Music from the real heroes (From Harrow Times)

Music from the real heroes

10:39am Friday 23rd September 2011 in Interviews By Melanie Dakin

Guard duty in the British army has led to a promising musical partnership between St Albans guitarist Harry Smith and Jamaican vocalist Jason Francis, who is stationed in Aldershot.

During an army exercise on Salisbury Plain last year, Harry started strumming his acoustic guitar while resting in the guardroom at Westdown camp. His colleague Jason began to sing along and decided to write a song to go with the distinctive chords Harry was playing. The duo have now formed The Watch (previously known as Acoustic soulJaHs) and are busy working on their debut album.

Harry, from Chiswell Green, attended Killigrew School and Parmiters and he taught himself to play guitar from the age of 14. Now 24, he has retired from the army after six years service and is just about to start a teaching degree at Middlesex University.

I ask Harry what made him join up?

“It was just something I’d thought about from a young age. I always enjoyed running around and did charity events for the Normandy vets. I had a great affection for the armed forces and didn’t want to be an armchair supporter.”

In the army, both Harry and Jason worked as combat medical technicians. They were sent to Afghanistan in 2009 and spent six months saving lives in the poorest villages of Helmand province.

It is very hard, especially for my family. The families of soldiers are stronger than the soldiers themselves.

Jason Francis

“It was mentally and physically tough,” admits Harry, who was first posted to Afghanistan in 2007. “Even if you’re not on patrol, you might be treating locals, the enemy or your own people. There were some bad times and some good times.”

As well as the dangers of being in a combat zone, Harry said it was hard with family and friends back home worrying about him. Playing music helped relieve the tension.

“It gave us something to concentrate on,” says Harry. “When you get back a lot of it does play on your mind. We wrote this one track, Praise the Heroes, which is about losing friends and colleagues but people can interpret songs the way they want. Our music’s quite a diverse mix of indie and RnB and it’s about everyday stuff like life, love and loss or whatever comes into our heads.”

Jason came to England in 2003 to join the army. A father of three, he is due to undertake another tour of Afghanistan next year.

“It is very hard, especially for my family. The families of soldiers are stronger than the soldiers themselves.

”The life of a soldier is difficult, I am always tired; but it helps in writing songs. I use my experiences gained from the army as a source of inspiration. The army encourages soldiers to do extra activities.”

For Jason, music is an important release.

“My music helps me put things in perspective. It is a form of self-therapy; but most importantly, I hope it will have a positive effect on others.”

Harry says meeting up to play and record is tricky but as an acoustic duo they’re fairly portable and hopes are for a local gig quite soon.

So does Harry regret leaving the forces?

“The army doesn’t give you qualifications you can use on civvie street. It was a big sigh of relief to leave, but it’s a shame as I still miss it. I just felt I needed a new direction, so I decided to go into teaching and see if I can make a difference.

“I work part-time in a gym and have done some work experience with year 6s at my old school Killigrew. I was terrible at school so I’d like to go in and help kids who don’t have support from home.”

Details: http://thewatchmusic.com/