Interview with Attrition

Today with sat down with Martin Bowes from Attrition to talk music inspiration, advice for fans and much more! Be sure to check out Attrition on Spotify below after the interview and follow them on social media!

Here is the interview:

What is your inspiration to write your music? Is it your surroundings?

I am inspired by everything around me… environment, people, politics, philosophy… love and death… I tend to write lyrics that reflect many things that are going on… much as we dream… sometimes it takes a while to make sense of it but I enjoy that…I instinctively know when it is important to me…

What type of music did you listen to growing up?

In the 70’s I started out listening to people like David Bowie, Roxy Music, Marc Bolan, Cockney Rebel, Lou Reed… then had a 50’s rock n roll phase just before punk kicked in… after that I got into post punk and more experimental electronic music… I still love those roots though….

Is there someone you looked up as a hero?

The first time I heard the Sex Pistols “Anarchy in the UK” I was blown away…. As an angry teenager I had found a voice and it changed my life, gave me the inspiration to be the artist and musician I have been since…. So yeah Johnny Rotten and then later on the works of anarchist punk band Crass have a big effect on me, to this day…

If you weren’t a musician, would you be doing today?

Well I started out as a visual artist… went to art school…. And then punk came along and derailed me…I dropped out of that and started a local, mostly punk music, fanzine – Alternative Sounds – here in Coventry, my hometown between 1979 – 1981 … the same era as the Specials and Two Tone emerged from the city… I’m pleased to say that my zine is featured in a restrospective exhibition here in Coventry for the UK city of culture year… I started ATTRITION in 1980 and have never looked back…although I have occasionally returned to art and sculpture, and recently have started making videos for my music…. This one, for my new single “The Alibi” released this week… https://youtu.be/u-yAqSkzybE

What advice do you have for our fans out there that want to create music?

Be you…stick to your ideas… of course you will learn along the way but don’t compromise because you think you should…. And don’t do it for money do it for love…