Brighton-based Azure won 021’s Best Unsigned Band in Prog's annual readers’ poll. Originally created as a university project. That year founders Christopher Sampson and Galen Stapley told us how fantasy and art help them imagine their epic musical stories...
A mutual love of Dream Theater brought together Azure’s Christopher Sampson and Galen Stapley early on during their music degree course at the University Of Sussex. Eight years later, they’re astonished to find Azure voted Prog’s Best Unsigned Band.
“I still can’t believe it!” exclaims guitarist Stapley. "We put up a post on Facebook to see if we could do anything. Everyone was so sweet and voted for us! I knew we had a few fans out there but not enough to help us win the poll.”
This accolade rounded off an action-packed 2021, which saw the release of their second album, Of Brine And Angel’s Beaks, a story involving a fantastical sailor-rescuing bird, and Mistress, the glass-shattering high-voltage single. Three gigs also introduced audiences to Azure’s dynamic live show, highlighting the octave-defying gymnastics of Sampson’s voice and Stapley’s intricate, cultured guitar work, augmented by three new bandmembers in what they hope will be a permanent line-up.
Prog metal and 80s synthpop are among the myriad influences informing their art fantasy-inspired compositions. Recalls Stapley, “In our very first music business class, I saw Chris had a Dream Theater rucksack and I thought, ‘Wow! Here’s someone else who loves Dream Theater,’ so we started talking. I went over to Chris’ flat – and we started making music.”
Sampson takes up the story. “When I came to Brighton, I got into this weird tunnel vision when I was playing stuff, recording it, focusing on songs as a whole. I thought the guitar stuff I was doing was good, but when I met Galen, I thought, ‘Oh my God, I can focus on other stuff because they can play stuff I can’t!’”
“Before I met Chris, I did not really know how music was recorded,” Stapley admits. “There were certain aspects of my playing that I did not really develop so I practised and practised as that was the bar I had to hit. When I found Chris was making this music, including an EP with two 30-minute songs, I thought, ‘Wait, this is how it is done.’
“It completely changed my idea of how everything works and shifted my focus on developing myself creatively. Chris’ playing style is more carefree and less meticulous. Seeing how that works inspired me so we take a lot from each other in that sense.”
Their debut EP, (Dream Of) Azure, was released in 2015. Then came their first album, Wish For Spring, in 2017 followed a year later by the EP Redtail, which contains the 20-minute cinematic eponymous track, a cornerstone of their live shows. However, the pair faced a musical dilemma during this period of concentrated creativity.
“We’d spent a few years playing in a rock band called Experience. Once the contracts were on the table, it was basically a choice of them or Azure. They wanted to own everything we did and have a say on what we could and couldn’t release,” explains Stapley. “And we were happy to sell our souls except for that part. They would not budge on a single clause, so we said, ‘We’re so sorry.’ We released Redtail, which we had completed by then, and tried to make this band happen, prioritising Azure as we wanted to do our own thing.
“It was a big decision to choose between music we were passionate about and signing the contract, fast-tracking us towards building a corporate rock band.”
With Azure back on track, their partnership strengthened through a mutual approach to their multifaceted music. “We slowly converged when we realised our common interests and things we were most passionate about were the same,” says Sampson. “For example, some people writing music or lyrics can channel their emotions when they specifically talk about themselves.
“Galen and I have realised the absolute best vehicle for communicating our emotions is through the medium of stories, imagery and fantasy. This is because when you have played a lot of video games, read books and consumed many really cool stories, you get the knack of explaining your feelings through those as opposed to real-life situations. This all slowly took form in our universe.”
In tandem with the music, Sampson completed a fantasy novel, for which a publisher is sought. It includes the songs from Of Brine And Angel’s Beaks, also Sampson’s strange symbols and new vocabulary to further enhance the fantasy theme. Joining them for the next chapter in this Azurian universe are drummer Sol Sinclair, keyboard player Shaz Dudhia and bassist Alex Miles. All three musicians played with Azure at last year’s Prog For Peart Festival in Abingdon in Oxfordshire, supporting Solstice in Southampton and then in London for Novena’s (Re) Launch Show.
“Sol caught me throat singing in the common room back in 2014, showed me
a different style of doing it and we became friends,” says Sampson with a laugh as the vocalist recalls their early meeting.
The new members are an integral part of the third album, which is now under way. But as Stapley says, theirs is “demanding music in two ways. There’s the technical progressive metal aspect, which you really have to practise. There’s also the pop-rock, more melodic old-school prog stuff.”
“It’s really hard to find people who can do both as they are usually busy doing other things,” admits Sampson. “You’ve got to believe in this project as the way Galen and I see it is so important to us. The fantasy and aesthetic of the whole thing is unique to us. Thankfully, that’s why we now have this line-up as not only are these guys exceptional musicians, they also really get it and contribute to it.”
No date has been set yet for the album’s release. “It is such an involved thing. We’ve been chipping away and when we get time, we can really focus on and progress it,” adds Sampson. “We’re really excited about it – but we can’t give too much away at the moment.”
