfarlo? What did you know about him before you started working with him?

RP: We haven’t really started working with him yet! We were in the studio with a brilliant engineer called Jimmy Robertson, who has worked with Anna Calvi and Florence and the Machine. It’s the first time we’ve worked with someone like that, so it was a great experience – he was so professional and hard working but always made us feel relaxed, which is so important during the recording process. The work with David will start once we’ve finished tracking the instruments, which will be in a couple of weeks.

And what’s the most important thing you’ve learnt so far?

RP: We’ve learnt so much during the recording of our second album, but one thing we really enjoyed was our time at Bryn Derwen. It’s the first time we’ve been to a professional studio, and it was a lot more welcoming and comfortable than we imagined. You tend to think you’ll be clock watching, that the engineers will always be serious, that you shouldn’t touch anything and that you will forget what daylight is. It wasn’t like that at all – we were still working long, hard days but it’s OK to have a laugh and try all the different instruments. And the studio even had windows!

How have you approached the writing of the second album – have there been any major changes since you recorded your first?

RP: Our first album, Star Map, was written and recorded before we even started playing live. It was the first time we’d really written songs with vocals, and the first time we’d recorded an album completely under our own steam (in our very modest home studio). We’re so proud of that record, and we learnt a lot about our strengths as musicians. We were able to take that into account when it came to writing album 2.

Perhaps the biggest change is the addition of Jack, our drummer. He has brought so much to the music – not just because of the live drums, but also because of his skill and knowledge of percussion. He’s been to Cuba and Africa to study drumming and it’s been great to add that influence to the music.

Having toured and lived as a band for a few years, has your dynamic changed much? Did you consciously approach anything in a different way with a view to a certain outcome with your latest set of songs?

RP: We had more of an eye on how we would play the songs live this time around. We love adding lots of different layers to our songs, but that makes things a bit tricky when it comes to getting on stage. We are a three piece and there’s only so much you can play with 6 arms!

The artwork for all of your releases is really striking and beautiful, carrying through animal/nature themes – who does your artwork and how much input do you guys have?

RP: All of our artwork is created by Kathryn Lloyd – a dear friend of mine who I have known since I was very small. She studied fine art at Edinburgh, and is incredibly talented. We’re very lucky indeed to have her on board, and it is such a pleasure to work with her. Usually we will send her our demo material, have a discussion with her about a general theme, and then leave her to her own devices! We always love what she produces – I think it helps that she knows us very well as people.

Have you been to End of the Road festival before?

RP: We haven’t ever been to End of the Road before, and are extremely excited about doing so. I’ve heard many good things about it as a festival – that it has a wonderful atmosphere and is very intimate. Many people have said that if you enjoy Green Man festival (which we do – we have just returned from there in fact!) then you’ll love End of the Road. Can’t wait!

Who are you looking forward to seeing play there?

RP: Gosh, lots of people. The line-up this year is brilliant. We’ve always been a big fan of Eels, and we love the latest album by Efterklang. I’m also looking forward to seeing Duologue – we did a remix for them earlier this year but we haven’t seen them live yet. And RM Hubbert – he’s another of Tim’s favourite guitarists.

And finally, what does the rest of the year hold for Golden Fable? We’ve heard there’s a tour coming up with Charlotte Church. How did that come about, and how do you think her fans will react to your music?

RP: Yes, we’re really looking forward to touring with Charlotte. We met her briefly at the great Focus Wales festival in Wrexham, and our friendship grew from there. Her whole band are fantastic – they put on such a good show and her voice is so powerful.

Hopefully we’ll be touring again before the end of the year, and we’ll be busy putting the finishing touches to our album, which we’re planning to release early in 2014.

Golden Fable’s debut album Star Map is available to buy now.