New record, ‘Hearts & Arrows’, what’s it all about?
Sound wise it was all about making a record that was a total Saturday night, rock ‘n’ roll, fun, showbiz, good time record. It’s fully plugged in so that’s a different direction for me. Pretty much everything before has been acoustic and this is something that has been really refreshing and it enabled me to let my hair down. I just wanted to make a three chord rock ‘n’ roll record about my friends, their lives and my life too. It was important to have some real fun with it. I wanted to get that wholesome Springsteen thing down.
Why Springsteen?
My dad is a massive Springsteen fan and growing up with it always being played in the car and whatever, so it has always been there. ‘Winterland ‘78’ is one of my favourite ever pieces of recorded music and essentially what I did with this new record is go back to all the stuff that made me want to play in the first place; Springsteen, Tom Petty, Mellencamp. I suppose it’s what people call American heartland rock.
Where did you record it?
We recorded in Oxford and in London then it was mixed in L.A. We had a guy called Tony Poole produce the record which was great because back in the ‘70’s he ran a magazine called ‘Omaha Rainbow’ and heavily championed people like Springsteen and Petty. His band ‘Starry Eyed and Laughing’ were also signed to Columbia at around that kind of time, so I couldn’t have had a better person to work on the album. So, Tony has a studio in Oxford, ‘Milestone’ I think it is and we recorded a bit there and in London.
I always knew I wanted a touch of something else for the album, something maybe a bit Gaslight Anthem. I ended up meeting with Ted Hutt from Flogging Molly in L.A, we got talking about it and he agreed to mix it. It terms of people working on the record, it finished up being exactly what I envisioned.
Does song writing come naturally to you?
Some songs do some don’t. For example there’s a song on the album called ‘Every Beat Of My Heart’ which is essentially about The Rockingbirds, Big Steve from The Arlenes, a lot of people and friends that surround all of that. When The Arlenes came over and did a show with The Rockingbirds at The Borderline earlier in the year, I was walking around the crowd, I knew everyone there. Some I hang out with everyday, some I don’t but essentially all friends. It gave me a really amazing feeling of how my life has turned out, all the decisions I’ve made throughout and where I’ve ended up with all these people around me. It was a fantastic show, an amazing night, I got home probably a bit spannered and just knew I had to document it all which is basically how the song happened.
For me, I tend to have a catalyst song for every record I’ve made. Normally I don’t know exactly which direction everything is going to take until I find this. But definitely ‘Every Beat Of My Heart’ is the catalyst for this album. I absolutely love writing songs, I think it’s what I’m best at, although I’m quite good and picking the kids up from school too.
What kind of music affects you most?
It’s rock and soul really. My parents are Australia and my grand parents had a store in Melbourne called Wilson’s Emporium. My dad was always fond of telling me how they had a juke box out the back which they played a lot of doo wop, early R‘n’B and soul. Naturally I have a fondness for that sort of stuff but then later my dad got into Tom Waits, Springsteen and Neil Young, that sort of thing. That’s the sort of stuff that affects me the most.
How did your career in music begin?
We were brought up in a very musical house hold. I started playing guitar when I was about 12, not because I was told to, it was something that I felt compelled towards. My brother played the piano and it was always just the two of us around my mum’s just jamming really. When my brother finished college and I was out of school we just decided to start a band. We had no idea, neither of us were very cool. We just wanted to be 50’s rock ‘n’ rollers. That’s basically how Grand Drive started and before we knew it, we’d signed a publishing deal.
Do you think it’s important to keep changing or improving your music?
It’s important for me. I think you always strive to be the best you can, definitely. I just want to write brilliant songs. I couldn’t tell you if the songs on ‘Hearts & Arrows’ are better or worse than stuff I’ve done before but I do know I’ve loved doing it. I would say that I’m not looking to always write a better song than the last, it’s more about focusing in what I’m doing in the now. I’m very proud of the songs I wrote when I was 18 because they’re all about where I was and what I was doing back then, I believe that’s what I’ve continued to do. I suppose the change comes naturally with me because of the way I write songs and what influences making a record.
