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Issue #162 – Delta + Trish Keenan Exclusive

It’s the ’90s, and a new dawn for indie bands awaits as all things Britpop are about to usher in an era of commercial success that had previously eluded many underground acts of the ’80s. The recently defunct Sea Urchins wasted little time in re-grouping with a new name and a change in style. DELTA seemed primed to take it to the next level. What could possibly go wrong?

PAUL RITCHIE speaks to singer James Roberts and ex-comrades Robert Cooksey and Louis Clark in the second instalment of our exclusive story

As the main record collector, Robert Cooksey was very much influencing the early direction of Delta. The original concept was to have three songwriters contributing material in a Crosby, Stills & Nash vein but the two brothers’ dominance soon took over, sidelining any contributions from Robert, who didn’t receive a single writing credit, much to the guitarist’s chagrin. It would prove an inauspicious start for Robert, whose guitar playing defined the early Delta sound. The funky fluid guitar of ‘Sugared Up’ was a departure from the ramshackle indie sound of The Sea Urchins. They were initially heavily influenced by West Coast bands, Moby Grape and Spirit, which set them apart from their contemporaries. “We were swimming against the tide in terms of modern musical styles,” reckons Robert.

Guy Sirman was a Sea Urchins fan who kept an interest in what the band were up to. “We were always wondering what the members were up to and there was only the one demo cassette in circulation. After Sugared Up had come out I knew that the label had no immediate plans to release another record so a friend just phoned James up and asked if I could put out their next single. Astonishingly they said, ‘Yes’.”

The Gun EP was released on the Dishy label in 1994, the start of a long association with Guy that continues to the present day. Dishy was a small label and was seen as a stepping stone for bigger things. Guy released two more Delta singles, ‘All My Life’ (’94) and ‘Make It Right’ (’95), stepping back momentarily when Paul Weller’s sister Nicky started managing the band. Ed Piller eventually signed them to Acid Jazz indie offshoot Focus.

“I thought they were the best band I had seen for ages, so I signed them,” Ed Piller tells Shindig! “It was a gamble as they were flawed geniuses. They were either going to be massive or they were going to split up in ignominy!”

The first photo session, 1992. L-R: Robert, Patrick, James, Matthew

Louis Clark joined the band on keyboards in ’97. His father had been an arranger for ELO. That same year the band supported Paul Weller on a memorable tour that included two big shows at Sheffield Athletic Stadium and Crystal Palace Stadium in London. “[Paul] liked Delta and he gave us a lot of equipment. We were using his studio in London at the time,” says Louis. “He was very much into the band. It was a wonderful highlight. He’d be right by my amp with his head shaking! It felt like this is it!” laughs Robert. “A lot of our friends came along with us,” remembers James. “There was a good gang thing going on, so that was special. We hadn’t done anything at that scale before. It was a special thing to do”.

“Noel and Liam Gallagher had turned up backstage. They were friendly and open to us potentially supporting them in the future,” claims Robert, “Unfortunately, this was scuppered when towards the end of the evening, after drinking far too much, Patrick threw a large, unopened glass Perrier bottle at Liam. Needless to say, we didn’t get to support Oasis.”

A four-track EP I’m Getting Darker was slated for release in September and promo copies sent out. However, the single was never released, leaving the band in contractual limbo. “They were stuck in that contract with nothing coming out and no freedom to release anything elsewhere,” Guy reveals. “It sapped a lot of their energy.”

Despite the setback, nobody disputes that the label tried hard, and everyone has nothing but good things to say about the people involved. When questioned, all three band members can’t remember the circumstances behind what went wrong. Louis admits, “Things got a bit silly and childish.” Others have suggested the band were difficult to deal with. A launch gig at The Blue Note turned into a disaster when the group turned up reportedly off their trolleys and could hardly stand up. “The singer was so out of it that he collapsed three songs into the set. I loved it,” recalled Ed Piller.

“It was brilliant at the start,” reasons James, “but it soon ran into problems. We couldn’t release anything with them for some reason. It was awful. I still don’t know what it was to this day. There was a point after a couple of years where we thought, Well if you can’t put anything out, we need to not be with you anymore. We’ll just carry on and do what we were doing before.”

