The Recreation are one of our favourite bands and a group we have worked with for a while – managing and organising thing with them. During lockdown the band have been working on some new songs, a slightly different concept to their usual music and have created a really beautiful body of work. For Tessa, With Affection, April ‘76. is the title of their upcoming EP, created entirely in lockdown and recorded themselves. Is it released July 3rd so make sure you find the time to sit down and listen to it all as a continues EP.

We spoke to frontman Owen Baldwin ahead of the release…

Name?
Owen From The Rec

Where are you from?
Oldham

What do you do?
Sing and play the six string gun

You can make a record with one artist from history, who’s your pick?
I’d say the doors but it would just be me trying to mimic Jim Morrison whilst he’s stood right there, so i think for the benefit of the art i’d go with something genre-bending. The Streets or Skepta perhaps.

What do you miss about home when you’re on tour?
Million percent a good cup of tea, waking up with a solid 2 hour kip tryna locate them little watered down pots of milk you’ve been dashing round the hotel room the previous night, and it always seems to be tetley on offer the worst tea of them all… so ye a good cup of yorkshire tea to start the day.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Foo Fighters or Elbow

What British music icons inspire your sound today?
For our sound i’ll say Alex Turner, he’s up there with the greats, but will probably have to wait till he’s dead before he gets the respect he deserves.

You have one hour to spend with a person from history, who and why?
Jim Morrison

If you could play with any band, alive or dead, who would you pick?
Probably Cream, theyre the band that to me is just a great band, they’re not all focused on a front man, each member brings their own angle and they’re all quality musicians. Be fun to get shown up for a few hours.


To get to know what inspires the band and is behind the writing we created a playlist of some of their iconic songs from their life.

The first track you played constantly?
From The Floorboards Up – Paul Weller
When As Is Now came out I was 6 years old and me mam had it in her car, I used to always skip to that track. I suppose it was the most fun and accessible song for the young mind, that’s what planted the seed that led to todays obsession for music

A song that defines the teenage you?
Rock N Roll Star – Oasis
Probably stood in the mirror singing that to myself as a youngster more than any other song

One song you would keep forever?
Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd
A song I could listen to morning, day & night and never get bored. it still packs the same punch as it did the first time I heard it.

A song lyric that has inspired you?
Work Me, Lord – Janis Joplin
“Well I don’t think I’m any very special kind of person down here… But I don’t think you’re gonna find anybody who could say that they tried like I tried”

A song you wished you had written?
Let It Be – The Beatles
Such a boring choice, but it just is the greatest song ever so can you blame me?

A guilty pleasure?
The Scientist – Coldplay
Chris Martin has penned some belters as much as it pains me to admit it.

Best song to turn up loud?
The Rat – The Walkmen
That song could prize me off my death bed.

A karaoke song?
Bette Davies Eyes – Kim Carnes
Best pop song ever

Last song in your ideal night club?
The End – The Doors
Clubs in general are shite forced fun, never mind the cringeworthy ‘final song’. The End by The Doors would be the last song in my club just to fuck with all the squares waiting for come on eileen.

A new band you’re into at the moment?
Hello Stranger – Nev Cottee
He’s not new to be fair, he was in a band called Proud Mary from where I live in Royton. They were quite big a while back, supported Oasis n that. But he’s released this solo record last year and it’s mega, Nothing like the band was, it’s got a Leonard Cohen/Richard Hawley vibe, well worth checking out.

Written by: Stuart Daley