Well-known Adelaide Progressive Rock group Unitopia have decided to call it a day. However the music lives on in the newly formed United Progressive Fraternity (UPF). So, who are UPF? What UPF stands for: Mark’s vision is to make UPF a ‘band for the people’; a collective concept, a kind of ‘revolving door’, where members who have something they would like to share whether it be musical ideas, or a chance to have musical input, artistic or thoughts and viewpoints on a range of all things whether they be musical, philosophical, theatrical, social/environmental comment, can contribute towards a progressive family, a Fraternity.
UPF’s new album Fall In Love With The World is due out on November 10th, 2014 – but we had a pre-listening and can assure you it’s a triumph of top level progressive rock/fusion READ OUR REVIEW HERE – so took the chance for an interesting Q&A with Mark Trueack.
Q: Your name and the latest album title seems to speak clearly of self-belief and the need to take the leap towards a higher consciousness: What is the message you are trying to give the audience?
A: UPF is not just about music and messages its about uniting people from all sides of life and allowing them to participate in the various albums I create. I am allowing the audience to become a part of the process. In Unitopia it was about writing meaning songs that sean and I believed in, UPF is like having a united front where musicians, producers can mix it up with the fans/audience. The messages are quite simple, share, care and understand each other, and save the planet. I have my own business called Energy Saving US and it focuses new energy saving technology I think sometimes we become lazy in our ways and through music we can remind people. The track Religion of War focuses on the other dilemma we have on this planet and that’s the lack of understanding when comes to religion and political views. What we are seeing at the moment is very disturbing and we must ask the question why do we continue to kill each other? In creating UPF it will allow me to invite all views of the genres and them to express the need to live as one!
Q: What role do you think music should have in global consciousness?
A: One simple answer to this, Music is Universal, most people relate to music and if the message is strong then people will react.
Q: I’m particularly curious to ask you about the story behind what I consider one of the greatest prog songs ever made, Travelling Man.
A: Thank you for your kind words, Travelling was to be a part of the Turn Left album that Sean and I were developing for the next UNITOPIA album. The song was originally called crossroads, but made the change once we started to re arrange it. I said to sean I wanted find what crossroads really meant, so I went to Wikipedia and found that a mythical character called ESHU created the crossroad, So we started taking the story and turning it into the song that is now, Travelling man was a much better song title to Crossroads as it delivered the message on how Eshu was the mischievous travelling man. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eshu there are many nice moments on the track but I think I might have changed a couple of things if there was more time.
Q: How would you describe your music after the word “progressive”?
A: I think Progressive, Art rock, Symphonic etc are all various interpretations of the same genre, Fraternity is about abody of people who share the same interests, and want to contribute to the same causes. I am hoping that many people who like the music will also contribute to future projects, musical and non-musical.
Q: How do your songs come to life?
A: The process is probably like every artist, you have a theme and storyboard and work out how the arrangement should sound. Working with producers like Matt Williams and Sean Timms can be very rewarding, and both of these guys have different aspects to their productions and that’s why I love working with them. Once the overall sound is there I like to come in and critique ideas and make sure that it fits in with how the song should sound.
Q: What or who inspires you?
A: I am inspired by many things, my wife and my children and the many friends that I share my life with, the Earth and what it has to offer.

Q: Are you touring London again anytime soon?
A: Yes 2016-17
Q: What’s next for UPF?
A: I have already started story boarding the next album, and this one will be a total different direction, Steve Hackett and Nick Magnus have confirmed that they participate by way of playing and production. Also in talks with Nick Dvirgilio to contribute and have also spoken to Ben Craven who will also produce a track. We hope to release the second album before we tour 2016-17
WATCH AND HEAR FALL IN LOVE WITH THE WORLD PROMO:
