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Andy Willsher Q+A
Monday, 31st March, 2008
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 Andy Willsher is one of the UK's most celebrated indie music photographers, shooting everyone from Morrissey and Muse on the English isles to Foo Fighters and the White Stripes stateside.
MILK: Who/What inspired you to get into photography?
Andy: It was a mixture of really good bands playing in my local town and wanting to go and see them and photograph them after reading about them in all weekly music magazines at the time - i have to admit it was mostly goth bands at the time - The Mission,Ghost Dance and Zodiac Mindwarp to name a few.
Do you have any big photographic influences?
Anton Corbijn and Pennie Smiths photographs for the NME really - they were totally inspiring.
Who was your first shoot with?
i'd done a lot of gigs locally but my first proper shoot was with a band called Adorable who were signed to Creation, i loved nearly everything on Creation at the time and built up a relationship with the people there basically through blagging into there gigs and Adorable had just signed and needed some press shots doing.
Why musicians in particular? Do you think you could ever move into fashion?
i think it's just because i'm first and foremost a music fan above anything else and that gives me the enthusiasm to hopefully take great shots - i really think i'd be struggling doing hip-hop or metal and the same prob goes for fashion. i find there's a lot more spontaneity in music and there's an element of being in the right place at the right time.
What did you grow up listening to?
i think most people go through a slightly dodgy metal phase and mine was Rainbow and Queensryche and then thankfully i met some older people at school who were total David Bowie obsessive and thankfully i was on the right path then - closely followed by The Jam and The Smiths
You've shot quite a few covers for NME, how did your relationship begin with the UK's most popular music mags?
at the time it was spending hours and hours in my darkroom printing up photos of gigs i'd just been to and then sending them to NME and Melody Maker and hoping for some feedback or as a really long shot maybe them asking me to cover something - this pretty much lasted 2 years and finally the phone rang and the live reviews editor asked me to cover a gig by a band called The Family Cat in their local school in Crewe for competition winners - all went well and they began to ask me to cover gigs from the next week on and I've been there ever since!!!
After five hears of working in the music industry I think working with musicians is an acquired skill! Has anyone been particularly difficult to work with over the years?
The only person I've had real trouble with is Mark E Smith but i think i caught him on a particularly bad day... marital problems and sacking the band on the same day!
How would you describe your style and how do you think it has developed over the years?
i suppose fairly easy going and enthusiastic but not too over bearing or cocky- it always helps to have some knowledge of who your shooting.
One of your stand out photos for me is the pensive Mr Pete Doherty, topless, sitting with his back against a white wall; how do you go about gaining an artists confidence in order to achieve such effective shots?
it's just a question of time and getting to know someone and working with them for a few years beforehand and with Pete in particular he knows that i'm not going to be selling shots to the tabloids to try and make a quick buck.
What are your top three most memorable shoots?
Thom Yorke at Milton Keynes Bowl with ice cream all over his face. The White Stripes in Berkeley, San Fransisco. The Arctic Monkeys first photo shoot in their local snooker hall.
Any words of wisdom you can pass down to anyone wanting to get into music photography?
Mainly stick to shooting bands you like - its so rewarding getting a great shot of a band you love. |
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