Hello Duncan, we’d like to thank you for taking the time to be interviewed, we couldn’t think of a better guest to start this project given the quality of your work and the impact you had on some of our favourite bands.
• So, first things first, how’s life been treating you in Mexico? Congrats on being a father, by the way!
DP: I’ve been in Mexico for nearly 5 years. A lot of ups and downs but I feel better here living a simple life. There are a lot of things that I miss about Europe but you can’t have everything in life.
• What made you make the move? Do you plan on making it permanent?
DP: I’ve been coming over here for many years. I know a lot of people here and always felt good here. It was always a nice break from any stresses that I had back in Europe. I ran into a few problems here in 2015 and was left with an empty bank account, no passport or clothes. I met some cool people who helped me out and one guy allowed me to stay at his house and he ended up locating my things for me, which was really good of him. At that point in time there was no way that I could get on a plane. I was full of anxiety and was living day to day just hanging in there. Then I ended up staying and here I am with my little boy.
• Mexico is a very peculiar place to live, not only because of the amazing Tequila and Mezcal, but also their own traditions, for example the Dia de Los Muertos, a day of celebration instead of mourning. Being in that culturally rich environment, did it transpire to yourself personally, or your music?
DP: There’s a lot more culture back home than there is here in Monterrey. The cultural traditions here are drinking beer, barbecued beef, cheating on your wife and every macho aspect that you can think of. It’s inspired me to eat less meat and to stop drinking. There are obviously a lot of things that I like here too, otherwise I wouldn’t be here, but I'd have to go elsewhere for rich Mexican culture.
• Yet, I bet you miss attending a match at Goodison Park! Or did you forget about Everton and you now support Monterrey?
DP: Yeah I really miss Goodison, although the last few years have been a total disaster for Everton so I’m probably better off over here. Not to mention the current premier league champions. I’ve been to Monterrey games here and Tigres games, and also the classico between the female teams. I love football so I like watching any games. It’s a very different atmosphere here though in the stadiums. I like it though.
• Also, are you fully recovered from your health issues? Did you become a Straight Edge because of that?
DP: I don’t know what my health issues are, so it may take another while until I’m fully recovered. But the doctors didn’t find anything. I do feel a lot better these days though, a few years ago I found it difficult to cross over the road to walk to the shops. I stopped drinking because I had a baby on the way and I was getting into many problems when I was out in bars. One thing I don’t like about this place is that a lot of people have no respect for other people’s relationships, and I was very protective of my girlfriend while she was pregnant. I ended up in a few physical altercations because of that. Then I ended up in jail and that’s when I decided I had to quit altogether. I have a lot more clarity now, less anxiety, I could write a lot of plus points for being sober. I’ve nothing against people partying, but we need to recognise when something is becoming a problem.
• So, take us back a bit and tell us about you as kid. When did you start taking an interest in music and who were your influences? How have they shaped you as a musician?
DP: The very first album that I listened to was Help! by The Beatles, and it still remains one of my favourite albums to this day. My father was a musician and had 100s of records in the house. He was into country and Irish music but had a lot of rock n roll too. I started buying my own records in the early 80s. 7" singles with my pocket money or birthday/Christmas money. My uncle always used to give me records too. He introduced me to The Who and bought me Sgt Pepper and a few others. I always wanted to play the piano but we never had one. My father had a few guitars around the house but my hands were too small so I had a few cheap keyboards when I was young. I first learned how to play Christmas carols, which are some of my favourite songs ever, and I remember trying to learn stuff like Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Nik Kershaw. I had a brief spell as a young rapper too. The first song that I actually wrote was called Electro Beat and I recorded a version of it on an old tape recorder. I predated Eminem by about 13 years but life got in the way. Then in secondary school I was introduced to rock music. I got really into Pink Floyd and Def Leppard around the same time, then I swapped a Rambo knife for a cassette of Iron Maiden - Killers then started exploring the world of heavy music.
• When did you decide that you wanted to be a musician and when did you gravitate towards the bass?
DP: I was interested in playing both. I remember on Christmas time I asked my mother if I could have a bass. There was a Rickenbacker copy in a local music shop that I had spotted. She said she would put a deposit on it when she got paid, but by the time we went to the shop it had been sold. So I ended up getting a Les Paul copy. Black like Jeff Hanneman's on the back of Show No Mercy, so I thought that'll do. I drifted between guitar and bass for a few years. Played in a couple of bands before I ended up joining Anathema shortly after my 16th birthday.
