Mojave 3 – Out of Tune

The founding members of Mojave 3 include singer and guitarist Neil Halstead, bassist and singer Rachel Goswell, and drummer Ian McCutcheon—all of whom were members of the pioneering shoegaze band Slowdive. The band first emerged in 1995, when a six-song demo impressed the 4AD label so much that they were offered a record deal. After accompanying the band on their first tours through the U.S. and Europe, Simon Rowe (of Chapterhouse) and organist and pianist Alan Forrester joined the group permanently for the next album, effectively turning Mojave 3 into Mojave 5. In addition, the four male band members moved into a farm in Cornwall and set up a small studio in a cowshed, where they recorded demos for what would later become the album *Out of Tune*.

“Life on that farm in the village—together with Ian, Alan, Simon, and other friends—was a real communal experience,” Neil recalls. “It was our own little ‘Big Pink.’” “The atmosphere was like that of ‘The Band,’” Ian agrees, “very much in the old-school style: everyone learned their parts and played together at the same time. That made our sound fuller, rawer, and more pop-oriented.” “I lived in London and would always come to visit for a few weeks,” says Rachel. “We were young and really enjoyed ourselves.” For the recording of *Out of Tune*, the band moved to Cava Studios in Glasgow; however, the process turned into a drawn-out affair, marked by remixes, re-recordings, and the addition of new elements such as pedal steel guitar and horns. Even though the creative process was arduous, the result—a highly polished, bright, and largely optimistic album—is impressive: It showcases a new sophistication in Neil’s lyrics and, sonically, is more reminiscent of Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and Gram Parsons than of Slowdive’s sound.

Genre: Punk & Alternative