INTERVIEW W/ Astles: "I felt connected to him without ever knowing him"!

There’ll be a lot of people reading this who already know Daniel Astles as he seems to make friends wherever he goes. However, to those that don’t know him, he is one of the loveliest people in the Merseyside music scene and one of the most authentic songwriters around. Whether he’s performing at a local open mic or spending his weekends teaching young musicians over at Future Yard, he seems to spread warmth wherever he goes, both through his music and his friendly nature. Yet, even those who have come across Dan many times may not know the whole story behind his debut album ‘Soundtrack for the 21 Bus Home’ which arrived a few weeks ago. We caught up with him to talk through the unique thematic concept behind the album and the nostalgic emotions that it contains. 

Before even pressing play on the album, you’ll be struck by the unusual title. Well, it is this title that defines the project as a whole and sheds a light on the poignant thematic inspirations within. Dan explained to us that: “The album is inspired by my late uncle's mixtape of the same name, which I found in my Nan's loft. Since my uncle passed away my grandad had kept his old records stored in his loft. One day he told me about them, I think he was just trying to pie them off on me to be honest! But, I went up the rickety stairs up to my nan's loft and found like 300 records and all these like gig stubs and tickets and badges and bits of memorabilia, loads of posters and stuff, it was just so amazing. Then amongst all of that was the soundtrack for the 21 Bus Home. I just thought it had so much personality that I got obsessed with the story of it and got so inspired by the records that he'd left behind. They allowed me to feel really connected to him despite never really knowing him which was beautiful. It was in the back of my mind to create a body of work inspired by that for a while. It includes clips and bites that were on my uncle's original mixtape and it kind of stays true to the songs that were on it so I'm really excited about it”. 

It’s beautiful, in this increasingly digital musical world, to see evidence that physical records and personal effects are still able to leave a tangible fingerprint of someone’s life. It is true that your record collection can tell the story of entire life, from the vintage records passed down from your parents to the first ever record you bought yourself; from the chart-topping records of your teen years to the record that soundtracked you falling for the love of your life, each record holds a special meaning. Dan commented that he feels these sonic memoirs are important in leaving behind an identity to future generations: “I love the idea of like my record collection and someone being interested in it once I'm gone. I like the idea that my own songs will tell a story of who I am.I think it's true that the things we leave behind are pivotal in how people view us and the legacy we leave. Now that I think about it I should probably get some cooler records to leave in my collection in case someone discovers them one day!”. 

Given the inspiration of the album as a concept, the songs all carry “the overarching theme of family growing up. There's songs about my uncle, my brother, my mum, dad, my grandparents and then obviously myself.I find it quite an interesting topic because despite us all having family, whether it's a good family or not, it's not really something talked about in music too often in music”.

It is true that, given how many songs are out there that discuss romantic love in just about every way possible, there are a surprisingly low number of songs that discuss the love we have for our family. One of the most poignant examples of this on Dan’s album is ‘2 and a Bit (Song for a Brother)', a rich and characterful song that begins with the deep, emotive power of the piano before soaring into an expansive soundscape full of strings and swinging drums. The contrast between the grand music and the down-to-earth lyrics, which talk of kick-abouts in the park, has a magical effect, making you realise the hidden swirling emotions that lie in family relationships we take for granted.  

Talking on the track, Dan said: “I felt that songs about siblings were way less explored than love songs or breakup songs or whatever. It felt almost unique to write a song about my brother which is mad because so many people have brothers and they’re such an important part of your life for those that do. The challenge was finding how to write a song about something so universal while also making it very personal and special to me. I found it difficult but I think with songwriting sometimes it's good to have a few rules in place to allow creativity. It's like the blank page and emptiness can be a bit too much sometimes so it was a fun challenge to work with”. 

Alongside the overarching theme of family and nostalgia, the album is also filled with a strong sense of local identity. You can get a real sense for Dan’s upbringing and how his surroundings influenced him and his family growing up. Dan explained that moving between locations gave him a mixed sense of identity: “I lived on Vauxhall Road till I was five and then my family moved to Southport. I had a typical scouse family with about a millions cousins and if I went to Bootle, I'd probably be related to like at least 10% of people there. So it's, uh, it's hard not to feel so rooted in the community. I grew up in Southport till I was 18 and then I moved back to Liverpool when I started studying at LIPA. I guess I had a mixed identity as all the kids in school would call me Scouse and then all my cousins from Liverpool would call me a wool. So I was always somewhere in between, but it's given me an appreciation of all the areas around me.  I think the stereotypical things people associate with Merseyside like the friendliness, the kindness and looking after one another has had a big effect on me. Those things are deeply rooted in me and my music. I think growing up in Liverpool has shaped me, but I would put who I am down to my family more. I'm very lucky to have a beautiful, kind family who work hard and help each other”.

The love Dan feels for his family and the community around him is evident when he speaks. However it comes through stronger than ever in the new album. The record is heartwarming, both in sonic tone and thematic content. Every track feels deeply and uniquely personal yet strikingly relatable and poignant. It’s a love letter to the ones that love us, those who were there in our formative years and those who are no longer with us but whose memories will live on through this album.