IAN BLURTON'S FUTURE NOW

Rock got hard in the 70’s...BAD COMPANY, AEROSMITH, MONTROSE, UFO were just a few of the bands who stayed true to rock n roll but increased the grit. They did it without venturing full force into the new world of heavy metal. That style of music is a part of anyone who grew up in that magic era of FM Radio and vinyl record stores in every town.

Ian Blurton, like Pepperidge Farms, remembers. A multi-talented musician and producer of Canadian birth, Ian did more than just remember. He went out and put together his own damn band to play this classic style of rock n’ roll. Say hello to IAN BLURTON’S FUTURE NOW!

Their new record “Crimes of the City” shows they’ve learned the lessons of the 70’s well...and more! An infectious concoction of hard rock/proto metal goodness, it makes you wish this stuff was still at the top of the charts instead of mumble rap, bro-country and whatever garbage is being pushed by the corporations. 

We here at Wormwood also have our finger on the pulse of good hard music, so it was elemental that we meet up with Mr. Blurton. Here’s the result...

WORMWOOD CHRONICLES: I’m going to hit you with the number one question every band hates to answer. How did you come up with the name of the band? I ask because it fits the hard rock / retro sound and image in my head when I listen to your record. 

IAN BLURTON: “Future/Now” is a song by one of my fav bands THE MC5 and it just seemed like a good fit for what we are trying to do.

WC: The sonic style of IAN BLURTON’S FUTURE NOW is the closest, most honest rendering of 70’s hard rock I might have ever heard from a modern rock band. What sets you apart from the stoner / retro bands out there trying to cop from 70’s hard rock? 

IB: We use either amps from the 70s or recreations of amps from the 70s and a lot of the gear used to record the record is older. Some mics from the 40s, some preamps from the 50s, etc. When we mixed the record we also kept everything very simple (i.e., 1 reverb/2 delays) and I think that helps. 

 WC: If you already answered this above then please move onto the next question. Do you think of the band as a stoner rock / desert rock band, or do you see the band’s identity fitting in elsewhere? 

IB: We like to flirt with lots of different styles (prog/NWOBHM/etc) as we chase what we think is a killer song. Is it a good song?? is always our first thought before genre or anything else. 

 WC: If you dig into your sound and style, can you name some of the bands which have been a heavy influence on IAN BLURTON’S FUTURE NOW? Which bands are you channeling when you write and record? 

IB: JIMI HENDRIX is one of my main inspirations but ideas can come from a completely different genre. Off the top of my head: THIN LIZZY, BUDGIE, MOTORPSYCHO, CAPTAIN BEYOND, THE DAMNED, THE STOOGES come to mind.

  WC: And we haven’t even gotten to the most basic question: how long has the band been around and what was the impetus for it being formed? 

IB: I released a somewhat solo record called “Signals Through The Flames” in 2019 and I used a bunch of my fav rhythm sections on it. FUTURE NOW members Glenn and Anna both played on it and when I needed to put together a band to play shows for it’s release I asked the 2 of them and I was honored when they said yes. We realized we needed a second guitarist for those WISHBONE ASH style parts so we got Aaron. That has been the band since then and I love playing with them. I almost consider “Signals...” to be the 1st FUTURE NOW record because their influence was so strong on it and we still play a bunch of songs live 

 WC: IAN BLURTON’S FUTURE NOW has released two records in the last two years. Were both the result of a lot of writing and a burst of creativity or you just had that many songs you could dip into and fill up two records with? 

IB: I try and write constantly so there is always too much material. There are roughly 8 songs we tracked for “Crimes...” that might see the light of day soon. We did a UFO cover in that batch and that will be out in February. 

WC: do you see the IAN BLURTON’S FUTURE NOW’s sound staying relatively the same as the band progresses or is this a fluid project whose sound and style could change and evolve and be something completely different in say, five years from now?

 IB: I think each record has its own identity. “Crimes...” stripped downness was a reaction to the progness and keyboards of “Second Skin” and the new record that we are just finishing writing seems to be a darker sounding affair than “Crimes...” 

WC: Any plans to tour this band out of Canada and into the U.S. in 2025? 

 IB: We would love to go to the US and Europe and are just looking for the right opportunity. 

WC: Final question. What haven’t we covered that you’d like your fans to know about. The floor is yours! 

IB: We have lots of guitar solos, love clean singing/harmonies, think THE SWEET are a very underrated hard rock band, are pro-creativity and doing things outside of current trends, try and sell our merch at reasonable prices and love jamming. We are also a little bit loud in the live setting. Thanks for having us. 

IAN BLURTON'S FUTURE NOW