The early '80s was an era in which a major segment of rock music procured a drastic transformation in sound, style, and appearance. Initiated to some extent by the advent of state-of-the-art keyboard synthesizers and guitar effects, the inevitable result was a form of technical post-punk and pop rock, known as new wave. Though faithful to their punk roots, new wave rockers developed a stylishly fresh sound, with imaginative textures and romantic flavors. They dressed in spandex, paisley prints, thin neckties and pleats, and embraced fashionable synthetic materials in both protest and celebration. One of the most prolific and dynamic bands to emerge in this new wave movement was The Psychedelic Furs.

The Psychedelic Furs formed in England in 1977 by vocalist Richard Butler and his bass playing brother Tim, saxophonist Duncan Kilburn and guitarist Roger Morris. The band became a sextet by the time of their first release, adding John Ashton on guitar and Vince Ely on drums. Though they were an instant success in England, it was their second release, 'Talk Talk Talk', that boosted them into the U.S. charts. It included the song 'Pretty In Pink', from the hit movie of the same name. Following the release of 'Forever Now', Morris and Kilburn left the group, leaving the restructuring to John Ashton and the Butler brothers. This led to the production of their biggest album yet, 'Mirror Moves'.

The band is best known for hits: 'Pretty In Pink', 'India', 'Angels Don't Cry', 'Sister Europe', 'Heaven', 'The Ghost In You', 'Mr. Jones', and 'All That Money Wants'.

Recently, I interviewed John Ashton, the guitarist behind the meticulously passionate and hypnotic sound of The Psychedelic Furs.

Brian Holland of Modern Guitars Magazine: John, I'd like to start by saying that I truly admire your guitar playing. It's signature '80's on the punk and new wave edge, which actually encompassed quite a lot. It's tasteful and full, a pleasure to listen to now as well as then. Your playing was prominent, too, even though it was from an era when guitar often took a back seat to synthesizers. Talk a bit about that, if you will.

John Ashton: Hi Brian. Thanks for the compliment. Our first two albums had very little, if any, keyboards. 'Pretty In Pink' from 'Talk Talk Talk' was one exception. I did use an Arp Avatar on the first album, a guitar synth that came with a Hexaphonic pickup I installed myself. I used the 'hex fuzz' setting mostly, with a lot of chorus and flange. Unfortunately it proved to be unreliable, so I never used it live. It wasn't until 'Forever Now', album #3, that we started using keyboards as an added voice. From then on, touring was reliant upon keys. Though we also used cello and sax, we eventually became dependent upon keyboards extensively. By that time (mid '80s) everyone was doing it. Our last three studio albums had a lot of keyboards. I suppose it was a natural transformation. There was good guitar playing around back then, though, that wasn't back seat, as the Edge and Will Sergeant (Echo & the Bunnymen), to name a couple, are two of my all-time favorite players.

BH: It's good to see the Furs touring again. Tell me about this lineup of the group, the changes and additions.

JA: I eventually got a call from Richard, asking if I was interested in doing a tour and making another Furs record. I said, "er...alright." The Furs started up again in 2000, with Richard Butler on vocals, his brother Tim on bass, Frank Ferrer on drums, and Richard Fortus on Guitar synth (a Roland G5)! Of course, yours truly as well. In 2001, Frank had other commitments, so Earl Harvin (The The, Seal) took over on drums. Richard Fortus left to play for Enrique Iglesias, and later Guns'n'Roses. Gordon Raphael (produced the Strokes) stepped in briefly to play keyboards and guitar. Frank returned in 2002, and we added Amanda Kramer (Information Society, Golden Palominos, World Party) on keyboards. This is and will remain the current lineup.

BH: You essentially took full control of the guitar reigns after the departure of Roger Morris. Was that an easy task? The classic 'Mirror Moves' album came from that period. Tell me about that.

JA: Well, on one hand it changed the sound of the band completely, and although I had more room to do my thing, it was hard to come to terms with at times. Recording 'Forever Now', we used keyboards, sax and cello. It was a total departure from the two previous albums, which were much denser sounding. When it came time to record 'Mirror Moves' I became more confident in my abilities as a player, and I think it came across that way, too.

BH: Talk about your influences. Who'd you grow up listening to?

JA: Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Alice Cooper, T Rex, and David Bowie were my main influences. I loved the playing of Paul Kossoff of Free, and later on I got into the Velvet Underground, The Stooges, MC5, The New York Dolls, Television, The Clash, and of course, The Sex Pistols.

BH: Who do you like on the music scene today?

JA: I think Muse are really good. We played a show with them last year and they blew me away. The Delays are pretty cool, too. Garbage are still making great albums, and the White Stripes can't put a foot wrong in my book.

BH: What are your personal favorite Psychedelic Furs songs and why? Which do you enjoy playing live?

JA: 'Dumb Waiters' for its sheer full on attack. 'All Of This And Nothing', 'India', 'Pretty In Pink', 'President Gas', 'Heaven', and 'High Wire Days', for pretty much the same reason.

BH: You were producing other acts during the band's hiatus. How was that, from a musician's point of view?

JA: Great. I love being in the studio! It's where I get to be creative. I've been in and out of the recording studio for over 25 years. In that time, you get to learn your craft, and hopefully make some good music along the way. I've had the good fortune to work with some really top-notch producers over the years, and I think I've learned a few tricks along the way. Working on projects with other musicians, solo or in bands, gave me the chance to approach things from a different perspective, production wise, usually with good results.

BH: Any plans for a new release from the Psychedelic Furs?

JA: We plan to be in the studio by years end, and will have something out by 2006.

BH: Tell me about your gear, the guitars, amps, and effects you use.

JA: I use PRS McCarty guitars live, and Line 6 Variax 700. My amps are a Laney VC50 and a Line 6 Vetta II. My FX are: Fulltone Distortion Pro, Nobels 808 Distortion Rat, and a Line 6 Delay Modeler. The signal is then split, one side going into a GFX 8 multi effects pedal and then into the Laney. I use a Laney Babel switch (via midi) to change channels (there are 4 of them--clean, crunch, overdrive, and kill), and the other line goes into the Vetta II. I use the foot pedal from the Vetta (long board) to make all my patch changes. All this is mounted on a custom made two-tier board of my own design and manufacture; i.e., I made it.

Thanks to John for his time.

The Psychedelic Furs will soon embark on a North American tour. The listing is:

3/31/05 - Lee's Palace: Toronto, ON
4/01/05 - Lee's Palace: Toronto, ON (sold out)
4/02/05 - Higher Ground: Burlington, VT
4/03/05 - The Paradise Rock Club: Boston, MA
4/05/05 - Supper Club: New York, NY
4/07/05 - The Downtown: Farmingdale: NY
4/08/05 - Starland Ballroom: Sayreville: NJ
4/09/05 - Trocadero: Philadelphia, PA
4/10/05 - Ram's Head Live: Baltimore, MD
4/12/05 - Madison Theater: Covington, KY
4/14/05 - House of Blues: Cleveland, OH
4/15/05 - House of Blues: Chicago, IL
4/16/05 - Fine Line Music Café: Minneapolis, MN
4/17/05 - Shank Hall: Milwaukee: WI

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