I’m as passionate about making music now as I was 40 years ago. That hasn’t changed. And I think that’s the bit that matters. Because you see it all the time. Brilliant musicians, far better than me, just… stop. Lose interest. Move on. And that’s fine. Nothing wrong with that. But underneath it all, it’s not really about talent anyway. It’s about whether you still feel something when you sit down to play. Whether there’s still a reason to keep going.
The funny thing with music is we tend to attach it to youth. We look at people in their 20s, maybe early 30s, and think that’s where it happens. That’s where careers are made. That’s where the energy is. Then life kicks in. Kids, mortgages, responsibilities. It slips to the side.And by the time you hit your 50s or 60s, well… you’re “old”. No one’s looking for new music from you. If you’re still playing, it’s covers, old songs, reliving what was.
But that’s never really been us.
We’re not a touring band. Never had a career in music. No back catalogue people recognise. We’re a studio band. Always have been. But the drive, the enthusiasm, that’s still there. Same as it was in our 20s.
We’re not doing it to get famous. Not doing it to make money. That ship’s sailed and we’re realistic about that. But that’s not the point. The point is creating something. Enjoying the process. Maybe putting something out there that one or two people connect with.
That’s enough.
Because the truth is, breaking through when you’re older… it’s a dead end. You’re not suddenly going to find a new audience. It just doesn’t work like that. And once you accept that, it actually becomes quite freeing. You’re not chasing anything anymore. You’re just doing the thing.
We even called the band OLDER just to get it out of the way. People love to tell you you’re too old, so fine. Let’s own it. We’re not pretending to be younger. Not dressing it up. This is it. Take it or leave it.
And there’s something else in there too. Ageism. It’s everywhere, but no one really talks about it. You feel it. Especially starting out later. But over time, you kind of stop fighting it. You just carry on anyway.
Because the reality is, creativity doesn’t disappear with age. If anything, you get better at it. More experienced. More skilled. Even if your body starts arguing with you a bit along the way.
So we’ll keep going. Another album in the works. Takes time, always does. And we’ll keep doing it for as long as we can. As long as the voice holds. As long as the fingers still work. As long as the ears can still hear enough to get it right.
No big plan. Just… keep making music.
