Name: Johnathon Ford aka Unwed Sailor

Nationality: American
Occupation: Singer, songwriter, bassist, multi-instrumentalist
Current release: The new Unwed Sailor album, Mute the Charm, is out February 10th via Spartan.

If you enjoyed this interview with Unwed Sailor and would like to find out more about his music, visit his official website. He is also on Instagram, Facebook, and twitter.  



Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

The big impulse to create music comes from the joy, contentment, and escape I feel when I am writing. I know that I am the most connected with  myself when I am writing, recording, or playing music, so I always want to be in that space.

It really is an escape for me … from my surroundings, stress, and the mundane of life.

For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a 'visualisation' of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

I don’t really plan when writing music. I allow it to take me where it wants to go. I don’t necessarily have a specific vision for the music I am writing. I just open up and let it take me for the ride.

Usually, I’ll pick up my bass, and as I am moving it across the room, I’ll start noodling out an idea. Then I will record that on my phone, and pick it back up later. The key is to keep my mind open to whatever idea is out there knocking on the door of my mind to get in.

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?

I’ve found that ideas come to me when I am out running or walking. They also come to me when I am listening to music.

I’ll be inspired by an album as a whole, or the production of a song, or the bravery of a band pushing the limits of their songwriting an production.

What do you start with? How difficult is that first line of text, the first note?

Unwed Sailor songs generally always start with the bass lines. I’ll have a bass line pop into my head as I am carrying my bass across the room, or if I am taking a break from rehearsing for a tour, and then I go with it. It’s never difficult.

Difficulty is the enemy. If trying to get an idea is difficult, then I’ll walk away from it. I see musical ideas as my friends, they are not there to fight with me, and I don’t have the energy to fight with them.

Once you've started, how does the work gradually emerge?

Once I’ve got the initial bass line idea, I’ll go into a simple recording program, and starting creating more bass lines around the initial bass line to create a song structure. If the initial bass line seems like a verse, then I’ll write a bass line for the chorus, then move on to the bridge, etc …

After I have the song structure, then I’ll start writing bass line melodies to stack onto and compliment the initial bass line. This is the most enjoyable part of writing for me: Stacking other melodies and instruments on top of the initial bass line that started the song.

Many writers have claimed that as soon as they enter into the process, certain aspects of the narrative are out of their hands. Do you like to keep strict control over the process or is there a sense of following things where they lead you?

I love being led by the song. It’s like jumping on a ride and enjoying where it takes you.

I’ve been surprised so many times by where a song naturally goes without me getting in the way. It’s kind of like being on a rollercoaster when you let go of the rail and raise your hands in the air. You’re taking the thrill up a notch.

There are many descriptions of the creative state. How would you describe it for you personally? Is there an element of spirituality to what you do?

It’s pure joy. The creative state is my best friend.

Especially in the digital age, the writing and production process tends towards the infinite. What marks the end of the process? How do you finish a work?

I just instinctively know somehow when the song is finished. There's a feeling of finality and satisfaction that I get from the song when it’s done. I know there is nowhere else to go and the little world of the song is complete.

Once a piece is finished, how important is it for you to let it lie and evaluate it later on? How much improvement and refinement do you personally allow until you're satisfied with a piece? What does this process look like in practise?

This process usually happens with me during mixing. I allow a lot of time away and multiple listens when I am mixing. It’s the process where I take the most control. It’s also the part of the process where I can start second guessing myself and sometimes go crazy.

Time away from the songs during this process is as important as being in the studio working on them for 8 hours at a time. Fresh ears are crucial.

What's your take on the role and importance of production, including mixing and mastering for you personally? How involved do you get in this?

You’ve read my take and role on mixing in the last question, but I take different roles when it comes to production and mastering. I am heavily involved in the production of a song and album … as much as I am involved in the mixing.

I’ll usually have a clear picture of how I want something to sound production wise, but I am also always open to ideas from the engineer and musicians that I am working with in the studio.

Mastering is where I am most hands off. At that point in the process, if I put on the mastered version of the record, and it resonates with me, I’ll clap my hands and say it’s done. It’s very rare that I’ll hear a master of an Unwed Sailor record and need to go back and change things.

After finishing a piece or album and releasing something into the world, there can be a sense of emptiness. Can you relate to this – and how do you return to the state of creativity after experiencing it?

I don’t really feel emptiness. I feel accomplishment and an excitement to share this world that I created.

I have been on a writing kick over the past few years, so I usually have more songs or an album in the works when the current one I am working on is finished.

Maybe I do this to avoid the sense of emptiness that you are speaking of?