I absolutely love Pendragon's latest record "Pure". I gave it a high rating in my review and it even ended up in my top 5 of 2008. So I had to interview the guy mainly responsible for all that. The godfather of Pendragon, Mr. Nick Barrett! Hi, Nick. Thanks for taking the time to answer these somewhat awkward questions!

Thanks for taking the time to ask them, I like awkward questions, always quite interesting!

Toff Records. What's that all about? Is it meant to be something purely for Pendragon like Andy Latimer's Camel Productions or can we expect some ambitious moves?

No you can't expect any ambitious moves! (laughs) Toff records was really started up because we couldn't get a record deal, funnily enough, as you mention Andy Latimer and Camel, I know Andy and many years ago I was talking to his wife Susan Hoover and was complaining about us not being able to get a record deal and she said you should start your own label. They then went to live in America and some years later, 5 years maybe I went to visit them in America and told them that I had started Toff Records and they were thinking of starting Camel Productions, which they then did and bought out "Dust & Dreams". So, really the label was just for Pendragon, I can't really see it taking on other stuff because it's so time consuming just dealing with Pendragon.

I interviewed Mick Pointer once who you did the "Script for a Jester's Tear" tour with. I mentioned the term neo-progressive and he made clear that he didn't like that term. Even calling it an Americanism. What do you think of this sub genre and the name it's given?

Names are OK when they're not meant in a derogatory way, I've always thought that was kind of OK, but I've realised that people desperately want to put things into categories rather than just be what they are. I think as a point of reference these things are OK, if you call a band heavy metal that's OK or people have no idea what they're going to get, but when you get these nasty little sixth formers arguing over "neo" progressive music being crap, and all other types of progressive music being brilliant, they are defining what these things mean and I think that they are really starting to disappear up their own arse, music is something which is very subjective and it can't really be put into tight categories I don't think. The term "Neo-Progressive" it started out OK, it has become a little bit derogatory I think as I say by some of these American type progressive rock forums, but bollocks to them, if they like it they like it, if they don't they don't.

You added a separate note to "Pure" in which you clearly disapprove of the download culture and everything surrounding it. I even gave it some exposure in my review. Is it that bad for you?

Well yes! I mean, in the last 6 months we've seen Pinnacle, PHD Canada, and SPV go bankrupt and this is a result clearly of them not selling enough records. They are not selling enough records because people are illegally downloading music for nothing and that's a problem. For us in many ways we're quite lucky because we have a hardcore following who do want to buy our albums and we've restructured the way we work so that we sell albums directly to fans which means for us it's a hell of a lot better than it was say a year or so ago, but it's a very dangerous time and a very dangerous business to be in, the music business.

I'm not sure if Pendragon makes ends meet for you or if you're semi-professional, but let's pretend you're forced to stop making music. Do you have any education that will get you a proper job?

Absolutely none what so ever! I've put everything into music, I work hard at the label, booking gigs, organising things, promoting and trying to push the band forward, it's constant and it has been for a very long time. I was just about to take my O-levels when I got into a band for the first time, the first kind of proper band with my friend Julian and that really took the focus of me doing any exam revision so I didn't really do any education, I was absolutely dedicated to doing music. If I couldn't do this I would go back and train, I would probably do something I realised when we were in that period of time when Pendragon were not doing very much, when we had some difficult times, I got back into surfing and into dirt bike riding and I very nearly tried to get a job with a dirt bike magazine writing for them writing reviews on dirt bikes and stuff. I would really enjoy that, anything I enjoy I can throw myself into and really get a lot out of, if I couldn't do this I would probably go back and train, something to do with psychology I'd find that interesting.

Is this negative perspective the reason for your lyrics to become bleaker or is it an intended change?

It's just something that happens, I don't think with the lyrics there was an intention for them to be bleaker. They were more just feelings that I felt at that time, they were feelings about things I felt going on like kids taking guns into schools and I thought it would be interesting to paint a kind of picture about how that might have felt and how kids of that age might feel. I was kind of angry when I was 15, 16 years old, I was also quite happy as well I was trying to find my way in the world like a lot of kids are and some of that anger has come out now, now that I am much older. Writing music and writing lyrics isn't something that you sit down and try to force something out it just kind of pops in there and develops.

The name of your band comes from Uther Pendragon in English Mythology. That's pretty clear. How did you decide on this name? Did you open a random book or was it something you had in mind long before deciding on it?