So that’s what they did. Reuniting with Guy they set about plans to finally record a debut album. To bridge the gap, Guy released a compilation of early demos called Laughing Mostly. It contained amazing songs like ‘Beautiful’, ‘Cowboy Raga’ and ‘Tonight’, gaining favourable reviews in the music press. “There would have been a really decent album of early Delta if that had been done as a natural album rather than four or five demo sessions, which is what it was,” notes James.

Meanwhile, Robert decided to quit in ’98. “In truth, my relationship with James and Patrick had broken down many years before. I was very unhappy with the songwriting situation but didn’t want to leave as it was felt success was just round the corner and I was enjoying playing guitar with the band. Another reason was that I had given up drinking alcohol while the rest of them were drinking an alarming amount, which obviously caused division.” However, he can look back at the good times. “I’m proud of those recordings. That peak period on Acid Jazz was a positive time. It’s sad that fell apart.”

Order issue #162 to read the full article

Robert Cooksey’s Memories of Broadcast’s Trish Keenan and unreleased music EXCLUSIVE

Trish Keenan and Robert Cooksey, Brighton, 1988
In 1988 I met Trish who was a good friend of James’s girlfriend Annette. She would come along to the gigs and hang out with us quite a lot admitting to me much later that we were inspiring her musical journey, which was nice to hear obviously. There is photograph of us together taken in Brighton in September 1988 which is one of my personal favourites from my collection. We were so young.  At the end of The Sea Urchins into early Delta I saw a lot more of her. There was a gang of us, including James, who would go out for the evening in Birmingham then go back to somebody’s flat, listen to music and get very stoned. Trish turned me on to Caravan during this period and I bought their second LP If I Could Do It All… on her recommendation. It’s still one of my favourites and I’m a huge Caravan fan now thanks to her. During this time we were regularly going to The Sensateria which was a legendary psychedelic nightclub in Birmingham that The Sea Urchins had played a couple of times.

Trish was playing in a folk duo called Hayward Winters at this time and when we formed Delta she was keen to be involved on the vocals side. As we got on so well and shared similar musical tastes it seemed like an excellent idea. I was and still am a huge fan of early Fairport Convention so the idea of adding a female voice to the sound was very appealing at this time. The most inspirational LP for us at this time was David Crosby’s If I Could Only Remember My Name, and that featured awesome sublime vocals from Joni Mitchell, which was another reason to believe we could incorporate something similar into our sound. Trish sang with us at a few Delta rehearsals in early April 1992 with a view to singing with us at our first gig but it didn’t go any further. This maybe was down to the fact that the guitars were pretty loud and I know she wasn’t hugely keen on straight rock music, a belief that I shared with her to some degree.

Although Trish didn’t join the band she supported us at our first gig at The Barrel Organ in Birmingham on 16th April 1992 with her duo who were billed as Trish & Jude on this occasion. (Funnily enough Jude became a member of the first line up of Mystic Village my current project many years later in 2021 but didn’t stay long.) On 13th August 1992 Delta played at The Sensateria and were again supported by Trish & Jude. Around this time Trish met James and other future members of Broadcast and the club became a focal point for the formation of the band as it had been to some degree for The Sea Urchins back in 1986. It was always a magical evening of lights and loud psychedelic sounds with a great deal of incense burning all of which made the senses pulsate.

I saw the first Broadcast gig at The Jug Of Ale in Moseley, Birmingham in 1995 and was extremely impressed but not hugely surprised. They had obviously been listening to a lot of very good psych and soundtrack records and the blend was perfect from the start with regards the electronica influence. Trish’s voice also suited this context so much more than singing with Delta and in turn this inspired me into wanting to bring an electronic influence into Delta’s music. This idea never got very far but I did manage to play some synth on one Delta track around this time called ‘Tight’ which was released on Laughing Mostly. I personally loved the idea of mixing folk and electronica as I greatly enjoyed The Byrds experiments with Moog and felt a similar direction could take us into a different and interesting mode of music, which was obviously becoming popular as well. In 1996 Delta played at The Phoenix festival near Stratford Upon Avon and Broadcast played the same day. I ended up hanging out with them quite a bit more than my own band that day as I got on well with all of them and shared psych/folk/soundtrack tastes.

