Alfie Agnew - Professor and the Madman, Adolescents & D.I.

Alfie Agnew in conversation with David Eastaugh  https://professorandthemadman.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/professorandthemadman   Sean Elliott and Alfie Agnew are the songwriters and co-frontmen of Professor and the Madman. Elliott sees Dreamworld as a continuation of themes discussed on the group’s previous album, the critically acclaimed Séance, released in 2020.    “Séance was about re-establishing contact with an era, a way of life, that seems to be making a comeback,” he said. “Like many people, the ritual of bringing home a vinyl record and immersing yourself in its journey was crucial to Alfie and me. With Dreamworld, we’ve expanded that concept to include the idea that a song cycle can still provide escape—even if briefly—from the daily chaos. Modern life is fueled by anxiety, and most of these new songs express that.”     Dreamworld’s musical foundation is inspired by ‘60s baroque pop, but cocktail jazz interludes, classical flourishes, backwards guitar, and playful psychedelia sit comfortably alongside the tempest of punk-pop and alternative rock. “12 Strings and Tambourines” and “Temple of Madness” feature virtuoso performances from The Damned’s rhythm section of Rat Scabies and Paul Gray. Elliott and Agnew trade off lead vocals on all the selections (except for a rare duet on “Songs in My Head,” to which Agnew also contributes trumpet) while also handling the lead and rhythm guitar parts, and keyboards.    To create music this ambitious, it’s appropriate that the pair ventured outside of their Hollydale home studio in Fullerton, California, for the first time.