There was a time when Saul Freeman had not been associated with Mandalay, and David McAlmont wasn't yet making songs with Bernard Butler. It was the time when etherealism in music found its glorious moment. It was the early 90s, Freeman & McAlmont was Thieves. Short-lived and overlooked, Thieves released Through The Door and Unworthy as singles. A male & soulful version of Cocteau Twins perhaps? Layers of swooning melodies trickling down their tunes, stealing your hearts, yes they're Thieves indeed.
David McAlmont kindly gave us his bits of Thieves memories and his current music projects.
How did you meet Saul Freeman?
I answered an advertisement in the back of a music newspaper called Melody Maker.
I learned that your songs on McAlmont were indeed your works with Saul, so why weren't they released under Thieves?
Saul and I split up before the album's release. He didn't want me to promote the record as Thieves, so my managers and the record company (Hut/Virgin) decided it should be called McAlmont.
McAlmont & A Little Communication sound very ethereal in my opinion, who were your influences?
I went with Saul's influences on McAlmont: The Blue Nile, The Cocteau Twins. Guy Davies was behind the sound of 'A Little Communication'
Are there still more unreleased Thieves tracks? If so, do you plan to release them someday?
No. We released everything.
Of all your collaborators, which one is your most favorite and why?
Guy Davies, who I work with now as one half of Fingersnap. We are completely on the same page. Michael Nyman, because it was very
unlikely, but it worked brilliantly.
Your work with Michael Nyman has such an interesting concept, how did it come up?
We were thinking about writing something based on the 'Raft of the Medusa' by Gericault. I became fascinated by the artist's life and
the way he captured contemporary life on his canvas. I decided to treat Michael's music like a canvas and paint contemporary life on
it. The best source of contemporary life was the newspapers. All of the songs on 'The Glare' are news stories.
What's your current favorite music?
My new EP, 'Smokehouse EP' released on November 14th.
I understand that you have been on a different music direction, and they're very beautifully expanded, but would you do music like Thieves again?
I don't think so. Saul was the architect of those soundscapes and he's unique.
Fingersnap, McAlmont's current music outfit can be found here, as for Freeman, he's writing music for movies now.
David McAlmont kindly gave us his bits of Thieves memories and his current music projects.
How did you meet Saul Freeman?
I answered an advertisement in the back of a music newspaper called Melody Maker.
I learned that your songs on McAlmont were indeed your works with Saul, so why weren't they released under Thieves?
Saul and I split up before the album's release. He didn't want me to promote the record as Thieves, so my managers and the record company (Hut/Virgin) decided it should be called McAlmont.
McAlmont & A Little Communication sound very ethereal in my opinion, who were your influences?
I went with Saul's influences on McAlmont: The Blue Nile, The Cocteau Twins. Guy Davies was behind the sound of 'A Little Communication'
Are there still more unreleased Thieves tracks? If so, do you plan to release them someday?
No. We released everything.
Of all your collaborators, which one is your most favorite and why?
Guy Davies, who I work with now as one half of Fingersnap. We are completely on the same page. Michael Nyman, because it was very
unlikely, but it worked brilliantly.
Your work with Michael Nyman has such an interesting concept, how did it come up?
We were thinking about writing something based on the 'Raft of the Medusa' by Gericault. I became fascinated by the artist's life and
the way he captured contemporary life on his canvas. I decided to treat Michael's music like a canvas and paint contemporary life on
it. The best source of contemporary life was the newspapers. All of the songs on 'The Glare' are news stories.
What's your current favorite music?
My new EP, 'Smokehouse EP' released on November 14th.
I understand that you have been on a different music direction, and they're very beautifully expanded, but would you do music like Thieves again?
I don't think so. Saul was the architect of those soundscapes and he's unique.
Fingersnap, McAlmont's current music outfit can be found here, as for Freeman, he's writing music for movies now.