Callum Pickard – Tarragon at The Tin Angel

 

Callum Pickard – Tarragon at The Tin Angel

by Pete Clemons

Dream pop, as I understand, involves a continual soundscape. It also attempts to create an ambience. If I am right in my assumption then, at a recent gig at The Tin Angel, Callum Pickard and his band achieved just that.

It was an eclectic sound containing Callum's guitar laden effects as well as other pedal board ingredients. The overall result emphasised strong songs, an atmosphere and sonic textures.

Apart from the evening being the first of a series of 'BBC music introducing' events, a new monthly format, this gig was effectively a springboard for Callum's debut album 'I’ve just Seen A Scene'.

For me personally this was a more preferable presentation of his music. After seeing Callum and Loz perform as a duo at a previous gig, this arrangement seemed to inject more of an edge as well as lending more weight to the songs. No drums just brass courtesy of Jon Pudge, keys by Bill Cameron and additional guitar from Loz Petite.

Callum brings a breathy, casual yet delicate vocal. His songs are strangely compelling. And, as with his album, once in you are committed to listen to the end.

Thankfully there are no anthems on offer. Instead you got an evening of heartfelt and touching songs. Additionally artists who Callum greatly admires, such as from Supertramp and The 1975, have responded positively by lending their services to his album by adding their talents to some of his songs. Furthermore Callum appears to have a team around him who genuinely believe in what he is doing.

I asked Callum how he settled on the name of Tarragon for this project. He responded 'Whilst in the midst of recording the debut album, “I’ve just Seen A Scene” I realised that the album wasn’t just going to be a reflection of just myself and at the time I was asking my friends from Coventry and people that I really admired from my favourite bands to be a part of the album'.

He continued 'I wanted the name of the new project to reflect collaboration and this sense of community rather than just a typical band name or solo artist with a band so to speak. Whist the songs are very much written, arranged and produced by my myself I really wanted other people to add their magic to it. I remember my brother saying to me “why don’t you call the band, Tarragon?” After he asked me that the name immediately stuck with me and I loved that Tarragon is a herb and it’s something that you put in to foods to enhance the flavour and It suddenly appeared to me that this is what this project is in a way. It’s more than a band to me! so that’s where the origin of the name came from'.

Callum's album “I’ve just Seen A Scene” is now available from bandcamp in various formats.

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