In 1998 I left Delta but would still see members of Broadcast around quite a bit usually bumping into Trish and Jam in charity shops in Kings Heath where they lived. Trish was always so supportive of me musically after I left Delta suggesting I should be lead vocalist in my next band which gave me a huge confidence boost at a time when I really needed it.  In 2005 I started hanging out with Trish and James again around the time of Tender Buttons. I rehearsed with them on electric guitar with view to playing some live shows to promote the LP but my tendency to not play the same part the same way each time didn’t work with the music. They wanted the parts played exactly how they were played on the record on every version which for me just wasn’t possible considering the San Francisco psychedelic music from the mid- to late ’60s was my thing at the time. I had spent a month in SF a few years earlier and was now heavily immersed in The Grateful Dead, Quicksilver, Country Joe and the Fish, Moby Grape etc. I liked to improvise and jam and was also very keen on the psych/folk of The New Age and Skip Spence. Oar is still of my favourite LPs of all time, certainly a crucible of folk/psychedelia that will be impossible to surpass for sure.

In 2006 Broadcast were searching for a new sound and invited me to participate in some improvised recording sessions at their pad in Kings Heath, which I was more than happy to oblige. This time was going to be different. The improvised nature of the sessions was much more relaxed and enjoyable than me trying to replicate their guitar parts previously and the music created by us was certainly boosted by this approach. As we had known each other for some time as well this added a calm and spontaneous atmosphere which was perfect for my San Fran sensibilities. I was also exploring acid-folk at this time and this coincided with Trish’s return to her folk roots, so it was a match made in musical heaven. I played acoustic on most of the sessions and this worked incredibly well with the electronica. The earlier yearning for mixing folk/electronics was finally yielding fruit with remarkable results. The fact was Trish was obviously enjoying the freedom of improvising vocally and there is no doubt she was on fire on many of the recordings. Using and controlling a Moog pedal on her own vocals created a very unique effect that took the music into a magical and mystical psychedelic folk/electronica sound space.

The influence of The United States Of America was clear especially on Trish’s vocals. She loved that first LP so much that practically every time I went over (which was very often) she would hand me a freshly burned copy of the CD. I could never refuse! Other CD’s that she burned for me were Shirley Collins, Wendy & Bonnie, Phil Ochs and Comus, another band that we shared a love of as I had recently bought a vinyl reissue. There are definitely elements of that bands strange-folk music that seem embedded in the improvisations that we created mainly of course those been Trish’s amazing voice and celestial delivery. Combined with James’ superb musicianship on many instruments and my guitar we sounded full and complete even though there were only three of us on the recordings. I also played dulcimer on some of the tracks and one of these generated a lot of interest from Warp Records when it was sent to them as a work in progress. The dulcimer on this ended up sounding more like a sitar or more accurately a dulcitar as used by acid-folk band COB, who I was currently listening to. It certainly gave a very psychedelic feel to the music and combined with Trish’s Moog effects on her vocals sounded like the perfect blend of folk, psych and electronic influences that we were striving for.

Another touchstone LP for us during this time unsurprisingly was The Wicker Man which Trish was obsessed with (as I had been some years before) and some of the beauty of that master work of folk-horror became prevalent in the music we created amazingly. This was undeniably a new Broadcast sound and it was a huge shame that we didn’t continue what we started but I’m hugely proud of my input into making that new sound and am hoping probably like many fans that at least some of these sessions will see the light of day, as they certainly deserve it, not least because they represent a true coming together of members of two of Birmingham’s cult bands, as well as being truly astounding sounds and amazing music in their own right. I have 10 CDs of music from these sessions and I have no doubt in my mind a lot of this music is mind blowingly good, but if only one LP is released of this it will represent something truly groundbreaking and also breathtaking in its scope and execution. It unquestionably deserves a release and virtually everyone who hears some of the music wholeheartedly agrees. The usual reaction on hearing something is “Wow!”

I’m immensely proud of my contribution, but it’s Trish who really shines on these sessions. She is clearly having the time of her life and pushing the boundaries of modern music to the absolute highest limit. This is music of a higher consciousness. It’s a pivotal point in their history, and also mine, so should be valued for historical importance and also the fact that the music is beyond amazing in many respects. We were certainly inspired and the results should be something people can hear to hopefully inspire them. Let’s turn on the world! Keeping them locked up isn’t in my mind a good thing, but obviously I’m biased and I do believe that as in the case of Sandy Denny when you have someone with so much talent and a voice to match the archives should be open.

