In their own words
Interview with Paul in September 2004
What's your opinion about the music business?
I THINK THE 'BUSINESS'AS I KNEW IT IS DEAD.....THE EMPHASIS NOW SEEMS TO RELY
ON AS LITTLE OUTPUT MUSICALLY AS POSSIBLE JUXTAPOSED WITH AS MUCH MEDIA EXPOSURE
AS POSSIBLE....WE ALSO SAW THE MTV BANDS WHO FOR THE MOST PART HAD NO EXPERIENCE
OF LIVE PERFORMANCE....AND NOW WE HAVE SIMON COWELL AND HIS CO-HORTS TELLING US
THAT THEY CARE ABOUT MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT WHEN THEY REALLY ONLY CARE ABOUT
MONEY AND THEIR OWN EGO'S - HOWEVER -ALL THIS SAID I THINK EVERYONE FROM 'MUSIC
LOVERS' IF U LIKE TO KIDS HAS REALISED THIS AND SIMILAR TO WHEN I WAS YOUNGER
ONE CAN ACTUALLY GO OUT AND FIND SOME TRULY UPLIFTING MUSIC!.YOU JUST HAVE TO
FIND IT!!!!.THERE ARE MANY GOOD PEOPLE DOING SMALL BUT EXCELLENT THINGS WITH AND
FOR MUSIC...SO.... THERE YOU GO A HAPPY END IS OUT THERE FOR US ALL ....WELL U
DID ASK...HAHAHAHAHA !!!
Do you have a philosophy for living?
ERM......LIVE FOR EACH DAY - BE KIND - GENEROUS - CARE ABOUT YOUR FELLOW
MAN/WOMAN - TRY TO BE AS HONEST AS YOU CAN - EMBRACE INCLUDE AND ENJOY !!!!!
What are the main differences for you between recording/writing for the
Stranglers/Faithband?
OH I GET MUCH MORE TIME WITH THE FAITH STUFF AND I CAN HAVE ONE FOCUS AS
OPPOSED TO LEAVING FOUR SPACES IF YOU LIKE....BOTH ARE DIFFERENT BUT EQUALLY
REWARDING....I SUPPOSE THE MAIN OTHER DIFFERENCE IS THAT I KNOW WHAT I WILL HEAR
AT THE END OF A FAITH RECORDING BUT WITH THE STRANGLERS IT IS A BIT MORE LIKE
WAITING TO SEE WHAT COMES OUT FINALLY WHICH IS VERY EXCITING...WITH WRITING I
CAN EXPLORE ANYTHING I LIKE WHEN ALONE WHICH IS VERY COOL BUT I DO VERY MUCH
ENJOY WORKING WITH OTHER PEOPLE,I HAVE NEVER SET OUT TO WRITE FOR ONE BAND OR
THE OTHER,IT IS ALL MUSIC TO ME....
Is there one song you would really like to cover but you don't dare to?
ERM MAYBE 'SUSPICIOUS MINDS' OR 'WILD IS THE WIND'...BUT CERTAINLY ANY AMOUNT
OF SOUL/MOTOWN/ATLANTIC TRACKS.....TOO MANY TO NAME!!!
What do you think when you hear your voice on the radio?
I JUST FREEZE REALLY AND TEAR IT APART....FOCUS ON ALL THE BAD BITS...YOU
KNOW...LIKE A TYPICAL PERFORMER..!!!!HAHAHAHAAA
What changed for you after joining the stranglers ?
I COULD EAT AGAIN ! OH AND I LOST A FEW FRIENDS....CRAZY EH??
I met a few people.. musicians who defined themselves as artists and always
underlined that, meaning that they are in some way superiour to others... You
never did that.. What do you think about that topic?
....IT SEPARATES THEM FROM THE CROWD YES YOU ARE RIGHT..IT IS LIKE A WEAPON OR
AN ACCESSORY... BUT...MY FEELING IS THAT YOU ONLY NEED TO DEFINE YOURSELF IF
NO-ONE CAN SEE OR FEEL YOU OR YOUR ABILITY....SO IT IS THAT SIMPLE.....
Do you remember one weird/funny/crazy story from touring?
OH SOOO MANY STORIES....WELL I HAVE SET MYSELF ALIGHT THREE TIMES ON TOUR BUSES
AND SO ON BUT MAYBE THE EASIEST STORY IS ONE NIGHT IN HOLLAND AALKMAAR I THINK
IT WAS.... WE WERE 5 MINUTES FROM GOING ON AND I TOLD EVERYONE I WAS GOING TO
USE THE TOILET.....WHILST IN SAID CLOSET I COULD HEAR THE START OF OUR FIRST
TUNE 'VALLEY OF THE BIRDS' PLAYING AROUND .....AND AROUND...... AND THOUGHT
NOTHING OF IT PARTICULARLY ....IT WAS NOT UNTIL I OPENED THE DOOR OF THE W.C. TO
FIND OUR STAGE MANGER PRESSED UP TO MY NOSE WITH THE FEAR OF GOD IN HIS
EYES...'HI MATEY' I SAID IN CHIRPY VOICE....'ERM I PUT THE BAND ON MAN' SAYS HE
SO I STRROLL DOWN TO STAGE WITH HIM AND AFTER GOING THROUGH THE WRONG DOOR!! TO
THE AUDIENCE AREA I APPEARED BEHIND JET BLACK ,THREW EACH MEMBER A GLANCE
COUNTED ONE TWO THREE FOUR.. AND CAME IN....I THINK ALL OF US LAUGHED
INTERMITTENTLY FO MOST OF THAT SHOW....
