{"id":1557,"date":"2014-10-01T12:03:25","date_gmt":"2014-10-01T11:03:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodvale.co.uk\/?p=1557"},"modified":"2014-10-01T12:03:25","modified_gmt":"2014-10-01T11:03:25","slug":"mission-control","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/mission-control\/","title":{"rendered":"Mission Control"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dreaming big and keeping it real with The Gravity Drive<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Is there a better doubt than one dispelled?<\/h4>\n

\u201cMy husband writes songs,\u201d Ava said in passing. \u201cYou should check him out.\u201d I\u2019d called by the Bridport cottage she and Elijah share to interview Mrs Wolf for a book I\u2019m writing on Duran Duran. She\u2019d grown up around the quintet in Birmingham, her brothers having managed and sunk just about everything they had into launching the band, so it was an interesting afternoon. Elijah had disappeared, to give us privacy. But hearing Ava\u2019s significant other was also musical\u2014well, let\u2019s just say it was a few weeks before I checked him out.<\/p>\n

I played the demo of Cherry Ripe<\/em>. Then again, and again. Four times I played that track back to back, high on the buzz\u2014that supernatural zing you get only from pop music.<\/p>\n

Believe me, like all love, the older you get the rarer it becomes\u2014that intensity. But it\u2019s alive and well, and…\u00a0 Elijah and Ava became The Gravity Drive. Trick Of The Light<\/em> appeared next. Should have been a hit, but they were just finding their feet promoting themselves. Then I ended up interviewing Pete Schwier. As an engineer, he\u2019d worked with Duran and, by coincidence, living a few hills over from The Gravity Drive had ended up producing some of the duo\u2019s new material. \u201cWait until you hear the next single,\u201d he enthused. \u201cIt\u2019s even better.\u201d<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll see. They\u2019d set their own bar high already. But I\u2019m man enough to admit I was wrong. Circles<\/em> really was better. And to prove it, Radio 2, BBC6<\/em>, and indie radio stations across the south all got onboard.
\nThe Gravity Drive is taking off. And recording at home, working their own self-financed cottage industry, if what I\u2019ve heard of new album Testament<\/em> is anything to go by, Elijah and Ava are about to dispel the notion that only giant label machines generate great music.<\/p>\n

How did you meet?<\/h4>\n

Elijah:<\/strong> I had a management deal with Ava\u2019s brother, and I was living in a field in a tent on his land, rehearsing and recording with my band.
\nAva:<\/strong> I was over from LA, visiting my brother in Dorset for the summer\u2014and there he was.
\nElijah: I set eyes upon Ava, and talking and getting to know her, fell in love in the asparagus patch.<\/p>\n

How does it work as a husband and wife team?<\/h4>\n

Elijah:<\/strong> We have no time for indulging emotions; it\u2019s straight to the point. Nothing sits and festers. And we have a rule: if one of us doesn\u2019t like something we listen to the other person and find out why.
\nAva:<\/strong> We share common interests, which really helps. Usually manage to keep any debate to a minimum, and find a solution. And if we can\u2019t agree, the idea gets dropped.<\/p>\n

What can people expect from \u2018Testament\u2019 your debut album?<\/h4>\n

Ava:<\/strong> You can expect cinematic, alternative pop songs; each song is its own world. It\u2019s catchy, immediate; upbeat. Lyrically, it\u2019s quite honest and heartfelt\u2014and hooky.
\nElijah:<\/strong> All albums are products of circumstance\u2014so it\u2019s a mixture of us, our location; the people we\u2019ve worked with. The album is called Testament, because it\u2019s just that.<\/p>\n

Who inspires the Gravity Drive musically?<\/h4>\n

Elijah:<\/strong> Hunky Dory<\/em> by Bowie; Nirvana\u2019s Unplugged<\/em>, for its honesty; Rumours<\/em> by Fleetwood Mac. Our goal when we first started, our hope and dream and aspiration, was that one day we could create an album as extraordinary as that.
\nAva:<\/strong> The Everly Brothers: two strong voices and an acoustic guitar delivering some powerful and punchy pop.<\/p>\n

Best moment so far?<\/h4>\n

Elijah:<\/strong> The first time we were played on Radio 2<\/em>.
\nAva:<\/strong> The station has a weekly playlist meeting to decide which tracks get rotation; and it was nothing short of a miracle that we even got in the room. All those major acts with their massive promotion budgets and labels, versus us with our independent DIY ethic. Since then, we\u2019ve had some fantastic feedback and support.
\nElijah:<\/strong> Every time we get a positive response, it\u2019s a little victory.<\/p>\n

Why go the independent route?<\/h4>\n

Elijah:<\/strong> We decided we just wanted to concentrate on making music. And that should be the priority. Not, what\u2019s the quickest way to get famous.
\nAva:<\/strong> It\u2019s not for everybody. But we are pretty tenacious, and we felt we had the skills to give it a shot.
\nElijah:<\/strong> You have to think outside the box and use all your resources. We\u2019ve spent about a tenth of what labels spend on making albums. And have absolutely no budget for marketing or promotion at all. So we\u2019ve learnt to be efficient\u2014there\u2019s no waste.<\/p>\n

Why the south-west, not London?<\/h4>\n

Elijah:<\/strong> It\u2019s an amazing area to live in as a singer\/songwriter, because there are so many venues to play, and sharpen your craft. And living in such a beautiful part of the country has a major impact on what we do. I can\u2019t express how exactly, other than, every day we get to look at the epic natural beauty of the area, and that energises us.<\/p>\n

What next?<\/h4>\n

Elijah:<\/strong> We\u2019re in rehearsals with our band. We\u2019ve got an album launch gig at Bridport Arts Centre on Friday 3rd October.<\/p>\n

What can people expect from The Gravity Drive live?<\/h4>\n

Elijah:<\/strong> We have a great live band, so they can expect commitment
\nAva:<\/strong> Energy
\nElijah:<\/strong> To hear us sing songs we believe in.
\nAva:<\/strong> And to dance.<\/p>\n

If you could have one wish what would it be?<\/h4>\n

Ava:<\/strong> Strictly Come Dancing\u2026
\nElijah:<\/strong> I\u2019d love to work with Rick Rubin; a long career of making great music, with great producers and great people. I\u2019d also like to be able to take our live show to its full potential, bigger\u2026
\nAva:<\/strong> A wider stage would be nice.<\/p>\n

\u2018Testament\u2019 the debut album by The Gravity Drive will be available from Bridport Music on October 3rd or pre-order from www.thegravitydrive.com<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n

For tickets to the album launch gig at the Bridport Arts Centre, Oct 3, visit www.bridport-arts.com\/events\/gravity-drivedebut-album-release-party-gig\/<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dreaming big and keeping it real with The Gravity Drive Is there a better doubt than one dispelled? \u201cMy husband writes songs,\u201d Ava said in passing. \u201cYou should check him out.\u201d I\u2019d called by the Bridport cottage she and Elijah share to interview Mrs Wolf for a book I\u2019m writing on Duran Duran. She\u2019d grown […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1681,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[69],"class_list":["post-1557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts","tag-steve-jansen"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1557","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1557"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1557\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}