Helicon, Sitar, And The Sound That Stings

Ever hear a sitar slice through a wall of guitars and think, this belongs in a film? We went deep with Helicon’s John Paul Hughes to map how a Glasgow psych band turns orchestral tension into thunderous finales, why beauty lives inside noise, and how structure makes chaos hit harder on stage. From the Beatles’ psychedelic turn to Brian Jones’s restless curiosity, we explore the instruments, scenes, and accidents that shape Helicon’s sound.John shares an exclusive: the band was invited to help recreate and expand music from Brian Jones’s lost 1967 soundtrack, transforming fragmentary cues into fully realized pieces—one razor-bright sitar theme, one wild harmonica burner, and one dirge-like organ work—planned for release on Jones’s birthday. We also talk shop about curfews, timing, and rehearsing the “improvised” parts until they breathe, so finales land before the lights snap on. The conversation spirals through film culture—love for scores, skepticism toward biopics—and a candid take on authenticity, legacy, and why making music for yourself is still the only compass that lasts.Looking ahead, Helicon is building a new chapter with LA producer Al Lover, blending breakbeats, dub textures, and electronica into their sitar-and-guitar surge—a lineage closer to Primal Scream’s XTRMNTR than purist psych. Along the way we shout out key influences and peers, from Spacemen 3, Mogwai, and the Jesus and Mary Chain to modern torchbearers keeping the drone, dream, and feedback alive.If cinematic psych, lost soundtracks, and the craft behind explosive live sets light you up, press play. Then tap follow, share it with a friend who loves bold guitar music, and leave a review telling us which psych record you’d want scored for the screen.Send us Fin-mail!Support the show