Why did you want to make what you described as a 'posh sounding' album? What else inspired and influenced A new Kind of Loneliness?
MWK: I just feel here are too many "lo-fi", "unplugged", "made it in my bedroom" type of records around just now. It is so easy to make and relase a record these days that there is no real quality control. Of course the fact it is easy means we get to hear a lot of great music which otherwise may not have made it out into the world BUT we also get a lot of poor stuff too. I really wanted this new album to have as high a production quality as I could afford, wanted it to sound big, and expansive, and expensive, a really high quality record. Also, I have done the 'minimalist" thing before with previous records such as God Shaped Hole, and Live...In Dinkytown, so I wanted a change.
MWK: Prior to making the record I had been listening to a lot of soul music , and classic writers such as Burt Bacarach, Jimmy Web etc, and also a lot of country soul, and that was an influence. Also some Rufus Wainwright, mainly because my wife really likes him, and, although I am not a huge fan, I do like some of his stuff, and his chord changes, and that rubbed off on 1 or 2 songs, 'The Last Hurrah' for sure.
You've worked with so many amazing musicians; is there anyone you are particularly proud of working with? Or anyone you'd love to work with but haven't yet?
MWK: It was a huge thrill to get Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen on the album. I have always been a huge fan of The Flying Burrito Brothers so to have Chris sing and play on one of my tunes was very special to me. And also Herb, one of the most respetced and sought-after west coast session guys, he has played on so many great albums, including Grevious Angel for Gram Parsons, so it was also a honour to have him on the album. Ron Sexsmith and Jackie Leven are mates but, also two of my favorite songwriters of the past 10 years, and people who I really admire for their dedication and talent, so, that too was special to have them on the record. Of course, I still think working, touring and recording with Townes takes some beating but I am proud of working with everyone, not just the bigger names but the great players I have have used on my last 2 albums (Michael Cosgave one of the best musicians I have ever met and who had added so much to the new album, Kevin Foster, a stunning bass player and a greatly amusing impersonator, Steve Jackson, a maverick talent, wonderfully eccentric but an amazing drummer, Alan Cook, who has been my right hand man for past 4 years, the UK cannot boast many great steel players but Alan is one of the best, and last but no least, my wife Lou Dalgleish, very emotive yet pitch perfect singer, she added a lot to the album with some beautiful harmonies, aswell as co-writing 3 of the songs with me.
MWK: There are many people I would like to work with, would love to co-write with Elvis Costello, would love to sing with Jenny Lewis (from Rilo Kiley), and Maria McKee, and my long held dream has been to make an album with T Bone Burnett as producer. I am playing in LA in July and my friend Peter Case (another fantastic musician and songwriter I have been luck enough to work with) has said he will try and bring T Bone along, so we shall see, maybe the next album will be the one.
You've toured a lot and lived and worked in many different places; how does geography affect your songwriting?
MWK: I tend to write more about people and feelings and emotions, rather than places. I have spent a lot of time in America but I dont think I have ever mentioned an American town or place in one of my songs. I write a lot on the road so it is suprsing I guess, but a lot of travelling , and seeing so many different people and different aspects of life does have a huge effect. Havong said that, there is a song about Oslo (Rosenkrantz and Kristiansgate) on the new album , and there have been songs about, or set in, Liverpool, The Lake District, Dortmund, and Birmingham, though you would probably not know from listening to them.
I spent some time on the Danish Island of Samso, on a songwriters retreat a couple of years back, and ended up writing 2 songs with a Danish writer (Michael Hamilton, with whom I wrote From out of The Blue) and the Swedish writer, Lotte Brondum (Only 7 Days), and both songs made it onto the new album.
I think Europe inspires me more than America, as a place, much more variety and mix of people whereas the States can be very samey. Plus so many great songs have been written about the US, it is hard to come up with something new, especially with regards to imagery.
What do you think of alt.country and Americana as a genre? Does it even exist?
MWK: well, it certainly exists, gievn we now have the Americana Convention in the US each September and various festivals given over to Americana, but I cant say that I feel the genre is getting any better, in fact I would have to say I am rather weary of it all, and feel that the whole thing is rather overloaded with medicority. Lots of Americans drawling unmelodically over the same 3 chords about being on the road, or fucked up. We have heard it all before a million times already.
To me, the definition of Americana is different to that of Alt Country. I feel the Alt Country thing began in the early 90's with Uncle Tupelo and The Jayhawks. Joe Henry maybe (you could argue it was even before that with Green on Red, early REM Long Ryders etc), but I think what people refer to as Alt Country now has to stem from those bands and that time frame. Guys, who like me, had been brought up through punk and post punk, and somehwere along the line had also gone back to discover some classic country music, aswell, of course, the likes of Gram, The Byrds, Burritos etc. When I put The Good Sons together in 1992 my aim was to take a little of what those bands were doing and add to it my influnces at that time of great american songwriters such as Townes, Guy Clark, etc, and also other bigger influences such as Costello, Tom Waits etc.
Americana I see as something which is more rooted in American Country and Folk Music, as defined by the likes of Steve Earle, Joe Ely, Billy Joe Shaver even, and surely, the greatest Americana band of all oime are The Band
How would you describe your music now as it doesn't seem to fit in that box anymore (if it ever did!)!
MWK: What I was doing with The Good SOns from 1993 until 1999 was very much seen as Alt Country, and I am happy for it to have labelled as such (see above) But what I have been doing as a solo artist I dont see it like that at all. I see myself simply as a singersongwriter, being influenced by all forms of music.....soul, folk, pop, rock, country, no borders
You've mentioned offering Saturdays Child to Fathers for Justice as a campaign song. Why does their work matter to you? Are there any other causes you have been involved in or would like to work with?
