1) Besides your Americana orientated musical background, there are lot of "soulful" moments on "A new kind of loneliness" - was there a special reason for these changes or let's say stylistic variations?
MWK - Well, I hinted at a more soulful direction on my 2003 album A Decent Man, with songs such as "When You leave The Spotlight" which was kind of a tribute to Bobby "Blue " Bland, and I have been moving away from what people term "Americana / Alt Country" for a while now. I was doing that with The Good Sons, when we formed back in 1993, and I feel I have grown beyond that now. Even the last Good Son's album (Happiness in 1999) was a lot less Americana than previous albums. I have been listening to a lot of soul music, and also country soul (Jim Ford, Eddie Hinton etc.) and that has influenced my writing.
2) There are several guest stars (Chris Hillman, Ron Sexsmith, etc.) on your record, was that something you were looking for from the beginning or was it kind of coincidence, that all these people became part of the record?
MWK - It was not premeditated, it just happened. I was on tour in the UK with Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen around the time I was making the album. I played them the song, "My Heart Stopped Today" and asked if they would come and sing and play on it. It was written as a simple country / folk song and I wanted mandolin , banjo and lots of harmonies on it, and Chris and Herb are masters of that. The song really suited their style, and in turn, their contribution really enhanced the song. With regards to the song "From Out Of The Blue", which Ron Sexsmith sings on, I wrote that a couple of years ago with the Danish songwriter Michael Hamilton, and when we sat down to write , we deliberately tried to write a song in Ron's style. I have known Ron for a few years, as we have toured together 2 or 3 times, so I just sent it him, he liked it, and added a nice harmony
3) I really like the lyrics of "Saturday`s Child". Is it correct, that this song is about the situation of children after a divorce? Most time with their mother and at the weekends with their father. I think, the song is written from the point of view of a father. Do you have any personal experiences of this?
MWK- Yes, I have first hand experience of that situation, a very painful one. The song is written from the point of view of the father, and I wanted to try and convey how the father 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 am well positioned to write such a song. I also sent the song to the UK organisation "Fathers For Justice", a campaign set up here to help fathers have better access to their children after divorce or separation. 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 etc., invading the Houses of Parliament), to bring their situation to the public, and the governments 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 hope that this song will be used in some way.
4) After playing with The Good Sons for several years, do you miss the band feeling in the last years or do you appreciate it more to perform and record as a solo artist (or how has it changed in the last years)?
MWK - I do miss playing live with a full band, and also the great fun and camaraderie that goes with being in a band, but there are a lot of negatives as well about traveling with a group of people, and I don't miss those. Plus, it is so hard to survive on the road with 6 or 7 people, God knows, it is hard enough surviving with just one! These days, the main reason I have to perform solo (or as a duo), is purely for economic reasons, and to come home from tours having made some money. Also, for the past 3 years, when not playing totally solo, I have toured as a duo with Alan Cook, who is not only is a great musician (pedal steel, mandolin and dobro), but also one of the nicest and most patient men in the world, and he is very easy to tour with.
5) I've read on your home page, that kind of a tribute for yourself is planned for this year. Could you tell us a little bit about this and how the project started?
MWK - It is a collection of 19 of my songs as recorded by other artists. 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.
6) In late november there are three gigs planned in the Netherlands. Will you also do some more shows in Germany this year?
MWK- Yes, there will be more German dates. On the recent German tour I missed a number of major towns I normally play (Hamburg, Kiel, Munich, Cologne etc.), so I expect to play those places and a few more in November
7) Over the years you got used to play in many different countries and cities, what is your favourite place to live and/or to play?
MWK - some of my best shows have been in the most unlikely of places, and often not places that I would want to live. I love playing in Norway (especially Trondheim) and Holland, and Germany, had some great shows there, particularly in Munster, Hamburg, Berlin and some great shows in the East of the country. I love playing in Austin and Toronto but don't like playing in Nashville. New York can be fantastic or terrible!
Currently I live in Moseley in Birmingham, and I love it here, but I want to move, at some time, to The Lake District, my favourite place in the world, and maybe before that, live in the States for a while.
8) "The Independent" wrote that you are "a cross between Nick Cave and Rodney Crowell". Are you stressed out by those comparisons or do you take them as a compliment?
MWK- They described my voice as a cross between Nick Cave and Rodney Crowell, which is a very frequent comparison, even though both those artists have influenced my writing too. I have been performing and making records for a long time now and have been compared to a lot of artists, thankfully, by and large, always ones that I love and admire (Tim Hardin, Townes, Fred Neil, Phil Ochs, Roddy Frame, Ron Sexsmith), and I take it as a compliment, not stressed by it at all. I read a few reviews of some newer artists recently comparing them to me, that was more stressful, but also flattering!
9) Did anybody tell you yet, that you look a little bit like the young Joe Cocker? If yes, do you agree?
MWK - nobody has ever told me that, and I must admit, I cant see the comparison myself! However, I am often told I look like Kevin Spacey, (which I am quite happy about) and sometimes a little like Quentin Tarrantino (which I am less happy about!)
10) As your music comes from a more traditional background, are you also interested in "modern" music, or is there one of the "newer" artists or bands that you really like?
MWK - I think some of my music comes from a traditional background (I have always loved country music and certain aspects of folk music), but I love good pop music, soul music, and great rock n roll. A lot of what I listen to mostly, was recorded 20, 30 years ago or more, but I do buy, and listen to new albums as well. 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. I am also enjoying the new albums by The Arctic Monkeys and The Hold Steady. Of course I will always go and buy new albums by some of my favourite older artists (Dylan, Costello, Tom Waits, Nick Cave, etc.)
11) If you should name your five favourite albums ever, which would that be?
MWK - Oh boy, that is so hard, and will change on a daily basis, but if I have to pick 5 right now, how about:
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
12) What are you doing in your leisure time? Do you have any special interests except music?
MWK - What is leisure time? If I do get any, then usually at the cinema (am a huge movie fan), or halfway up a mountain somewhere in The Lake District , or Old Trafford (or the pub) watching my beloved Manchester United.
13) What are your plans, hopes and dreams for the future with regard to the music?
MWK - My plan is to finish writing songs for the next album, which I will record 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 I want to record the album with (each sing will be sung with a different woman) and I will start to get the ball rolling with this project sometime later in the year.
My hope is that "A New Kind of Loneliness" will get the credit I feel it deserves, and will sell well. I feel it is my best album so far, and it will be hard to take if it slips under he radar.
My dream is that I get to make an album with T Bone Burnett as producer. I am playing in LA in July and my good friend Peter Case has said he will try and bring T Bone along, so we shall see, maybe dreams do come true!
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