• Do you have a favourite one or do you play with whatever is at hand?
DP: I will play whatever is at hand. I’ve never been interested in technical terms or what kind of pickups are there. If I have an instrument I will just try to make it sound good. I do have a nice bass now that I bought about 6 years ago. Fender Aerodyne Japanese model. It looks and sounds nice, and is comfortable to play on.
• Did you pay attention to composition and write your own stuff from early on? How does one cultivate that? Because being a great player and a great composer or writer are very different things…
DP: I always wanted to write music. I think it was just a matter of learning and being in the right headspace. I’ve never been a great player of any instrument. Never in my life have I sat down and practiced scales or techniques or anything. Nor have I had a single guitar lesson. I just figured things out for myself really.
• And what’s your creative process like? Do you have a main idea or theme, then you start adding textures and layers and see where it takes you, or as soon as you have an idea you instantly picture everything in your head and just materialise it?
DP: It depends. Some songs have taken years to write, and some I’ve written in under 2 hours. I usually come up with music when I’m messing around on an acoustic guitar. Then I'll think about what the tune reminds me of, and take things from there.
• You have an immense integrity as a musician and there’s so much consistency in your output, regardless of instrumentation (electronic, guitar oriented, etc.), that listening to your music is almost a cathartic experience. Do you feel the same as you’re creating it?
DP: I usually have a stronger experience when listening back to the songs after a long time. It’s easy to get lost in the music when you hear the same thing over and over. With most of my work I feel good listening back to it after a long break. There are a few tracks that I can’t listen to though. Songs where I took my eye off the ball during the recording process, and I just wanted to get them done. I’ve pretty much done everything DIY since the 2nd Antimatter album, so I haven’t had the luxury of having a producer, or ever an engineer mixing for me. That makes a huge difference and takes a lot of pressure off, but like most things in life it’s like "this is the weather, dress accordingly". You have to adjust to situations.
• As we are speaking about your music, let us take the chance to address your previous work. Which of your albums you feel best represents you as a musician and are you most proud of?
DP: I still think Antimatter - Lights Out is a great record. Íon - Madre, Protegenos too. I think The Obscurants would have been my best album by far if I had recorded it with different people. Its nearly there but I had to rescue a lot of things. I made a Youtube playlist recently, with all of my favourite songs of mine. I was really proud of it, the amount of ground that I have covered. And how I managed to get these songs out, often during difficult circumstances.
• And opposing to that, which one would you make differently?
DP: The Obscurants, with different musicians. But really it was so difficult to find musicians who were interested in playing. I used to receive tons of messages from people who said that they sang and played guitar. So I'd ask them to record a couple of my tracks and send them for me to listen to. Most people never got back in touch. Some did and their questions were very focussed on "will you be playing any Anathema songs live?" and that kind of thing.
• Looking back at Íon, you changed direction comparing to what you did with Antimatter and fully embraced the folk connection. Is it any different for you composing this kind of music than something with more electronic elements for example? Because, like we addressed before, your consistency is amazing.
DP: It all comes from the same source really. When I was initially working on the Íon demos I had a certain sound and vibe in mind. So when I was writing music I was thinking in terms of flute melodies and things like that. I wanted something dark but soothing and organic (I sound like a coffee enthusiast, I know), and that’s how it ended up. There are some of those tracks that would work using electronic instrumentation too but the vibe would be slightly different.
• Also, what was it like working with a Portuguese label and recording in Portugal for Íon? Did you enjoy your time here?
DP: I love Portugal, I very nearly moved to Coimbra a while ago. It was nice working with Nuno from Equilibrium Music. I actually recorded a lot of Immaculada at his home studio. It was a real pleasure to record there and he was a great engineer. I remember being sat in Porto airport for hours, working on my laptop, editing cello tracks and stuff as my flight was delayed. I used to DJ in Lisbon sometimes and had some great nights playing old school metal and stuff. One particular night was brilliant, I remember playing something by Autopsy and all of a sudden all these baldy death metallers were up headbanging. I have great memories from Portugal.
• Did you have a chance to listen to Fado, our own musical genre? It can be very mournful and uses acoustic guitars and the iconic Portuguese guitar.
