Heavy metal culture continues 'unabated': Wishbone Ash’s co-founder

ANKARA

Heavy metal music and culture are still popular and show no signs of slowing down, said British rock band Wishbone Ash’s co-founder and lead guitarist Andy Powell.

Speaking to Anadolu, Powell said: "I must say that the heavy metal world continues unabated and some fine ideas and bands continue to come to the fore."

Formed in 1969 in the UK and achieved its greatest success in the early and mid-1970s, Wishbone Ash will perform in Türkiye's capital Ankara on Saturday at CSO Ada Ankara.

"I’m excited to revisit Turkey and we’ll be playing a selection of classic songs that perhaps people haven’t heard before in a live context. We’re currently featuring material from the Argus and Live Dates albums since we’ve passed the 50th anniversary of their original releases. In addition, we’ll feature some more recent offerings from the Coat of Arms album," Powell said.

Recalling the band's previous concert in Türkiye, he said: "I remember coming to Turkey before, whilst accompanied by my son who is a drummer. We found the culture and the local music that we were exposed to, very inspiring. We found the audience very inspiring too.

"I believe that absence makes the heart stronger so people will be naturally excited to hear our music again, to re-experience the band’s sound," he said.

Their most popular albums included Wishbone Ash (1970), Argus (1972), There's the Rub (1974), and New England (1976). They were one of the first bands to use twin lead guitars.

About a distinctive feature of Wishbone Ash's music, he said: "We feel quite secure in this aspect of our music. We know that people love the twin lead concept and that we are very influential in this style. Therefore, we always have the confidence to pursue and further explore our particular musical niche."

Criticizing today's music for being categorized into specific genres and movements, Powell said: "Nowadays everything has to fit into specific movements or genres. It is quite restrictive. Bands were more eclectic back then and less defined. You could say more free from commercial restraints."

Wishbone Ash is constantly trying new things to feed their inspiration, he said, adding: “We had the license to be more experimental and that has carried through. We’re known as an album band in that respect."

Also, touching upon his playing style and preferences for the music, he said: "Personally speaking, these days, I’m more of a bluesier player in my style, but I listen to anything that is well-produced and recorded. It has to be that way for me."

Asked about sources of inspiration for musicians, he said: "The trick is to keep one’s passion intact. Without passion and inspiration, it’s hard to be creative."

Known for his distinctive playing style and use of the guitar's unique design to create Wishbone Ash's signature harmonized guitar lines, Powell said: "The imagery of the Flying V guitar that I play, has become very much a heavy metal symbol."

The band has gone through numerous lineup changes over the years, but they continue to tour and release new music. Wishbone Ash continues with Andy Powell, twin guitar foil Mark Abrahams, bassist Bob Skeat, and Mike Truscott on drums.

The current lineup has been together since 2007 and has released several albums, including Elegant Stealth in 2011 and Blue Horizon in 2014.

"We have a recording of the classic Live Dates album as performed by this band. That’s on release in July. Other than that, I’m sure that we’ll put together some demos for a new album soon," he said.

They continue to tour and perform their classic songs as well as new material, he said, adding: "We are making up for lost time due to the pandemic and also, we are getting offers in places that we have not visited for a long time like say Turkey and France.”