THE
MAKING OF TRUSTWORKS
mwe3.com
presents an interview with
STEVE NARDELLI
interview written and produced by Robert Silverstein for mwe3.com
The
2016 CD release of Trustworks by 1960s U.K. beat-prog
legend The SYN, starts off in a very chilling way with the
disembodied voices of the late Olaf Palme and Indias Mahatma
Gandhitwo great men of peace assassinated in public. These two
spoken word excerpts by two venerable visionaries sums up the spirit
of Steve Nardelli and his new outing with The SYN. For Trustworks,
Steve has chosen to work and record with the rising Swedish prog-rock
band Moon Safari. On the 9 track Trustworks, the SYN
sound receives a musical reinforcement thanks to the enthusiastic
drive of Moon Safari. A fine band in their own right, on Trustworks,
Moon Safari backs up SYN founder Steve Nardelliplaying all
the instruments while adding in a solid wall of backing vocals everywhere
they are needed. In his February 2016 mwe3.com interview, Steve Nardelli
discusses recording Trustworks with co-producer Jonas Reingold
and members of the Moon Safari band: Pontus Åkesson
guitars; Simon Åkesson keyboards; Johan Westerlund
bass; Petter Sandström - vocals, acoustic guitar
and now former Moon Safari member Tobias Lundgren drums.
Any SYN fan who had the slightest trepidation about this unique pairing
of The SYN and Moon Safari will be pleasantly surprised at just how
well this brilliant album has turned out. In fact, the album has a
unique blend of Steve Nardellis catchy beat-prog magic with
the sonic prog wall of sound that is Moon Safari. Speaking to mwe3.com
about the SYN / Moon Safari collaboration on Trustworks, Steve
Nardelli adds, "I wrote the basic songs and together with
the incredible musicality and musicianship of Moon Safari, they were
developed. The vocal harmony is completely their creation, they are
in a league of their own when it comes to the arrangement and delivery,
amazing! They are a Swedish CSN&Y, more melodic in my opinion,
melody is a dynamic and strength that is common to Swedish musicians."
Although he sadly passed away in 2015, the great YES founder and SYN
legend Chris Squire would have appreciated this latest chapter of
the band he helped forge back in the 1960s. Still a vigilant optimist
who remains one of the most underrated U.K. singer-songwriters, going
way back to the 1960s, Steve Nardelli rekindles the hopes and dreams
of '60s music fans on Revolution Now singing, Good
times are coming, Peace in our lifetime. An accomplished
masterpiece of 21st century sounds, on Trustworks, The SYN
revives the spirit of the 60s with a state-of-the-art prog-rock
album.
mwe3.com presents an interview with
Steve Nardelli of The SYN
mwe3:
I remember you spoke so highly of planning the Trustworks album
with Moon Safari over the past four years. Can you tell the readers
how you met Moon Safari and how many trips to Sweden did it take to
get Trustworks in shape?
Steve Nardelli: I first met Moon Safari when we were both playing
at Rosfest in Philadelphia in 2009. I had an idea for a track that
would have operatic grandeur in music and plot and hearing the amazing
5 part harmonies of Moon Safari seemed like I had found the perfect
match for my concept. As it turned out I was right, they were perfect.
Following that I spent a splendid weekend in the far north of Sweden
visiting them in their home town of Skellefteå, very close to
the Arctic Circle, running through some song ideas and making a demo
of "Lucifer Hesitating". It went very well, I was very impressed
with them as very talented and unique musicians and as people. After
that first visit, we would schedule Skellefteå sessions over
the next three years in line with our mutual commitments and develop
the demos that would become Trustworks.
mwe3: Is there a chronology or timeline for the making
on the Trustworks album? I dont think theres ever
been a musical collaboration like it. I hope youre getting some
press in the Swedish media!
Steve Nardelli: The sessions were completely random, there
was no planned schedule, so you could say it developed organically,
its an eco album! Ive never done an interview for any
Swedish press that Im aware of, maybe this collaboration will
open that door, I hope so.
mwe3: Were all the songs on Trustworks specifically
written for the new album? You have other songs that have never been
recorded. It sounds like youve tapped into fresh sonic terrain.
Is there a common thread or concept at the core of Trustworks?