Do you think this is what sets artists apart from one another?
No, I don’t really. I think that the best people don’t think about it too much. They go with what they know and what feels good. You know, take some one like Waits. He does what Waits does and that’s an end of it.
Who are your favourite people that you’ve been in a band with?
I gotta say, and this is the truth, that my brother and Ed from Grand Drive. I had some of the most amazing times with those guys. The current Champs line up I reckon is the best band I’ve ever been in musically. I suppose I kinda put together my own super group for want of a better term. I want to add that when The Champs were created with Trevor Moss, Hannah Lou and everyone again it was incredible times. It was beautiful. There was a real sense of a travelling band, quite a brotherhood. I can’t fault anyone I’ve worked with. So many people have been a part of what I do.
Why do you think Americana has been so influential in Britain?
I think it always has. Britain has soaked up American music and housed its own types of folk and country. I would say there has been a progression to this ‘Americana’ banner. I don’t think people realise the affect that Britain has on Americana. This is a country which is a haven for those American artists and always has been, we don’t need to go back to the 50’s to talk about blues, we all know what happened there and it’s the same now. America seems to discard their musicians early on and us Brits pick up on it and throw it back. Now Mumford’s have hit America, they’ll all be going mad for it. Shame they didn’t catch it the first time round.
I think over here we react completely differently towards music as compared to the Americans. British fans seem like they’re affected by it on a totally different level and they become a massive part of it.
Has there been a particular turning point in your career you can reflect on?
Erm, loads and loads and still now. When Grand Drive’s second album came out, that was a big time. It was really hard to record and we really over stretched ourselves. It is still a very special record for many people and we absolutely killed ourselves over it, not just financially but personally, it was seriously hard work. There were all these big ideas, great ideas and beautiful ideas which was all an amazing experience but also a bit damaging too. That second album was a huge leap for us and the turning point was that idea of, ‘If you build it they will come,’ kind of thing. ‘True Love And High Adventure’ became a record that people in the States and all over were talking about.
How was The Borderline show? Any other highlights so far this year?
Glastonbury is always a highlight of the year. Our first show a Glasto this year on the Q stage really blew me away. I had it my head that being the smaller tent it would be a bit quieter but when we walked on I looked round and saw tons of people crammed in this tent, we had a fantastic show, played really hard and the crowd were singing back at us. I was thrilled with it.
The Borderline was great, we sold it out which always gives you a kick. The gig was brilliant, it’s such a real rock ‘n’ roll venue and the vibe is always so, so good.
Also, I had a solo set down at Leigh Folk Festival on The Pink Flamingo stage. Amazing day, really was quite magical really. I went down on the train with the wife and kids, we ate fish & chips on the front there, the music was great and the people were absolutely fantastic. I had a really special day, it made a lovely change to go out and play somewhere that my family can go to and enjoy it as much as me. I want to thank the people of Leigh for that too. I couldn’t recommend it any higher.
What lined up for The Champs for the rest of the year? Tour?
Ah man, it’s a bit mental. We’re kicking off in Paris early September then we re-start in the UK in Winchester for SXSC festival. We’ve got Richmond Fontaine on there with us and The Lucky Strikes too, can’t wait for that. Then we’re up and down the UK, Bush Hall, Oxford, Birmingham, Glasgow, Newcastle and all over.
What are you listening to at the moment?
Chuck Ragan, loads and loads of Chuck Ragan. I’m right into that at the moment. Austin Lucas and Frank Turner as well. I love the attitude of those guys, their winning a lot of fans at the moment and I have massive amounts of respect for them, I think those three guys are particularly great at the moment.
What’s next?
Ah, interesting. I’ve started writing for the next one, not entirely sure where it’s going yet. It will either be a really raw punk rock record or the total opposite and fall back into something more acoustic. I’m not sure which way it’s swinging yet. The thing is, I’m playing fully plugged in now, it’s been a while since I’ve done that and I’m absolutely loving it. You know what? Something I’ve always been keen on is musical theatre, I’ve been toying with ideas around that but we’ll have to wait and see.
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