No, we were sitting round in the then bass player's bedroom at his house when we were about 15 years old or 16 and I think a few people had been smoking a fair bit of dope and I think everyone was a bit stoned and the drummer just said "why don't we call ourselves Pendragon?" and in the heat of the moment it just kind of stuck.

How do you experience music? Is it an emotional trip for you or are you someone that analyses every single chord that is struck?

No, it's the emotion. I like anything from Getz Gilberto to Metallica I am looking for that kind of edge, that part of someone's soul, I am not really that taken with music that is just technical I try and work with it, people like Al Di Meola who are technical but also with a great deal of atmosphere and melody particularly his recent stuff which is fantastic so I think you kind of have to have both you have a sense of feel and a sense of emotion and a sense of musicianship as well and that can work well together. I wouldn't say for example Gilmour is an amazingly dazzlingly guitarist but the notes he picks are staggering, I think anybody can learn to be a dazzling guitarist but you can't learn to emerge your soul in a tune it's a very difficult thing to do and find brilliant melodies.

I know you're a big fan of 70's progressive rock and your favourite record is probably Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon". Is progressive music all that shines in your collection or are their any curiosities you quite like?

Good grief no, I like a lot of Jazz, jazz-rock stuff , Gary Burton I've been playing to death over the last few weeks, that album called "reunion" which is brilliant, he's a vibes player. Getz Gilberto, Pat Metheny, Santana, I really like Latin jazz stuff in the summer because it's uncomplicated, it's got a great feel and it just does this kind of atmosphere thing which is brilliant. I've got into more nu-metal over the last few years. A lot of the newer progressive rock bands like Pure Reason Revolution, Riverside bands like Trapt from America, I like that kind of thing that kind of grungy stuff I've got more into Pearl Jam, Nirvana I like all that kind of thing as well which I never used to be very keen on but I am starting to develop a taste for, bands like The Verve I am getting into because I want to try to broaden my musical horizons. I love classical music as well, I really like Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D even though I haven't played it in ages I do really love that piece of music, but at the moment I've been listening to a lot of energetic modern music and that's kind of influencing me. I like to keep my horizons broad, I like singers like Sade, Michael Jackson, George Michael, all these people have or have had some brilliant songs delivered in a very emotional way so I like them to.

I've seen quite some photos of you wearing a warm ski hat. Even in the blazing sun! Is it an image you try to create or are you growing bald?

It isn't a ski hat! it's a beanie, huh huh.. I used to wear it a lot a few years ago when I was doing more motorbike stuff and surfing, as it keep your head warm, trouble is I got used to wearing it and it kinda stuck. I really like the beanie hats, no I don't wear it because I am going bald, if I was going bald I would shave all my hair off.

Discovery Channel has made quite some motorcycle programmes the last few years. Is that something you enjoy or do you limit your love for motorcycles to just riding them?

I haven't seen any of these Discovery things, but I saw something on the telly the other day which I started watching about the old Manx Norton's and Tritons which was very interesting, I've always really liked bikes but I dip in and out as time allows. I have got an Enduro bike at the moment and a motocross bike I like all the off road stuff, even though I really would like a nice touring bike or anything really I could ride on the road I don't care much what though, I do like bikes.

Last, but not least. I like to give people, who I interview, the burden of give one-sentence responses to sensitive subjects. So here goes!

Religion...

Absolutely fantastic as long as you inject some of your own ideas.

Legalisation of marijuana...

Brilliant idea for anyone over 35 years old.

The death penalty...

I don't agree with it, society has to set an example of being civilised and sometimes that comes at a price, but killing someone as a punishment takes us back to the dark ages, and the spiritual development of the human race is then slowed down or halted.

Hybrid motorcycles...

Love them, choppers, super bikes, suped up dirt bikes anything like that, absolutely fantastic.

Globalisation...

Lethal, the fact that people can think different things in different corners of the world creates debate and when you've got debate the world moves forward, when you've got just one voice you've got a dictatorship and I think that's where we're heading, centralisation of everything it's lethal.

Cancer...

My Nan died of it, and I think the on going effect on other people is as horrific as the disease itself and incredibly sad.

Adoption...

I always used to ask my Mum to tell me the truth that I was adopted when I was little; I wasn't. I think it was a way of getting attention.

Banks...

Getting their comeuppance!

Nuclear missiles...

Thankfully they seem to be drifting from the headlines that they had in the 1980's.

Football...

Probably the best way that all wars should be fought.

Internet...

Good versus Evil, and Evil versus Good!