Steve Nardelli: I am writing songs, its a never ending
circle for me. I tend to group together the ones that I think would
compliment each other in the creation of a new album. The Moon Safari
input into growing the basic songs is huge and that is where the fresh
sonic terrain is coming from, that is the great strength of a successful
collaboration, new musical directions are created. There is a common
thread, its in the mission statement for the album:
Rise up the Freedom Fighters, speak out the Silenced Voices,
rebuild the City of Hope with Faith and Trust and Loyalty; at the
end of the sacred road to Freedom is a church called Trustworks.
mwe3:
Interesting that Moon Safari were planning to tour with YES, or what
is left of YES at this point. What did the band tell you about meeting
YES? I think Chris would have liked Trustworks. Werent
Moon Safari on the cruise with Chris?
Steve Nardelli: They met Chris on the cruise and even stayed
at his house in Phoenix, so they had a good rapport with him and also
the YES tour manager at the time, Paul Silveira, who was also the
SYN tour manager. Chris would have liked Moon Safari and I think he
would have liked Trustworks as representative of The SYN in
the 21st Century. Im not sure if the sad passing of Chris and
Paul breaking his association with Yes was part of the reason Moon
Safari pulled out of the tour, I know there were some serious technical
issues.
mwe3: When and how did Jonas Reingold enter the picture and
help you finish the album? Compare the recording sessions in Sweden
and working with Jonas in Vienna. New generations of prog-rockers
working with a seasoned pro like you must have been illuminating experiences
all around.
Steve Nardelli: The Moon Safari drummer on Trustworks
is Tobias Lundgren and he suggested Jonas Reingold to record his drum
tracks. Jonas had worked with Moon Safari in the past mixing some
of their tracks and they had a high regard for him and I trusted their
opinion.
They were right of course, Jonas is a brilliant musician and music
head, a great man to be working with in the recording process. I was
so impressed with him I asked him to record my vocals and to coordinate
with the band to mix the album. Jonas lives and records in Vienna
so I had the great pleasure to visit and record in this beautiful
city on a number of occasions and we have become good friends.
mwe3: What impact did your working on your Eco Town have on
the making of Trustworks? I know you said the album took much
longer because of your workload. Whats next for you with the
Eco-town progress? The whole green energy movement seems very slow
in coming.
Steve Nardelli: When I embarked on the promotion of my eco
town project, I anticipated it taking about a year to get on site;
it has taken 7 years! I had no idea of the complexities of launching
such a revolutionary project, which was part of a UK government initiative,
and I have surprised myself at how successful it has been. This is
one thousand acres with 8000 houses and masses of eco infrastructure
to support it including 4 schools. The creation of the town which
will happen over the next ten years has been like making an album,
a collaboration of different creative talents: architects, planners,
a myriad of consultants that make up my P3 Eco consortium. Ive
no idea yet if I will make or lose a fortune on this project, but
I didnt do it for the money, I did it for the chance to create
a new vision for homes in the future, built on the respect for the
principles of Nature.
I always laugh at the answer Richard Branson gave to the question
How do you become a millionaire? He answered: Start
off as a billionaire and buy an airline! You could say the same
about the eco town!
mwe3:
Tell us something about the opening track on Trustworks called
What If. The track features spoken word segments from
Olaf Palme and Gandhi too. Tell us what brought that on?
Steve Nardelli: What If
was the idea of Jonas
Reingold, he takes full credit for it. I suggested he should include
someone Swedish and he wanted Olaf Palme who was a true visionary,
a very good choice. I think the track sets the scene for the album
extremely well.
mwe3: Did you have the tracks ready or was Moon Safari involved
in the writing of the Trustworks tracks too? How did the vocal
arrangements fall into place? Just like I thought, theres great
harmony vocals from Moon Safari that sometimes evokes CSN&Y too.
Steve Nardelli: I wrote the basic songs and, together with
the incredible musicality and musicianship of Moon Safari, they were
developed. The vocal harmony is completely their creation, they are
in a league of their own when it comes to the arrangement and delivery,
amazing! They are a Swedish CSN&Y, more melodic in my opinion,
melody is a dynamic and strength that is common to Swedish musicians.
mwe3: The title track Trustworks is interesting
in that it evolves into quite a hard rock track
religious
icons standing in line
Is religion still valid in
your estimation? The track involves somewhat of a social critique.
It echoes some of your earlier philosophies but its a bold new
vision too. Youve been talking about the concept of Trustworks
for the past 5 years now. Where did the title emanate from and did
you trademark the name?
Steve Nardelli: Trustworks is about trust, something
we are all looking for. It is built on the foundations of loyalty,
respect and truth, something that seems missing in modern society
and everyone is searching for. Its not really a track about
religion, its about people trusting each other regardless of
religion: Come together and sing with one voice.
