On the eve of Brett Howell's back catalogue release, I caught up with him to discuss his career so far. What I got instead were stories of time travel and clairvoyance at 33,000 feet.  

 

In 2006 rock musician Brett Howell boarded a plane at Heathrow Airport in London, UK. His destination was Cape Town, South Africa. It was a journey he had made several times to visit family, but this occasion was different. “It was a strange flight,” he recalls. “I got talking to the lady beside me. An hour later, the topic turned to careers. I worked in an office job at the time, and she was a clairvoyant. She asked if I wanted my future read. I was reluctant and very skeptical, but she persuaded me. She knew nothing about me, though most of what she said was shockingly accurate. It freaked me out. She then described how I'd achieve success as an artist or musician, but said it would take longer than I expected. It was an odd flight. I still think about it sometimes.” 

  
Fast forward eight years, and Brett is well on his way to attaining that success. Credited with multiple solo and collaborative projects, he has released material and performed under the names of Brett Howell, alter egos Mercury and Francis Fahrenheit, Neptune’s Kingdom and Moxy Ru. The year 2014 also marks the much awaited release of Brett Howell’s back catalogue, including the albums 'Mercury' (2005), the single 'Rock 'n' Roll Clown' (2006) and a Neptune’s Kingdom album titled 'Light/Magic' (2006). 

  

“Since 2012 my musical focus has been Moxy Ru but, with us disbanding, 2014 seemed like a good year to revisit and re-release some earlier material,” explains Brett. For those familiar with Moxy Ru, who perhaps missed these earlier releases first time around, the material might be surprising. “My earlier albums are very different to the rock 'n' roll of Moxy Ru,” says Brett. “Stylistically they're more varied and experimental, and the lyrics are more introspective. In comparison with the upbeat sound of Moxy Ru, they're also quite a bit darker.” 

  

The 'Mercury' album pays homage to the iconic glam rock stars who influence Brett to this day. “David Bowie's creation of Ziggy Stardust inspired me to experiment with an alter ego of my own,” says Brett. The resultant creation was Mercury, an iconic glam rock star who served two artistic purposes. “On the one hand, Mercury represented my sub-conscious,” he says. “On the other hand, he paid tribute to my 70s influences. David Bowie and Marc Bolan have been major influences on me, and the character of Mercury became a time traveler through whom I could visit the era of glam rock and interacts with those influences.” This aesthetic was equally evident in the album's iconic artwork. “Thinking back, it was really a multimedia project. We evoked the era of glam rock in a holistic way through artwork, outfits, stagecraft and music. Oh... and make-up. Yeah. I wore a lot of make-up.” 

  

This emphasis on visual components as well as music is fundamental to Brett's oeuvre. “As a musician I've often drawn inspiration from non-musical art,” he explains. “Paintings and films are as likely as songs to influence and inspire me. At the same time, writing as well as performing songs always evokes a visual world for me, and I like to express that through outfits, make up, stagecraft, artwork, photo shoots and film.”     

  

A good example of a non-musical influence on Brett's work is the 1998 film Velvet Goldmine, directed by Todd Haynes. The film tells the story of a fictional rock star, Brian Slade, and recreates the 1970s glam rock scene. “Seeing Velvet Goldmine was a watershed moment for me,” says Brett. “The film captured my imagination, and presented a world I wanted to explore. It helped shape my stage persona, and partly inspired the Mercury character and sound.”          

  

The Mercury album is an accomplished body of work that is typically remembered for the radio-friendly 'Junipertah,' the playful 'Kicking a Mooncan' and the elegant 'Magic Man Remedies.' “It's a varied set of songs,” says Brett. “Some are more accessible than others, though I'm happy with the collection as a whole. It's also been interesting to revisit the album in the run up to its re-release. While recording it, I was probably most conscious of my glam rock and perhaps folk influences, but today I hear many 80s influences too. The Smiths and The Cure are definitely in there somewhere.” 

