A monthly look at must-hear artists from all corners of the guitar world, from the roots of their sound to the tracks that matter most
London-based PM Warson hasn’t hung about since the release of his first album, True Story, last year. His sound takes in vintage R&B and soul, and combines them with serious guitar chops and songwriting skills, both further demonstrated on this year’s Dig Deep Repeat. Begun while his debut was queuing to be pressed, the set took shape at a makeshift recording studio and came together when Covid rules eased enough to allow session players in. The record expands on True Story, bringing in 60s rock and new wave sounds. “I’d started demoing new stuff before the first one was even out, so I just thought we’ll turn it into a record,” Warson says. “All the gigs were cancelled and I had the songs, so why not?”
Live & Direct
For Dig Deep Repeat, Warson quickly had a clear vision of the type of sound he was after. “I wanted to keep it focused on live playing and analogue equipment, so I was already setting myself up for a challenge,” he smiles. “But I think we pulled it off. The band live on the floor is kind of what the whole sound is about. The records that influence me are the ones that have been made in that way, so it made sense to record it like that. It just heightens everything when you do it live; everyone is invested in and plays for the moment and there’s both restraint and risk at the same time.”
Beyond The Jukebox
When asked to tell us about records that have been important to his own musical journey and development, Warson jumps back many decades. “A lot of the music I like isn’t really album music, it was probably made as singles,” he explains. “I like a lot of mid-50s to mid-60s R&B, like Ray Charles records. He made LPs, but arguably the focus of that style was jukebox and radio singles. I’m into all of that, but obviously when you’re making an LP now you have to think about things differently. I wrote a piece recently on Them Again [by Them], which is probably my favourite beat-era R&B record, so that gives you a bit more of a flavour.”
Acts Of Service
As well as being a discerning listener, Warson’s guitar playing is always considered and he focuses less on flash elements, more on the whole sound. “I got snippets of what I liked in records and was drawn to a particular st
