Interview with Men Of North Country: ‘3 is our most eclectic album yet, there’s soul in there but it’s also a bit psychedelic and rocky’

Tel Aviv Northern Soul-inspired band Men Of North Country have released their third album, 3, which delves into more eclectic territory, containing seven original songs and three covers.

The band, which formed in 2012, includes lead singer and soul DJ Yashiv Cohen, drummer/producer Boaz Wolf, guitarist Doron Farhi, bassist Jonathan Ydov and a three-piece brass section comprising Ongy Sizzling (saxophone), Maayan Milo (trombone and trumpet) and Andy Ptashka (trombone). ‘Only one of us, Jonathan, is a native Tel Avivian, born and raised here,’ Cohen said. ‘I’m from a kibbutz in the north of Israel, Kfar Blum. ‘Kfar’ means ‘village’ and ‘Blum’ is named after the French prime minister (Léon Blum).’ He met his bandmates in Tel Aviv’s club scene, where he used to work as a soul DJ. Their band name is a reference to where he comes from as well as to their debut single of the same name. Cohen has a monthly radio show, Tel Aviv Soul Club, on the fourth Wednesday of the month, which is broadcast on KZ Radio in Tel Aviv and Totally Wired Radio in London. 

3 heralds a departure from the pure soul sounds of their previous two acclaimed albums, moving fearlessly into new territory, mapping their musical influences into a stirring collection of irresistibly melodic songs: ‘Our first single in 2010 was very soul-oriented, a most left field starting point,’ Cohen said. ‘Since then, we’ve been fiddling with the sound. 3 is our most eclectic album yet, there’s soul in there but it’s also a bit psychedelic and rocky. There are a lot of Americana sounds on it, which I think is pretty new and refreshing for us.’

‘We wanted something very soulful, brassy and punky’

Opening with the soulful soundscape of ‘Titanic’ and closing with their dark version of Californian 60’s garage-rock gem ‘Rari’ by The Standells, the album takes us on a ride through diverse musical territories, all the while retaining the melodic heart and soul of the band. It swings from wistful jangle-pop on ‘Out on the Hills’ to the rollicking and celebratory ‘Happy Birthday, Child’, sweeping anthemic bravado in ‘There is Light’ to ‘They Don’t Know’ – a cover of the Kirsty MacColl classic – plus sexy rock ‘n’ roll in the form of ‘Since I found My Love’. That’s not to say that they’ve abandoned their Northern Soul roots; ‘Ravens’ encapsulates that sound beautifully and there’s a brilliant down-and-dirty rendition of Sam Dees’s dance-floor filler ‘Lonely for You Baby’.

However, the heart of the album comes from Cohen’s melodic and powerful vocals that are reminiscent of Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder: ‘Haha, I never heard this one before! I’m not a big fan of his music, but he obviously has a good voice!’ In addition, the horns create an incredibly full and deep sound: ‘We always wanted that big sound,’ Cohen said. ‘We were inspired by bands like Dexy’s Midnight Runners. We wanted something very soulful, brassy and punky. The brass is very important. There is nothing like standing in front of a brass section, it’s the most uplifting experience to have. Using brass, not as the background, not as an accompaniment, but as the focal point. They’re stabby in a good way (laughs). If you think of a more philosophical definition of soul music, I think the soulfulness of it transfers best through brass. Although we’re located geographically very far away from the musical scene we belong to, which makes it very difficult to travel in big groups, we still insist on having the brass section.’

The opener ‘Titanic’ is one of the tracks on the album which is closest to their soul roots, albeit with an underlying melody that goes beyond that, pulling you towards a massive singalong chorus punctuated with brass fills and a swirling sound courtesy of the guitar phaser: ‘The music was composed by Doron and I wrote the lyrics. Lyrically, I was trying – like in almost every song – to have a double meaning. I think I might have been pissed off at the other guys in the band when I wrote it (laughs). We’ve had it for a pretty long time, it’s been seven years since our last album. ‘Titanic’ stands for the ship but also for a romantic relationship that’s sinking. On the Titanic, there was the notion of the band that kept on playing until the end, after everyone was gone.’

As the track kicks off: “Gotta stay, gotta go, gonna wake up all alone, got to keep myself afloat. Do I hide? Do I seek? Haven’t seen you for a week. I am up a cripple creek.”