I got the idea for the title when I did a television show with Chris
Squire in Hollywood at the Ironworks studios. Ironworks became Trustworks,
a place where you can find trust in simple terms. Its a name
I constructed of course and, no, its not trademarked.
mwe3:
Revolution Now is a very upbeat track with a positive
message. So if good times are coming, then why Revolution Now?
At a crossroads of solution
So you are optimistic
about the future? Is 2016 a turning point year? Are you hopeful that
we wont get it wrong? I hope so
Steve Nardelli: I am always hopeful and believe in a common
humanity: We are all members of the Human Race.
We are going through a political revolution right now, young people
are turning their backs on the political classes in favor of politicians
that actually tell you the truth rather than spin it. You can see
it in the huge support for Jeremy Corbyn in the UK, the new Labor
leader despite most old school Blair-ites and media doing everything
possible to undermine and ridicule him. I see it in America with the
support for Bernie Sanders; Clinton has got the money and Ive
got the people, that is a great speech line and it says it all.
Its not policies that is gaining support for these politicians,
its that people trust them, Trustworks!
mwe3: This World Of Ours speaks about the human
condition, speaking about rage in our hearts, standing up and fighting
back. Can the dichotomy of the human condition ever change? Theres
some great harmony vocals on This World Of Ours. Is this
another hopeful song? What is the golden hind? We will
need it because we have to get ready as somethings coming
Who in Moon Safari singing the solo Can you hear me? parts,
the high and low voices, towards the end of the track? Are there any
other voices on the CD besides you and Moon Safari?
Steve Nardelli: I think the rage people feel at
the unfairness in this world of ours is why there is a
revolution now. I am always hopeful
hope is hard
to escape from in my song writing. The Golden Hind is
the Elizabethan ship of Sir Francis Drake that sailed out to discover
the world, very famous in English history. Its a very positive
song about making a difference in our lives, taking the great opportunities
and wonder that our world offers us all, even if we are lying in the
gutter gazing at the stars. If we fall, lets fall into our dreams.
I take the lead vocal in the "Can You Hear Me" parts, with
Simon Åkesson doing the high and low harmonies, he is standalone
brilliant. All the many vocal parts on Trustworks are me and
Moon Safari, there was room and no need for anyone else.
mwe3:
Track 5 on Trustworks, Something That I Said is
another socially satirical song, speaking out about the injustices
of the world. Banks are bulging, children are starving
Are we damned if we do and damned if we dont say anything?
Yet at the end of the track you write stand up, speak out.
Also the guitar solo in the middle has great tone. Did you write the
guitar solos or did Pontus write the solo?
Steve Nardelli: Pontus creates and performs all the guitar
solos throughout the album save for some small editions from Jonas
Reingold. Pontus is an amazingly talented and creative guitarist,
as good as any that have played with The SYN and that is a list of
brilliance: Peter Banks, Paul Stacey, Shane Theriot, Francis Dunnery.
Pontus is a unique and creative guitarist, he creates symphonies on
guitar, just listen to Seventh Day Of Seven, amazing!
As for this track, we cant be silent when we witness social
injustice, we must stand up and speak out even when society tries
to dampen us down. The words written by a Persian poet 800 years ago
that is at the entrance to the United Nations Building says it all:
If thou hast no sympathy for the troubles of others, Thou art unworthy
to be called by the name of a human
mwe3: Never Too Late starts off with a kind
of fake C&W intro which is humorous but the song quickly shifts
gears. Its very cynical but the punch line is Its
Never Too Late To Change. So theres plenty of hope
beyond the cynicism and pessimism? Theres kind of Jon Anderson
type lyrics near the end of the track
Mystic Dreamer,
Dark Enchanter
Steve Nardelli: This is my rant song, starting from the first
line: theres a fool in Hall of Fame, a reference
to YES getting rejected from there again. I thought it was particularly
ungracious this time because of the sad passing of Chris Squire, this
was my rant on behalf of my friend and fellow SYN musician. Its
never too late to right that wrong so theres the hope
loop again. You have very perceptive ears Robert that account for
your musical journalistic brilliance. You are right about the Jon
Anderson type lyrics at the end, I was influenced by the chant like
vibe of Going For The One, probably my favorite Yes track.
mwe3: Lucifer Hesitating cosmically echoes Big
Sky era SYN. Devils and demons on the run, Lucifer lies
in waiting
It has the Angels and Devils vying for
their place in the world. So you still believe love and redemption
can still beat the devils and demons? The song harks back to the All
You Need Is Love approach to life. Is it a pro religion song?