What would you be today if not a musician? Where do you see yourself in 10
years?
ERM NO IDEA I'M AFRAID
What contemporary music do you like?
OOH LOADS.....NORAH JONES,JOLIE HOLLAND,FUTURE SOUND OF LONDON,DJ SHADOW,FRANZ
FERDINAND,LIBERTINES,JILL SCOTT........MORE???
How do you feel nowadays when you sing My Fathers Bride?
WELL IT IS A VERY DIFFICULT SONG TO SING ..I USUALLY GET SO FAR AND HAVE TO
STOP BUT IT IS GETTING LONGER EVERY TIME.......PERHAPS I SHOULD'NT SAY IT BUT
THE VOCAL WAS RECORDED THE NIGHT BEFORE HIS FUNERAL SO ......
With which stranglers songs can you identify the most?
THE ONES I HAVEN'T WRITTEN .....HANGING AROUND,SLEAZY,STRANGE LITTLE
GIRL,TANK,5 MINUTES,CHANGE,EUROPEAN FEMALE,DON'T BRING HARRY...................I
COULD GO ON....
How important are the lyrics for you? What do you write first mostly the text
or the music? When/how do you get your ideas?
I THINK THAT ALTHOUGH NOT NECCESARILY THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT OF SONGS LYRICS
ARE ALWAYS IMPORTANT!!!! IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE ACTUAL IDEA..I AM INFLUENCED
BY WHAT IS IN AND AROUND ME AND FOR ME MAKING MUSIC COMES VERY NATURALLY AND
IDEAS FORM NATURALLY SO IN THIS WAY THEY HAVE THEY'RE IDENTITY AS SOON AS THEY
ARE CONCIEVED-GEDDIT-IT'S THEN LOADS OF HARD WORK STRUCTURING THOSE THINGS BUT
THAT'S THE FUN REALLY!....EASY EH?
I really like the songs you wrote with John Ellis for Infinity Drive. I read
the were written for Coup De Grace at first. Why did none of the songs make it
on the record?
ERM I ACTUALLY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE WRITING JUST RECORDED THE VOCALS FOR
JOHN AND AS FAR AS I KNOW HE KEPT THE SONGS AFTER THEY WERE TURNED DOWN FOR THE
ALBUM...
How do you like teaching at BIMM? What about the pivate lessons you gave?
BIMM IS GREAT AND I TEACH WHOLE GROUPS NOW WHICH UNLIKE ONE TO ONE IS VERY MUCH
MORE SATISFYING.IT WAS FUN NUTURING INDIVIDUALS BUT I LIKE THE FEEL OF A LARGE
GROUP...IT'S NOISIER FOR A START BUT THAT REALLY SUITS ME...IT IS THE BEST PLACE
LIKE IT AND THEY POSITIVELY LOVE YOU GOING ON TOUR BECAUSE THEY SAY IT GIVES
THEM MORE CREDIBILITY-EXCELLENT.
Regarding another Faith Band album.. Do you have any plans? Do you know how you
want it to sound?
I WRITE PRETTY REGULARLY AND HAVE QUITE A FEW IDEAS AT PRESENT AND AM HOPING
THE STRANGLERS WILL BE DOING A NEW RECORD TOO SO IT WILL BE QUITE FRANTIC BUT I
WILL WAIT TO SEE WHAT OCCURS.I DID HAVE SOME SOLID SONGS 18 MONTHS BACK AND THEY
DEVELOPED A SOUND BUT THE MOMENT HAS PASSED FOR NOW AND THEY REMAIN IN LIMBO.AS
FOR KNOWING 'THE SOUND' SOMETIMES I KNOW I WANT TO DO A CERTAIN PROJECT A
CERTAIN WAY - SOMETIMES NOT - AND USUALLY THE SOUND WILL ALTER AS THE PROJECT
GROWS,KIND OF ALONG SIDE IT.... I MAY START SOME INDIVIDUAL SONGS WITH A SOUND
IDEA - 'SHY' IS ONE THAT SPRINGS TO MIND - FOR EXAMPLE AND THAT MAY INFLUENCE
THE FINAL SOUND...
What comes to your mind immediately when you hear the following words?
Football, Heroin, Punk, London, God, Money, Religion, Politics/Democracy
FULHAM-BLOOD-ROCK-COOL CITY-PEACE-SEX-DISAGREEMENT-LIES/NICE IDEA
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