AKA Chris and Tony opened the show on Sunday 7th April for Live in the Living Room Gives Back. At The Bedford pub in Balham, London, the three shared the stage with Phil Hooley and Nicole Shortland as they opened the day of Nashville style writer’s rounds in aid of Dementia UK. Afterwards, the three – Chris, Tony and CJ – sat down with me to chat about their set, the joys of filling their lives with music and what their new band name could be.
“It was really welcoming,” Tony says about his experience of his first writer’s round, “we had a great time listening to the other acts on the stage.” The rest of the group nods in agreement with Tony as they pass the tiny mic across to each other. “I found it quite emotional listening to the other acts,” says Chris, “I just wanted to be part of an audience and realised I was on stage!” CJ jokes about the giant Yorkshire puddings wobbling atop the Sunday dinners that were served during their set, “I don’t know if they were getting taller or the people were getting shorter!”
There can be a stigma surrounding opening a show – the room perhaps emptier than you’d like or the crowd not paying attention, but that wasn’t the case on this day. “The crowd were amazing and actually, I’m quite chuffed we got to go on first because they were really attentive,” says CJ, “I’m not going to diss going on first ever again!”
AKA Chris and Tony have been writing and playing music together since they were 16 years old. Now, as fully fledged adults with years of lived experience behind them, the duo have sort of become a trio with newest bandmember – and friend – CJ. It’s great to see how the three interact; bouncing off each other with quick wit and playful teasing. CJ met Chris through the open mic night that she runs – Chris very proudly showed off his ‘if Carlsberg did’ inspired t-shirt to promote it – and Chris introduced CJ to Tony. CJ lends her private music room out to anyone who comes to her open mic night to say thank you and Chris has taken advantage of this invitation. “He was the first one to take me up on this offer,” she says about her music room, “but he wanted me to play the drums and I said no I’ve got all this to do. I heard them rehearsing and I was like, no, I’m washing up, I’m hoovering…oh my god you’re amazing can I please play with you”.
With CJ on board, the band has been looking at a name change. “We’re working on a concept which is out surnames – Cauldwell, Morrison and Jones,” says Chris about their rebranding, “we’re basically Crosby, Stills and Nash meets Rod, Jane and Freddy”. I nod politely at the last reference – I can usually hold my own with pop-culture references across the ages but Rod, Jane and Freddy was a step too far for me and my face betrayed my front. “You’re too young to know who they are, aren’t you,” CJ calls me out. Busted. I had impressed them with my Carlsberg reference and now I was back to a silly millennial.
The three are working away behind the scenes to fill their lives with as much music as they can. “Everyone’s got to balance the stuff they do to pay the bills and I don’t think any of us are in it to jack in our main jobs,” Chris says about what’s next for the band, “for the rest of my life, I want to be picking and grinning. I want to be playing basic songs, telling my stories, singing in harmony with my friends having a good time.” “We’ve found our new band name – picking and grinning!” CJ chimes in – not one to miss a moment to make her bandmates (and me) laugh. We talk about how country music spans the ages; there are stories in country, folk and roots music that detail every stage of life from ‘cradle to grave’ and everyone can enjoy it. “It doesn’t matter if you describe yourself as mainly a singer or songwriter or not, it’s just about how much joy you can possibly have.” Tony agrees and reaches for the mic, “I second that. I think as you’re pushing through your decades – like today, I found today really emotional…being in the room with talent and hearing those voices and fiddles and songs and the stories – I would love to do as much of that and be around that a lot more”.
There is a compelling dynamic within the trio that is addictive. Each member brings a different spark of personality and adds a different dimension to not only the music but their whole energy. It makes you want to stay a little longer and hear just a little bit more.
You can follow the group on Facebook, Chris' solo music on Facebook or head down to CJ's open mic nights - maybe you'll be the next one in her music room!
This interview was conducted in collaboration with Live in the Living Room
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