"I’m very lucky to have had career in music for over five decades. Perhaps fans around my own age share collective experiences. It’s heartening to find that the music I play continues to resonate with both long-time fans and is passed on to newer generations."

Leo Lyons: Movin’ On Rock n' Roll

Legendary bassist Leo Lyons and Hundred Seventy Split set to release his new album, "Movin’ On", from Flatiron Recordings on October 6^th. Label's debut, produced by Leo Lyons the legendary Ten Years After bassist, Hundred Seventy Split’ is a power blues trio featuring Leo Lyons – bass, Joe Gooch - guitar/vocals and Damon Sawyer -drums. “Movin’On is my first record released worldwide on Flatiron Recordings and as such is a milestone in my career,” says Leo Lyons about the new disc. “Studio time was booked for March, 2020 and when Covid hit, the project was delayed for over two years. I felt a hole in my heart from not being able to play music. Those two years of enforced isolation had a devastating effect on many people, their health, their jobs and their mental state.                                          (Leo Lyons / Photo © by Arnie Goodman)

“In late 2022, we were able to start recording,” Lyons adds. “For me, personally, it felt like coming out of a bad period for the world with the hope for something better. Hence the record’s title, Movin’On. “Joe, Damon and I agreed there were to be no limitations other than our own musical abilities. The blues can make you mad, sad, happy, or lost in love. Whatever we felt at the time was how the record would play out. “At times, the record is retrospective, with songs ‘The Road Back Home’ ‘Walking in the Devil’s Shoes’ and ‘Time To Kill.” There are out and rockers like ‘Mad Bad and Dangerous’ and ‘Sounded Like a Train.’ ‘It’s So Easy to Slide’ and Meet Me at the Bottom’ have a swing/blues feel that we enjoy playing and is always popular on gigs. ‘Black River’ and ‘Deep Beneath That Muddy Water’ are a kind of swampy blues. ‘The Heart of a Hurricane’ is a story song. When Tony Crooks and I wrote it {with the help of a bottle of red wine or two} we imagined a movie.”

Interview by Michael Limnios         Archive: Leo Lyons, 2012 interview @ blues.gr

Special Thanks: Leo Lyons & Mark Pucci Media

How has the Blues and Rock Counterculture influenced your views of the world and the journeys you’ve taken?

I’ve embraced many of the Counterculture ideals of peace, love, gender and racial equality etc., but I don’t belong to any of the politicised movements around today.

I’ve always tried to treat people the way I would like to be treated. I believe music is not just a source of enjoyment but is also a unifying and healing force that has a unique ability to bring people together, regardless of their beliefs or opinions.  It can serve as a bridge across political and ideological divides. I hope that in a small way I played my part. At 80 years old I’m still on that journey.  

Currently you’ve one more release with Hundred Seventy Split. How did that band come about? 

Hundred Seventy Split was formed 13 years ago. It was meant to be a side project for Joe and me whilst still playing with TYA. We wanted to explore new music beyond the confines of TYA. However, my former colleagues were not at all happy about that and we were forced to leave the band. With the addition of drummer Damon Sawyer, HSS has released seven records to date.

Do you have any interesting stories about the making of the new album “Movin’ On”?

Movin’On is our first worldwide release thanks to Flatiron Recordings and as such is a milestone in Hundred Seventy Split’s career. Studio time was booked for March 2020 but when Covid hit, the project was put on hold until late 2022-2023 fitting recording sessions in a few days at a time, around everyone’s availability. Joe, Damon and I agreed that we’d play as live as possible with minimal overdubs. Whatever we felt at the time was how the record would play out. Being back in the studio again after such a long time felt like a dream. Hence the album title, “Movin’ On.

"London in the sixties was bustling with creativity and innovation. The city’s vibrant music culture, fashion, and art scenes all contributed to a unique atmosphere that influenced music worldwide.  There were also many iconic venues for bands to play where they could showcase their talents. Alvin Lee and I first moved to London from our hometowns of Mansfield and Nottingham in 1960 to seek fame and fortune." (Hundred Seventy Split: Leo Lyons, Joe Gooch and Damon Sawyer / Photo © by Arnie Goodman)

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

Never give up on your dream. It’s essential to believe in yourself, love what you do and stay true to your music. The music business is tough. Persistence is the key to success when facing a 90% rejection rate.

Why do you think that Leo Lyons music continues to generate such a devoted following?

I’m very lucky to have had career in music for over five decades. Perhaps fans around my own age share collective experiences. It’s heartening to find that the music I play continues to resonate with both long-time fans and is passed on to newer generations.

What has been the hardest obstacles for you to overcome as a person and as artist and has this helped you become a better musician?

Obstacles are steps we negotiate along the path to self-growth. If we learn to work through them, we can succeed at whatever the goal. In music you must overcome disappointment and rejection and be prepared to make financial and relationship sacrifices.

At the age of 16, I read a quotation on the back of a Captain Webb matchbox. “A successful man is one who stands up one more time than he falls down.” That’s been my mantra in life and in music.

What moment changed your music life the most? What´s been the highlights in your life and career so far?

I’ve played venues and festivals all over the world and everyone has left a lasting impression on me. However, Woodstock was an iconic event in music history and an incredible experience. That said, I’m not finished yet. The highlights in my personal life are shared with my wife, two grown up sons and extended family.

"Never give up on your dream. It’s essential to believe in yourself, love what you do and stay true to your music. The music business is tough.  Persistence is the key to success when facing a 90% rejection rate." (Legendary bassist Leo Lyons, a founding member of Ten Year After / Photo © by Aleksandra Pruenner)

What were the reasons that made the UK in 60s to be the center of Blues/Rock researches and experiments?

There have been many cities throughout history where culture and the arts have, for a period, influenced the world.

London in the sixties was bustling with creativity and innovation. The city’s vibrant music culture, fashion, and art scenes all contributed to a unique atmosphere that influenced music worldwide.  There were also many iconic venues for bands to play where they could showcase their talents. Alvin Lee and I first moved to London from our hometowns of Mansfield and Nottingham in 1960 to seek fame and fortune.

What's the balance in music between technique skills and soul/emotions? How do you want the music to affect people?

I want the listener to be able to enjoy my music and get something out of it. For me music is all about sharing an emotion. It can be about being in love, feeling happy, joyful, sad, angry or just make you want to dance. Ideally, I’d like the listener to feel good and uplifted, but sometimes we all take solace in a sad song.

Athletes have a saying: ‘Being in the zone.’ That’s when they’re able to perform beyond expectations. In the case of music, a musician strives to connect with the creative source of the universe and act as a passive conduit for the music. Ideas come from the ether. That’s playing with soul and emotion.

Technique is the tool which aids a musician to best express those emotions. It’s easier these days with the advent of teaching videos to develop an impressively fast technique. We’ve all seen guitarists, who like a gunslinger, can play at the speed of light. The question would be, do they hit the target?

Without soul it’s not really possible to connect with the listener. Technique is secondary.

Leo Lyons - Home

(Hundred Seventy Split featuring Leo Lyons, Joe Gooch and Damon Sawyer / Photo © by Isla Hampson)