DP: Yeah many times. A good friend of mine sings fado too. I love the sound of Portuguese guitar but it’s so difficult to play. There’s some on the second Íon album, recorded in Portugal.
• Again, you changed direction with Alternative 4 and returned to something more akin to your Anathema days. Why?
DP: I wanted to record as a band again. I’d recorded a few times with my friend's band but I wanted to make an album with bass, electric guitar, live drums again. The Brink has some old tunes on it, stuff that I had written a long time before but never used. I enjoyed making that record, it was very straightforward tracking the parts and I mixed it with the mighty Paulo Basilio in Portugal. For the 2nd album I was even more prepared in advance. All the pre-production was done, I thought I had everyone knowing the songs and how we were going to record it. I managed to get a good deal on a residential studio in rural Ireland, and managed to include dinners in the budget. This was like luxury for a band of our stature, but it ended up being a very difficult session for all kinds of reasons.
• Considering this change and the name connection, is it fair to say that Alternative 4 (band) was your response to where you’d have liked to take Anathema sonic wise?
DP: Not really, but there are some things that I used that I wanted to use with Anathema. Like the 1960s guitar sound and things like that. I had planned to continue using piano after the Alternative 4 album too, and get a piano player in the band.
• What’s the current status of Íon and Alternative 4, are you done with both? We read somewhere that from now on you’d release new music under your own name…
DP: I was thinking about doing a 3rd Alternative 4 album but decided against it in the end. Mainly because I don’t want to work with the record company again, but also 3 albums with 3 different singers doesn’t sit well with me. So I officially disbanded earlier this year. Nobody really took any notice of my announcement anyway, so no big deal.
• We’ll talk about your new projects in a bit but take us back to 2015, where you reunited with your former bandmates in Anathema. Would you consider doing it again for the old fans or is it a matter of “been there, done that”?
DP: I really enjoyed the Resonance Tour. It was great to play all those songs again for one last tour, but when we ended in Dublin I knew that it was the last time. And I can assure you that it will never happen again due to recent events. I would have to go against all my ethics and morals to even consider playing with them again.
• And a reunion with Mick Moss in Antimatter on a similar format?
DP: Again, I wouldn’t even consider it. I gave Mick a career on a plate, numerous record deals and a chance to have his music released to the public. I ended up having to walk away from my own project because he was complaining constantly about my hard work. I invested years and a lot of money into that project. The fanbase were there because of my past work and my contacts in the scene. I (stupidly) ended up letting him use my band name for his solo stuff and he has shown me no respect. I was trying to get a live band together for Íon and he then invited the musicians to record and tour with Antimatter instead. Then when I found out that he had released 'An introduction to Antimatter' featuring NONE of my songs, that was enough. That kind of thing is the opposite to why I formed Antimatter in the first place. The irony of life.
• Changing subject for a bit, you have been away from the public eye for quite some time. We mentioned your health issues that took a toll on you, but we read in another interview of yours that you also went through a somewhat creative crisis. Was it motivated by the industry itself, the way you have been treated, always as the ex-Anathema or ex-Antimatter, with no importance given to your current projects at the time? Or were you simply worn out?
DP: It was a dose of everything. There were always too many obstacles for it to be a coincidence. I had immense pressure in my personal life too. Ultimatums about getting a "real job" and shit like that. And all the things that you just mentioned contributed to it. I just gave up as I was worn out. Sick of trying and trying, only for people to make things 10 times more difficult. Now that I’m straight edge and have a very clear mind, I realise that a lot of these obstacles were intentional. And I have been told that too, by sources close to the wankers themselves. I needed a break anyway, even if I still would have had the energy I would have been stuck in the same cycle, banging my head against the same wall. I feel refreshed now and have returned with a different approach.
• But, have you fully overcome this? Do you feel like you’re back kicking arse and taking names?
DP: Yep. Exactly.
• You’ve spoken on other interviews about a new found positivity in your life. Will this transpire to your music, like so many artists are currently doing?
DP: I had positivity in the Íon stuff. That was the whole idea really. Some kind of musical detox. On my new album 'Grace Road' the theme is very much about the cycle of life, the ups and downs, positive and negative. The heavier stuff that I am writing is a bit more fierce, but all in the name of good. It'll make more sense as it comes out.