What did Moon Safari make of this song? With those soaring harmonies
it sounds like they are fully into it!
Steve
Nardelli: This song was written at the time of Big Sky
so the echoes are there, you are right again! This was the first track
I demoed with Moon Safari and it turned out so well, it was the catalyst
to us making Trustworks. It is one of my favorite tracks on
the album, it certainly has all the connotations you mention: Peace
and Love against the forces of the Dark Side, very Star Wars really.
Moon Safari harmonies on this track still makes my hairs stand on
end every time I listen to it.
mwe3: The Wheel, track 8 is another hard rock track.
Sounds like Deep Purple! Does it get back to the futility of life?
No matter what the people say, the wheel will roll either way? So
is The Wheel a metaphor for something bigger? Marxists
Vs. Fascists equals the Confusion Avenue and Same
old story, history turning
How does Ulysses fit into
the song?
Steve Nardelli: The Wheel is metaphor for the Earth.
We live in a world of chaos and confusion most of the time, with an
occasional oasis of peace and harmony, a state that doesnt last
long. There is a Peace/War cycle, same old story, history
turning, everybody is searching for Utopia (Ulysses), life
is a maze and we are all trying to find our way through it. Meanwhile
The Wheel keeps rolling away!
mwe3: Trustworks ends with the magnum opus Seventh
Day Of Seven which is one of the epic SYN tracks. With a lot
of tempo changes, the song kind of harks back to the vibe of Syndestructible
in some ways.
Steve Nardelli: This is another epic from The SYN, I can hear
some parallels with Syndestructible, but that would not be
a conscious decision. I always think of Chris and the other members
of the classic 60s SYN that have passed, Andrew, Gunnar and
Peter
I am committed to recording music that fits the aspirations
we had as young musicians all those years ago and there will always
be a SYN spine to any albums I make as The SYN to honor and respect
them.
mwe3: Theres kind of operatic vocals on Seventh
Day Of Seven that sound like soprano voices! Thunder
lightning, passions igniting
all Moon Safari voices?
Theres some great guitars and mellotron sounds on this track.
What can you say about your approach to recording such a long track?
Moon Safari really comes alive on this track. The keyboard sounds
are spectacular throughout. Is Seventh Day is the high
point of Trustworks?
Steve
Nardelli: Seventh Day is the highlight to the album...
the other tracks form the meandering river that arrives at that door,
it is a concept album in that regard. All the harmonies are Moon Safari
and brilliant they are, breathtaking at times. All the instrumentation
is from them as well, including some high quality additions from Jonas
Reingold: Pontus Åkesson guitars; Simon Åkesson
keyboards; Johan Westerlund bass; Tobias Lundgren
drums.
mwe3: Is the song biblical in some ways, talking about the
Seventh Day
Steve Nardelli: Seventh Day Of Seven is a biblical
reference but used as a metaphor for the road to redemption and achievement
against the odds.
mwe3: One could have hoped for some video or documentary on
the making of Trustworks? Will there be a single or radio track?
Steve Nardelli: There are promo videos in production as I write
this, plus we are filming an MTV quality in March, which includes
a top young Swedish actress. Its a very brave and unique concept
for a music video, very progressive and never been done before. Ill
say no more until it is launched, the Trustworks 7th
Day of 7!
mwe3: As you mentioned to me last year, you are now truly the
final member of The SYN who is still walking on the earth. Have you
fulfilled your mission that you set out to achieve when you reactivated
the SYN in 2003 with both Chris Squire and Pete Banks, following the
passing of Andrew Pryce Jackman?
Steve Nardelli: Creating music is a mission of its own, so
The SYN will continue as part of that process... its very personal
for me. Chris asked me three times over the years to join YES, but
I always refused because Jon Anderson is the singer of YES and I am
the singer of The SYN. Thats who I am.
mwe3: As you told me back in 2005, once you have music in your
blood
that somethings gotta give. You must be proud looking
back on restoring the legacy and creating this new music with The
SYN.
Steve Nardelli: Yes I am very proud of the band and what we
have created and all the wonderful musicians that have shared that
journey at different times and different albums. Long may it continue
mwe3: Fans will soon be asking about the next chapter of the
SYN, any final thoughts?
Steve Nardelli: Trustworks is the new chapter, that
is what I am concentrating on at the moment. Long Live The SYN!