 

In 2006 Brett also recorded a music video for the sleek single 'Rock ’n’ Roll Clown,' that is still available on YouTube. The video depicts a performer's off-stage-to-on-stage transformation, and pays homage to several key influences. The stage persona and guitar work clearly evoke glam rock greats, while the song itself recalls Martin L. Gore's interpretation of the David Essex classic 'Stardust.'  

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The year 2014 also sees the re-release of Brett's solo album titled ‘The Making of Francis Fahrenheit.' In comparison with 'Mercury,' the album embodies a darker, more electronic sound. Asked to explain this transition, Brett says: “I was hanging out in London nightclubs like Egg and Slimelight, and listening to a lot more electronic and industrial music. NIN, Depeche Mode, Martin L. Gore’s solo work, Gary Numan and even Marilyn Manson became influences during this period.” The album's keynote tracks include 'Building Up Your Wall, 'Pretender To The Throne' and the industrial 'Glass Spiders'.

  

Asked about the relationship between his solo and collaborative work, Brett explains: “It’s a close relationship. I don’t think one could exist without the other. I've been lucky to work with such talented, committed and entertaining people, and I'm conscious of how my solo and collaborative projects feed into one another. They also have different advantages. Working autonomously allows more freedom, and my solo work is a lot more experimental – even indulgent. It incorporates more idiosyncratic electronic influences. On the other hand, working as a band enables you to combine expertise and influences. You collectively improve ideas and watch compositions take unexpected directions. I love getting to the end of that process and thinking: 'Man, how the hell did we do that? I never expected the song to sound that way!'” 

  

To date, Brett's most prominent collaborative projects are the rock bands Neptune's Kingdom (2006-2007) and Moxy Ru (2012-2014). “Moxy Ru is a recent and familiar memory for fans, and was a lot of fun for the band,” says Brett. “It was a great way to revisit classic rock with a modern sensibility. We drew freely on bands like The Who, Steppenwolf and The Rolling Stones, but identified closely with acts like the Arctic Monkeys, the Black Keys and Jack White. We ultimately created a sound of our own, and the Momento Retro EP really resonated with London's rock scene.” The band's extensive and popular repertoire included ‘Rebel Gentleman’, 'The Weekend Never Dies,' 'Judy,' 'Who Is That Man?' and ‘Spider on the Wall.'  

  

In contrast, the work of Neptune's Kingdom will be less familiar to new fans. “From 2006 to 2007 I fronted a three-piece rock band called Neptune's Kingdom,” says Brett. “We wrote songs very easily, and refined a sound that fused pop, rock and something darker and more experimental. We gigged regularly and developed a loyal following. This year, while reviewing my back catalogue, I rediscovered these recordings, and decided to re-release this material too. So songs like 'The Unknown,' 'Camdenite' and 'Purple Moon' are going back into circulation for old and new fans.”  

  

In both solo and collaborative work, Brett's prolificacy demonstrates an unwavering passion for music. “I’m an all or nothing guy, and my attitude to music is the same,” he says. “I’m constantly working on music or something music related. It can be a bit obsessive!” At present, that focus is on preparing his back catalogue for release. “Revisiting my earlier material has been interesting,” he says. “I've always liked the idea of music being a medium for time travel through which I revisit eras. I also like how recordings are time capsules that embody ideas, styles and production values. Normally I feel this when listening to other artists, but revisiting my own back catalogue has been similar. It's been nostalgic experience, and made me reflect on my musical past, present and future. It's made me take stock.”  

  

Today, eight years after a chance meeting with a clairvoyant at 30,000 feet, Brett seems well on his way to the success she described. ”The last two years have been amazing,” he says. “For years I worked very hard. I'm incredibly grateful for the support that I've had so far. Success means something different to me. It's about creating and exploring. It's endless and quite magical. Looking ahead, I think the real challenge is harnessing my creativity and energy, and to keep growing.”

 

Written by Tom Sparks (London, 2014).