Angelica Mode: Falling Into Old Ways

I’ve written before about how fascinated I am when an artist is able to produce the kind of music that sounds both old and new. Making music from an older perspective can be relatively easy to do these days, but making it sound modern too? That’s a real interesting artistic achievement. Meet Angelica Mode whose latest single ‘Don’t Make Me Wait’ demonstrates just that.

Scottish musician Brian Hughes is behind the sound of Angelica Mode. Having only formed in early 2020, Angelica Mode has already received the Ivor Novello Academy Mentorship, been Artist Of The Week with Scotland On Sunday and has a virtual world tour booked with streaming service YouBloom. At the end of May, Angelica Mode will virtually play Calgary in Canada, Boise in the US and Coventry in the UK, with more details below. Angelica Mode’s first single ‘Your Love Is All The Rage’ was released last summer.

There’s no waiting around for Angelica Mode, this song begins immediately with a telephone-quality lyric: ‘Baby can’t you see that your love is all the rage’, and when you think this might go on longer, Angelica Mode cuts himself off early to begin the song proper. The tight vocal is the focus of this song - tight in sound, but loose in delivery, like Angelica Mode’s voice comes effortlessly. I’m reminded of 1990’s Brit-pop, but as I said before this music is more up-to-date than that.

Instrumentally, the drums are programmed simply, alternating between bass drum and snare like a classic Phil Spector Wall Of Sound beat, though without the cavernous reverb to bulk it out. One of the constants in this track are the strumming acoustic guitars, but this doesn’t fall under the category of an acoustic song. During the choruses, Angelica Mode plays a heavier electric guitar, though whilst this is not an acoustic song, it’s not a heavy track either. There is a layering of keyboards, some that have a noisier function, others are shimmering sounds which are particularly noticeable as the last notes of the track fade. It’s the mixing that combines all these elements to make it not one thing or another, but something entirely Angelica Mode’s sound. This is further explored in his latest single, ‘Don’t Make Me Wait’.

The way this track starts is surprising and not at all representative of what you later hear. I can almost see Angelica Mode adjusting the dials on a synthesizer to make that kind of sound. On first listen, Don’t Make Me Wait sounds more straightforward than it is, but once again this is another multi-layered work that takes time to showcase what it’s about. Angelica Mode’s lyrics aren’t pulses of few syllables, instead they’re descriptive phrases that read more like a transcript of an inner monologue:

‘I’ll fall into old ways, I wanna be high in ways you don’t make me, and cry it to the skies because I want to give them a reason to hate me. And all the guys, they just want to get you naked. By the end of the night, I don’t care if you’re faking.’

Vocally I’m put in the space of Marc Bolan singing a David Bowie song with lyrics penned by both. In contrast to Angelica Mode’s first single, Don’t Make Me Wait puts more of a spotlight on the instruments. There are lead guitar parts on top of acoustic guitars, and either side of you are the shaking sound of percussive instruments. Another break features the bleeps of synthesizers, and in general there is more room to breathe in this track. There is still more to come, with Angelica Mode making an EP with L.A. based label Sound X3 Records.

Continue reading for a Q&A with Angelica Mode. We ask him about the origin of the name, the writing and recording of these songs, the Ivor Novello Mentorship and his upcoming EP. All this and more below!

1. Angelica Mode is the name given to your musical output - where does that name come from?

It was actually my brother who first came up with the name Angelica Mode, it was a character in a story he was writing I think. When the time came to do something new, after my last band came to an end, we both thought it would make a cool name for my new solo project. It’s quite androgynous and I felt it would suit the change in tone my music was taking on.

2. Tell us about your latest single 'Don't Make Me Wait', what inspired the lyric on that?

Even though it’s not the first single I’ve released as Angelica Mode, it was the first piece of music I started working on under that name, which was in March 2020. In hindsight, I suppose that there was a lot of turmoil in my life; with the recent band breakup I felt a bit lost, and the pandemic came along right at that time as well, which really brought everything to a crashing halt. Thinking back, I guess that ‘Don’t Make Me Wait’ might be about not wanting to have to wait on other people to get my work back on track, and it was a daunting thing to have to start from the beginning under a new name, which I feel the lyrics reflect.

3. What was the recording process like? Was it done at home?

I did record it at home, yes. I’m lucky that I’ve always had a real passion for the recording side of things, so that was the one area that really flourished during all the turmoil of the last year. Not being tied down to any particular sound or style, I just did whatever I wanted with the production on this song. I’m fortunate that I can play a few instruments as well, so I took the opportunity to get more synthesized elements into what I was doing, which was exciting for me. It was a great learning curve, as I tried a few new techniques, and I got a great sense of confidence in my new direction from working on ‘Don’t Make Me Wait’.

