If you really want to get away from it all, Chale Abbey might be the spot. Situated on the southern tip of the Isle Of Wight, the studio is housed within a fabulous 16th Century barn, all original oak trusses and natural stone walls. “It’s out in the middle of nowhere and a 10-minute walk to the coast,” enthuses multi-instrumentalist Jordan Lehning, flipping his phone camera to give Uncut a virtual pan of the studio. “We’re in the control room now. It’s just beautiful, totally isolated. A great place to make a record.” Even if it means travelling all the way from Nashville, which is where Lehning, Andrew Combs, Dominic Billett and Romford-born Spencer Cullum are usually based. Their new group, Echolalia, is rounded out by bassist Eli Beaird, multi-instrumentalist Juan Solorzano and Lehning’s brother Jason on synths and engineering duties.
“A few years ago I told Jordan about this magical place, so we ended up booking some days to record here,” explains Cullum, peering over Lehning’s shoulder. The pair loved Chale Abbey so much that they’re back there now, working on another project. But before that, Echolalia’s self-titled debut is due out in February – it’s a warm, psychedelic folk set that often feels peculiarly English, evoking the pastoral spirit of Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers or Cat Stevens. “A lot of the songs were written on the spot, really,” says Cullum. “Then we’d all start chipping in ideas.” There was very little discussion beforehand, deliberately so. “I think we each brought three tunes to the table, and pretty much our first instincts guided the direction,” says Lehning. “We kind of just dove in. I think we cut the record in three or four days.”
The secret to the project’s success, it seems, is trust. These musicians have all been friends for some time, appearing on each other’s records or at live shows. Yet they’d never played altogether before. “It felt like one of those things that you talk about with friends when you’re out for a drink but never seemed likely to come to fruition,” says Combs, joining us over Zoom from the States. “But Jordan made it happen. I think ‘collaborative’ and ‘fun’ were the key words for me.”
Jason Lehning chimes in from Nashville: “With most records, you’re just framing one personality, putting all your energy into making that person sound great,” he observes. “Echolalia has singers and artists, but there was none of that kind of energy. It was like hanging out with your childhood friends and riding bikes around the neighbourhood. But it still has that artistry. That was a really interesting element for me.”
This overriding sense of bonhomie is mirrored in the album’s closing track, the spontaneous “In The Pub”. Essentially a geezer-ish East London singalong, it proved a cultural education for the visiting Americans. “I think it was the first take,” laughs Jordan Lehning. “We couldn’t have done that two or three times. It was the last thing we tracked and it was really funny.”
“I was channelling Chas & Dave,” chirps Cullum. “Me and Dom are big fans!”
It remains to be seen if Echolalia will be a one-off. Schedules being what they are, everyone involved is hopeful that the stars will align again soon. The prospect of touring, most likely in the UK and Europe, is also on the agenda. “For me, it’s the perfect band,” says Cullum. “Every band member is someone that I admire, musically and personality-wise. Usually, when you’re younger and in a band, the bloomin’ bass player wants to do a Snow Patrol song and your drummer wants you all to wear hats…”
Echolalia is released by Full Time Hobby on February 28