• We have always appreciated your “anti-establishment” stance in the industry. Given the current worldwide situation and difficulties musicians face, do you feel this is a chance to do things differently, with the several platforms available to promote your music, or are musicians held hostage in a worse way by the “big dogs”, because they are the ones with the money and the ways to make things happen on a large scale?
DP: I’ve seen big artists begging for money online. Bands who sell a lot of records and receive royalties from them. That’s very ugly for me to see, especially during a time when a lot of people have medical bills and really are on the poverty line. Music royalties haven’t stopped because of a pandemic. As for me, I will do the same thing regardless of what the big stars are doing. I’m coming from totally different place with different intent. I’ve no plans to study different marketing strategies to get money from people. It’s simple. If people like my music and want to support me, then they can. I always keep things at a low price, and I think if we can get back to some kind of underground spirit between the musicians and listeners then I will be happy in my little world.
• By the way, what’s the status on Strangelight Records? Would you consider doing production work and publishing for other bands?
DP: Maybe in future. Id encourage bands to release their own stuff though. But it would be nice to release some rare 7" vinyls and stuff like that. Split releases. Let’s see what happens. First things first.
• Let’s talk about the good stuff, then! There’s another Duncan Patterson album in the works called Grace Road. What inspired you to do it and what do you hope to achieve with this one?
DP: I had a different title for the album at first. It was going to be the 3rd Alternative 4 album but I explained about that earlier. My cousin Kevin told me that Grace Road was a great album title and the more I thought about it, the more I liked it. It’s the street where I grew up in til I was 4 years old. The album is based around the life cycle, in some parts it’s about being prepared for death. In others it’s about not wasting time here on Earth. If we have the choice to get out of toxic situations then we need to just go for it. There can be 100s of excuses, trauma bonding and all kinds, but we need to just bite the bullet and move on because life is short. I have wasting way too much of my life giving to ungrateful people, crying for people who have laughed at my misfortunes, and so on. I used to think I was being 'the bigger person' when I was making excuses for peoples shitty behaviour. But all it did was enable people to continue that way. The album is in no way bitter though, there’s a lot of acceptance there.
• And music wise, where are you taking this?
DP: It sounds like me really. Piano, bass lines, strings, minimal instrumentation. There’s one track where I’m yet to decide what to do in the verses. I may go for something more exotic on that track but I don’t want it to stand out like a sore thumb alongside the other tracks on the album.
• In The Eternity Suite, which is amazingly beautiful, there’s a spoken word section with Darren White in the beginning of part IV and when we heard it we immediately thought it would be great for you guys to team up and do something. Lo and behold, there’s an album on the way. How did it happen and can you give us a general view about it?
DP: Recent events have brought us together really. He wasn’t having the best of times and was frustrated about not doing any music. He suggested, semi-seriously, that we make a record. We had this idea years ago to do a really basic Hellhammer kind of band called Guillotine, not as a joke but to embrace the early 80s kind of dark extreme music. I had a think about it and started getting ideas for music. I now have 2 tracks nearly finished. They remind me of something between experimental Celtic Frost, Tragedy and Christian Death. I’m sure they'll take a different shape with the vocals etc.
• On your previous projects, you’ve been the sole writer and composer. Will you share writing duties with Darren on this?
DP: Well luckily Darren can write lyrics so I can give my typewriter a rest. I'll work with him on the arrangements too.
• Who else will be involved? Will they have any creative input?
DP: Not sure yet. Once we get past the demo stage then we can move forward. I’d like to keep it simple and not overcomplicate things
• We know Covid hit and put everything on hold, but do you have an estimated time to when will both be released? Will you do it through your label? Also, do you plan on taking both on the road?
DP: Grace Road will be released through Strangelight. I had planned to finish it this year but I was due to enter the studio 3 months ago. We will just have to wait and see what happens, and I will work when I can. I can record demos at home so that’s no problem. The rest depends on how the world is.
• And now the most important question: will this new release with Darren have a cute and fancy logo like the new ana_thema?
DP: That is anathema to us, but the curse is being lifted, finally.
• To cap this off, any words for our readers?
DP: Thanks for reading. Check out my Facebook page to keep up to date with news and that.
• Again, we are humbled to have been given a chance to do this and let us tell you this: welcome back sir, you and your music were sorely missed!
DP: Thanks for considering interviewing me
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