DARRYL WAY

Every month, we get inside the mind of some of the biggest names in music. This issue, it’s Darryl Way. The violinist and founder member of Curved Air has enjoyed a varied career that’s seen him team up with Jethro Tull, Sting and Sir Tim Rice, as well as pen operas and tunes for cat food ads. With the release of his latest solo album, Destinations 2, Way considers his past, present and future and shares with Prog the secrets of his first novel as well as the chances of a Curved Air reunion.

Words: Malcolm Dome

Curved Air recording their first album, at Island studio.

PRESS: CURVED AIR ARCHIVE

Darryl Way’s lengthy career has certainly been diverse. He’s written an opera, worked with Sting, Eric Clapton and Marianne Faithfull, and also collaborated with Sir Tim Rice.Moreover, he’s composed music for movies, TV shows and even several adverts, for products including Jaguar and Whiskas cat food. Oh, and to add to his polymath CV, the man has even directed four videos for Verisma, the classical crossover band he formed in 1998 with the tenor Stephen Crook.

But as far as prog fans are concerned, the Taunton-born Way is best known as a founder member of Curved Air alongside keyboard player/guitarist Francis Monkman, playing a crucial role in the early 70s as the band established themselves as one of the genre’s preeminent names. He also co-wrote their surprise 1971 hit single, Back Street Luv.

A graduate of the Royal College Of Music, Way is regarded as one of the finest violinists on the progressive scene, as well as an accomplished keyboard player. Because of his virtuoso credentials, he’s been much in demand over the decades as a session musician. For instance, he was called in by Jethro Tull to augment their sound on 1978’s Heavy Horses album, and in the same year played on Pierre Moerlen’s Gong album, Expresso II.

He’s also released a number of strong solo records, starting with 1978’s Concerto For Electric Violin. The latest is Destinations 2, the follow-up to 2019’s Destinations. So, even now at the age of 72 and with a distinguished reputation in both classical and progressive circles, Darryl Way shows absolutely no sign of slowing down.

New album Destinations 2

Growing up, was there a lot of music in your house?

Not really. My mum used to sing a lot. She had a beautiful, operatic-style voice, although she was never trained. I suppose the radio must have been on in the house and I’d have heard music that way. But I was a child of the early television era. My parents got me a TV set because I was very ill with whooping cough, so that made more of an impression on me.

Were you particularly academic at school?

I was a little. I loved music, and saw that as a way of getting out of the place I was in and making a life for myself. But I was also good at art and English. Those were subjects I loved.