On this note, I was very pleased to hear from James in early 2023 saying he had gone back to the sessions and “definitely wanted to put them out into the world” as now was the right time and he “loved” what Trish was doing. I couldn’t have been happier to hear this news so I’m hopeful that at some point in the near future at least one LP will see the light of day from these legendary sessions. Tantalisingly James sent me an initial proposed track listing which was:

  1. Procession
  2. The Leaf Falls From the Tree
  3. Wild Desire
  4. For You
  5. Internal
  6. Castle
  7. I Am Adam
  8. Vision

I had titled all of these and also suggested adding possibly two more tracks which were ‘Fault Line’ and ‘What You Want is Not What You Need’ and James took this on board. I had a synchronicity moment with ‘Fault Line’ when a fault line from an earthquake in Turkey appeared on TV at exactly the same moment I was listening to it. It was a powerful thing. I haven’t heard from James since then but am going to reach out to him after writing this to ask him if he still wants to release the tracks he proposed. I can’t deny I was disappointed when the last Broadcast releases Spell Blanket and Distant Call last year were announced as the last ever Broadcast releases. This would be such a shame in my estimation in light of the musical treasures still in the archive and, as stated, the historical importance of the sessions with me. I did get a thank you on at least one of these releases which in turn confused fans and me alike initially that there were recordings with me released as part of the new LPs but it’s been confirmed there’s nothing on there featuring me, which considering the fact that both records covered the period of 2006 when we recorded together gives me some hope that they will come out at a later date. Superior Viaduct, the US label that reissued The Sea Urchins Stardust LP on their subsidiary label 1972 has shown interest in releasing an LP from the sessions.

I strongly believe, in light of the interest in my previous bands and the continued popularity of Broadcast, these recordings should see the light of day, and if so will indeed bring light and joy to the world, which would be my main argument for a release. They certainly represent a high point for me musically and if pushed I would say they are the best recordings I have been involved in. They are that good, and I honestly don’t believe any fan would be disappointed. If James or Warp have any reservations it’s probably the fact that all of the music for the most part was improvised and it’s very free but there’s no doubt in my mind this is where its charm lies and its ultimate strength. The improvised nature of the music is fresh and exciting and makes it also interesting and timeless. We were creating in the moment and these recordings exemplify that approach with a real feeling of exploration that will forever be close to my heart.

I had felt rejuvenated by working with Broadcast and in 2007 I began writing for what would become my first band since leaving Delta nearly a decade previously. This was Golden Glass, which began properly in 2010, and on Trish’s advice I took up the front man role. Our second gig was supporting legendary indie band Television Personalities in London, which was also singer Dan Treacy’s 50th birthday party.  A very lively affair! We played The Moseley Folk Festival in 2012 and also a memorable show at The Lunar Festival in Tanworth in Arden in 2014, which was a highlight for obvious reasons. Nick Drake has been another huge influence for well over 30 years and I still cycle to Tanworth every year in the summer months to soak up the serene and beautiful atmosphere of the village and surrounding countryside. A mystic village indeed.

In 2011, I, like most people who knew her, was shaken and shell shocked to hear of Trish’s sudden passing. It seemed unbelievable that this could have happened. But it did and we are still feeling that loss. A few days after hearing the dreadful news I was sitting in my music room listening to some records pondering what had happened. All of a sudden a Janice Joplin figure that I had on my unit seemed to suddenly fly onto the floor for no good reason! I was startled and couldn’t come up with a rational explanation of how it had happened. I moved to the other seat in the room, slightly unnerved by the incident.  What was strange to me then and now was that at the second the figure flew off the shelf I had been thinking deeply about Trish, and I knew most definitely that she wasn’t a fan of Janice. In fact she hated her style of voice. Hmmmm. After moving to the other chair I wasn’t sat there for more than a minute or so when suddenly I briefly heard a strange crackling sound right behind me similar in sound to static electricity, which was both perplexing and mysterious. Seconds later I could feel what unquestionably felt like someone rubbing their finger on the back of my neck. It was undeniable, and I firmly believe, however unlikely, that it was Trish saying goodbye. In terms of this incident I think Hauntology is a totally appropriate description of the music that Broadcast made, and also specifically the recordings I made with them in 2006. It’s another reason as well why I believe we had a very special connection that should be celebrated with a release of the sounds we created together.

Watch this space for news of any progress
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