4. I love your electric guitar sound, what are you using to achieve that?

Ah, thank you! I actually built a guitar recently and that’s what I used for this, so I’ll take the compliment. However, I do record guitar in an unusual way, as I record the guitar directly into the computer, edit together the best bits and then take it out of the computer, plugging it into the guitar amplifier (a Vox AC15, for gear-nerds). That way I can focus on getting the recorded sound right, knowing that the performance going into the amplifier is great. It just adds a lot of flexibility in case I want to change the sound later; some would say it’s absolutely heinous, but I don’t care as long as it sounds good.

5. Your first single 'Your Love Is All The Rage' - was that based on your own experience?

I’d have to say that ‘Your Love Is All The Rage’ is based on my own experiences, as I’ve come to the conclusion that even if I don’t recognise it at the time, I can usually relate my songs back to some period or event in my life. I think that’s why songwriting is such a great outlet, as it lets you process difficult parts of your life in a very healthy way. In retrospect, I think this song is based on my own experience with love and loss, and that’s always a good place to be writing from, as everyone knows those feelings.

6. You've received the Ivor Novello Mentorship, how will that aid you in your career?

I did get the Ivor Novello mentorship, which just officially came to an end. It was an amazing opportunity, and I was lucky that I was paired with a great mentor. It’s already opened so many doors for me with national press and things like that, as well as a great opportunity for networking. I’ve had a lot going on since getting that, and I don’t know what I would have done without the support I received from my mentor, Helen. She was invaluable in helping me make good decisions and giving me the advice I needed.

7. I imagine there'll be a lot of support slots up for grabs as venues open back up. What would be your dream support slot at a gig?

I’m certainly hoping that I can grab some good support slots when I’m able to play shows again. I have a virtual world tour with YouBloom from May 20th to May 22nd, which takes in Calgary (Canada), Boise (USA) and Coventry (England), which is a good start. I’m also being optimistic and trying to start booking shows from October onwards. With regards to a dream support slot, I think I’d love to support Blossoms, they’re such a good band and I really respect Tom Ogden as a songwriter. He’s had some beautiful lyrics and great, radio friendly hooks.

8. You have acoustic recordings of original songs on your Instagram and YouTube channel, will there be fully produced versions of those released in the future?

With the pandemic and everything, my social media profiles are littered with different live performances for things that I’ve had to film for blogs and other opportunities. Most of those songs there aren’t on major streaming services, but it helps to keep fans engaged, and shows a rawer side of the songwriting. The main reason none of it is released yet is because I’ve been working on an E.P with L.A based record label Sound X 3; we’ve spent a little while narrowing down the best songs, and began recording. So, yes, they’re hopefully getting a proper release in Autumn, which is exciting.

9. You get one hour to chat to any musician that's ever lived, but you can only choose one. Who do you choose and why?

I get one hour.. I would have to chat with David Bowie, no hesitation. He seemed so smart, and so ahead of the curve. He was making really artistic, beautiful music videos even before MTV, and as we came into the internet and streaming age he could see the potential changes that would be caused in the music industry and beyond. For a one hour conversation, I can’t imagine I’d be disappointed with Bowie; as even down to his final days with Blackstar, which was a culmination of all his previous moods and tones into a kind of beautiful last chapter, he was searching for answers. I’m fascinated even now.

10. You have an EP planned for 2021, can you tell us what the title would be?

I do have an E.P planned for this year, but there’s no definite title yet. However, I’ve already got a name I really like, and I think it will really fit the tone of the record and the songwriting held within, which is “Songs for Tortured Souls”. I’ve already got all the demos on my computer saved under a folder with that working title.

I think it says a lot; it’s sad on the surface, but it’s a kind of like the idiom, ‘music soothes the savage beast’, in that we’re all a bit tortured with the constant pressures of today, and I think art makes it all a bit better, for me at least. Not to get too profound there, but I like that idea, and I think that title would compliment the lyrics in the songs, like a whole, coherent piece of work.

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Download the music of Angelica Mode on their Bandcamp page here.

For details about Angelica Mode’s virtual world tour, including how to buy a ticket, visit Bandsintown.

For more information about the music of Angelica Mode, visit their official website.

Follow Angelica Mode on Instagram and Twitter @angelica_x_mode and on Facebook @angelicaxmode.

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