Jensen Interview For Wicked Spins Radio

Ourfamous Dead had their career mapped out for them, but something wasn’t right. As Ourfamous Dead split up Andrew Jensen locked himself away and started breathing life into old songs, bringing new power and depth to dormant sounds. Out of a fear of failure he arose up from they ashes with success firmly in his heart. Recruiting his old band members from Ourfamous Dead to record and tour at first Jensen are now at the top of their game and ready to take on the world.

WSR – Thank you so much for giving Wicked Spins Radio this interview, can you tell our readers a little bit about yourselves?

Jensen – I’ve been writing music for a long time, since I was about 14 years old. That’s when I discovered I wanted to be a musician. I had been forced to play the piano from a young age by my grandmother and loathed every second of it. As soon as I reached grade 5 she said I could quit and when I did I quickly picked up a guitar and taught myself to play that. Since then I’ve been writing songs, learning the craft and perfecting it. Up until now though (the album I’m working on) I feel that I have not released anything that has my identity stamped on it. I feel I’ve finally found my identity with the forthcoming record

WSR – Jensen were started out life as Ourfamous Dead, what was it do you feel Andrew that wasn’t right about Ourfamous Dead that you feel needed changing?

Jensen – When OFD started out it was quite electronic. Stars And The Corruptor were some of the first tracks I wrote back then. The problem was we couldn’t get gigs anywhere, people only seemed to be booking hardcore type gigs so I started writing that kind of music in order to get gigs. I don’t really like that kind of music and I just got to the stage where I thought enough was enough..I just needed to write music for me and not care what anyone else thinks about it. Music composition for me is about self help, a way of releasing creative output and what I was doing back then was not ticking any of those boxes. Oh and the band name was horrendous. Never pick a band name when you are 17 years old.

WSR – Why did you decide to focus on older tracks and give them new life for the music of Jensen?

Jensen – well I guess that’s not entirely true. I was working on a new OFD EP and it was becoming more and more electronic. It was at that time I decided just releasing a new EP wasn’t enough, I had to completely re imagine the band.

Because I realised that I needed to end OFD I also realised that I needed to quickly release some new Jensen material so people didn’t lose interest. I didn’t was to announce the departure of one band and lay dormant. I scrapped the majority of the OFD EP apart from Ghosts. Then I decided to record Stars And The Corruptor, primarily because I always thought they were good songs and had never released or recorded them properly.

WSR – You made the decision to bring back Ourfamous Dead band members to become the live act that we now know as Jenson?

Jensen – I asked all the guys from OFD if they were on board for Jensen. Callum and Bobby were not able to commit to it at the time although Bobby will be drumming for us live for our upcoming string of gigs.

WSR – And how did band members react when they were asked to follow the Jenson vision?

Jensen – I guess they didn’t understand the reasons behind it at first. Once explained Rich and Simon were in board, Callum was out straight away and Bobby wasn’t able to commit to anything long term which I can appreciate. But at least he’s back for a short string of gigs which is cool.

WSR – What sets Jenson apart from Ourfamous Dead?

Jensen – The music, the delivery, the instrumentation. The whole package really.

WSR – You have just released an amazing cover of Wild Boys originally by Duran Duran, what permissions did you have to get to be able to release it?

Jensen – Well we actually haven’t got any permission. It’s not making anything so there is nothing to hand over. If it was going to be sold, we would of course have seeked permission.

WSR – When bands cover tracks they sometimes ruin the feeling and music of the original track but yet you have managed to honour the original track but yet add your own little mark on it, how did you manage to do this and what were your ideas for covering the track originally?

Jensen – I had always wanted to cover a Duran Duran track. I’m a huge fan and I think because of that I wanted to honour the track. When I sat down to do it I had no idea how I was going to do it so I just recorded the vocals. I then built it up from there with drums and a rhythm and then added everything else last. I just tried different things over the vocals until I got what I was happy with. Guitar didn’t work at all which is why I was happy to leave it driven by the bass.

WSR – Why did you decide to release the re-mastered version of Zero One as a free download?

Jensen – The original was released for free so it made sense to have the re-release also free.

WSR – What would you consider as a band your greatest strength is?

Jensen – Right now integrity. I’m not doing this for anyone else or for any particular incentive. It’s purely from an art point of view. If in the future if that is classed as selling out or whatever then that’s fine because again, the music will still be pure and untainted by incentive.

WSR – Andrew after the break up of Ourfamous Dead when you started out on a new track with Jensen but you did have a great fear of failure, how did you take that negative feeling and channel it into something positive that has more than benefited Jensen?

Jensen – At first I was apprehensive. I was worried if anyone would like the music because it was so different from anything I had done. It played on my mind quite a lot and I asked myself what I would be doing if I could do anything I wanted. I told myself I would still be doing this. At that moment I realised that I wasn’t doing it for anyone else and to keep going, for my own sake. I’ve had plenty of bad things said against my music before. If I was really that bothered I would have quit music when I was a lot younger.

WSR – And why did you feel your surname was a great name for the band Andrew?

Jensen – I wanted a band name that didn’t use any words that could have connotations linked to them. I don’t want people to look at the band name and be able to tell what type of music it is. I want it to have its own identity and an actual name felt more appropriate.

WSR – How’s the recording of your new album going and how do you plan to better an almost perfect sound from Zero One, can you?

Jensen – It’s a love hate relationship at the moment. Some days I will have a great session and record the majority of a song..sometimes it takes me 5 weeks to perfect a vocal. It can be frustrating. It’s also difficult because I am in my final 4 months of studying for my Degree in Music Technology so I am inundated with work..I barely have a spare moment.

Actual studio wise, I’ve upgraded my studio with some universal audio gear..it’s fantastic for vocals. I’ve also got a new vocal mic and some new analog synths / drum machines.

The album will have a different sound to the EP, it’s not as harsh sounding but it’s got a more uneasy vibe to it. There are also plenty of films that I’ve sampled and then made instruments from..so it’s definitely a different direction to the EP while maintaining a similar theme

WSR – Thank you so much for giving Wicked Spins Radio this interview, is there anything you would like to add?

Jensen – Our first gig is Dark-Cide Fest, 10th May, 53 degrees Preston and we will have a 5 piece line up!

Thanks for taking the time out for the interview, I appreciate it.

Download Jensen’s ‘Zero One [Redux]’ for free here –

Website – http://www.wearejensen.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wearejensen

See Jensen’s cover of Wild Boys here on YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3pmGXzI0qI