MWK: Well. I have first hand experience of the "weekend father" situation, it is a very painful one. The song is written from the point of view of the father, and I wanted to try and convey how he feels when he has to hand his child/children back to their mother and then not see them again for a week or 2. Having been through it for 7 years, I feel I was well positioned to write such a song.
In the UK the law is very much on the side of the mother, sometimes with good reason, but a lot of the time, fathers don't get to see their kids at all, which is very damaging to both the man and the children. You may recall Fathers For Justice had a series of high profile publicity campaigns (dressing as super heroes and climbing up Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, invading the Houses of Parliament etc.), to try and bring their situation to the public, and the government¹s attention. Thankfully, in the end , it worked and the law has been changed. I hear the story of the Fathers For Justice campaign is being made into a film, and I really hope that this song will be used in it in some way.
What can we expect on your upcoming tour with Jackie Leven and Robert Fisher?
MWK: A lot of drinking and a lot of dark perverse humour I expect, but more importantly it will be a show very strong on song and stories, maybe some poetry, and also plenty of collaboration. Jackie and I have done these kind of shows many tiemes together so we are pretty well versed at playing on each others songs, and it wont take long for the same to happen with Robert and his excellent songs. I am very much looking forward to it, I really feel they will be shows that wont be easily forgotten
Have you made any new musical discoveries lately?
MWK: Two new, two old
Richard Swift - saw him recently in Birmingham and really enjoyed what he did, some fine songs.
The Hold Steady - my son turned me onto their new album, which kind oif reminds me of a more inde Counting Crows, a band a really liked at first them really went off, but I like the energy on the HS album, and also the wit in the lyrics. Not enough of that about these days
P F Sloan - C can't believe it took me so long to discover him, and I only did because a friend of mine, Duane Jarvis is currently playig guitar for him. He is best know for his song Eve of Destruction which was a huge hit for Barry McGuire, and PF got laballed a Dyaln copyist which was unfair as, he has written some amazing songs, many before the Dylan thing happened when he was an in house writer for a lot of west coast pop bands in the early 60's such as The Turtles. He knew how to craft a classic 2 ad 1/2 minute pop song that is for sure. When Dylan exploded PF started writing mroe socially aware songs and wrote some absolute killers, The Sins fo The Family being one of them. He has a new album out featuring guests such as Lucinda Willimans and Buddy Miller, where he records some new spngs and reworks some of his older stuff but I would skip that album and go back and find the original records.
Jim Ford - He only made one album, called Harlan County, back in 1969, and it has just been re-issued on Bear Family as Sound of our Times with some extra tracks found from other sessions. Country soul of the very highest order, Jim is apparently Nick Lowes favourite ever songwriter which is a good enough recommendation for me
Also, though not exactly new, I love the Cat Power album, The Greatest, and I am a big fan of the US band Rilo Kiley, their album, More Adventurous, was one of the best records I have heard in the past 5 years
Can you give us five all time great records everyone should hear?
MWK - Oh boy, that is so hard, and will change on a daily basis, here 5 pretty obvious ones:
King of America - Elvis Costello
Blood On The Tracks - Bob Dylan
London Calling - The Clash
Dusty in Memphis - Dusty Springfield
The Boatman's Call - Nick Cave
But here are some less obvious:
Eric Taylor - Eric Taylor
No Deeper Blue - Townes Van Zandt
Sound of our Times - Jim Ford
Beauty in Madness - Hobotalk
All the News That's Fit to Sing and I Ain't Marching Anymore - Phil Ochs
What impact do you feel the internet and file sharing is having on working musicians?
MWK: It is a double edged sword. It has never been easier for people to hear music without making a purchase, which means they can be more selective, rather than taking a chance on an album , but then, it also means they will hear somethign they may never have had the chance to hear, and then go onto buy it, so from the musicians pioint if view, it means their work is being heard by people who would not ordiinarily hear it. I am cool with file sharing, to me it is just like folks 20 years ago taping an album, I hated when labels put stickers oin LPs saying "Home taping is Kiilling Music", which was just greedy bullshit. When I as growing up I could not afford to buy everything I wanted to hear so taping was a great way to hear more music, and file sharing is no different. One thing it has done is bring the price of cd's down, again good for the consumer, but sometimes, when I sell a cd for £10 at a gig, there are people I know who will wait until they get home buy it from amazon for less.
Can you tell us a bit about the upcoming Michael Weston King tribute album? How does it feel?
MWK: It feels very nice, and I am delighted with the variety of artists and how they have interpreted the songs. Over the past few years a number of people have recorded my songs and it was my publishers idea to compile them into an album. We needed a few more tracks, so they invited some artists to contribute, and I asked a few musical friends if they wanted to be involved, and we now have a really fine collection. Some of the covers I actually prefer to my, or The Good Sons, original versions. There were a number of other artists who wanted to be involved who did not get a song recorded in time, so I think we are planning a second volume, which is very exciting and a real honour.
What are your next goals and ambitions?
MWK - My short term is to finish writing songs for the next album, which I will record later this year, and I also want to record a duets album, which I have been wanting to do for ages now. I have written a series of songs which are to be sung by a man and women, real heartbreak stuff. I have drawn up a list of female singers with whom I want to record the album (each song will be sung with a different woman) and I will start to get the ball rolling with this project sometime later in the year, or early next.
I also have a dvd out just now, called The Crowning Story (From A Good Son To A Decent Man), which covers my career from 1993 - 2005, through a selection of promo videos, TV appearances, interviews, live footage etc, so I am trying to promote that a bit as well.
I am not hugely ambitious anymore, though I sure could use some money. I would love to see a few more of my songs recorded by some bigger acts or used in some good films. That is something my publisher is actively persuing right now, so it would be a great help if that happened, maybe I could come off the road for while!
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