‘I love that song, it’s laidback and sparse but still so dramatic and moving’

Fascinatingly, for a lyricist, the lyrics are not what most draws Cohen to other people’s songs: ‘I write the lyrics and they’re important to me but I’m not a lyrics guy (laughs). When I listen to a tune, I’m not interested in the lyrics but they need to be the right vehicle for the song. I try to write a song in a way so that the listener can interpret it in their own way, it’s more interesting artistically.’

Picking the three covers on the album was a big challenge because there are so many that Cohen would love to cover: ‘I have a list of about 100 to 150 songs I want us to cover!,’ he said enthusiastically. ”Lonely For You, Baby’ was at the top of that list. I love that song, it’s laidback and sparse but still so dramatic and moving. It makes your body dance to a certain beat and your heart thump twice as fast! That’s the ultimate compliment for a tune, I guess. A cover is an important thing to do and learn from. What’s that expression? We’re all standing on the shoulders of giants. This song is by Sam Dees, it was a big song in the 1970’s Northern Soul scene. He’s a hero as a songwriter. We used to do it live and said we should record it.’ Their version is glorious, opening with a chuggy guitar riff, which is swiftly joined by the horns. It’s uplifting and it’s one of the tracks in which Cohen’s voice really shines and you can tell he’s in his element.

The incredible artwork for the album was done by Sharon Zisling, their saxophonist’s wife: ‘It’s an old photo I found of an installation of a futuristic lighthouse from the 1964 “East Fair” in Tel Aviv,’ Cohen said. ‘It’s mix of old and new, and the spiraling motif and hollow gaze all did it for me.’

Men of North Country currently have two studio albums released on Acid Jazz Records, The North (2012) and This City (2016). Some of their musical influences are very removed from the Northern Soul Scene: ‘Doron’s biggest influence is The Cure, you can hear that in all our albums,’ Cohen said. ‘I think he hears Robert Smith’s guitar in his head wherever we go! For me, Dexy’s have always been a big influence, the Jam, Weller and, of course, the soul music of the 60’s: Otis Redding, Solomon Burke, Little Willie John, Ted Taylor. I had a friend back home who got me into the classics, but it really kicked in through the Dave Godin Deep Soul compilations, those blew me away. From there, I got into Northern and Mod etc.’

Cohen describes Tel Aviv’s music scene as ‘pretty diverse’: ‘It’s pretty small compared to the population and its diversity,’ he said. ‘There are a lot of alternative bands, it’s been booming over the last 10 years or so. That’s not to say that I love all of it but there’s definitely a creative boom.’

‘I’m not sure if I’m capable of writing such a joyous tune but my two kids can’

‘Happy Birthday, Child’ is unquestionably the most joyous track on the album, it feels like both a birthday party and summer holiday rolled into one, with a huge almost gospel-like chorus and energy. It turns out to have a really lovely provenance: ‘These are pretty shitty times,’ Cohen said. ‘I’m not sure if I’m capable of writing such a joyous tune (laughs) but my two kids can. I stole this song from them! They were five and nine years old when they composed this song. We have a piano and a drum kit at home and they started writing songs during lockdown. It was one of their first songs, they said it was inspired by MONC, so I said “I’m taking it back!” (laughs). They sang gibberish over it and I just put lyrics on it. They’re amazing. At the age of 6 and 10, they had a song played on BBC radio!’

As the track goes: “Count your age by friends, not years. Come on, I know you’re smiling deep inside. Walk the dog, do the twist, shake it baby just like this. You are one of a kind. Happy birthday, child.”

Sweetly, it is his favourite song on the album: ‘Apart from that, my favourite changes. There are probably two I like the best, one is ‘Since I Found My Love’, the other is ‘Ravens’ – it represents the band the most. It has a Northern Soul beat, it’s uplifting and anthemic but there’s a dark tension. There are two versions, one with strings and the album version, which is more guitar-driven.’

Another standout track on the album is the closer, their garage rock cover of ‘Rari’ by The Standells, which kicks off with a long guitar intro before the brass and Cohen come in and it’s one of the tracks that best shows his vocal range: ‘It’s the only track on the album that we recorded live. We’re better live,’ he said. ‘You’re there, it’s simpler and much more direct. It helps my vocal performance. I’m a huge fan of this song and The Standells. It’s amazing to me that this was a B-side, I like it better than the A-side ‘Dirty Water’.’

If he could go for a drink with anyone, he picks Johnny Cash: ‘I think I’d be inspired, he’d have good stories and he’d know how to deliver them. I’d get chills down my spine, I think it’d be a good conversation!’

(Photo from left to right: Maayan, Yashiv, Ongy, Boaz, Jonathan and Doron)