16 August 2017

Fresh from headlining Glastonbury with the Foo Fighters in June, the guitarist came back in the UK to tour his excellent new album, ‘West Coast Towns’, and spoke to Peter Mawson about his country journey. What is it about country music that is inspiring you? It’s quite a change from what you’ve done previously with Foo Fighters, so is it the end of the work with the Foo Fighters and all about country now? I’ve been a big fan of country music for a long time, so I think maybe to people that don’t know me personally it might seem like a strange left turn or something, but really it isn’t for me. You know, beginning with the first Dead Peasants record I did was the first time I started to veer into that sound a little bit, and then I did a record of honky tonk covers a few years ago and then with this one. It’s sort of an evolution I guess. I have always liked country music for a long time and Americana or country and all that stuff, roots music of all kinds and I have always been in love with twangy guitars. So in real terms, this is about your soul coming out in the music. You have realised that you are in an acclaimed musician in your own right, but this seems to me to be a bit more about you the person, Chris the man. Well, this is it. I mean this is the direction that my song writing has gone, so. “It’s always in the back of your mind that you’re going to look like a carpetbagger in some other genre…but to me, this is the music that is near and dearest to my soul” Any real challenges that you’re facing going solo with? Well, I mean the challenge is always…you are sort of starting; it is like starting over in a way. You are going out and playing songs that people don’t know and you are playing in little venues and stuff. It’s super exciting, I mean that’s the fun of it – to go out and try to win people over and just go out and have some fun, you know? It’s a very different experience, but it’s great, I love it. And the sound is quite different, you’re livening things up a bit. I note that it has been described as a rowdy sort of country sound. How do you feel about that? Are you trying to put a different twinge onto what we might call country? I don’t think that my record is a straight country record. I think it really depends on your perspective. Some people, people that come from the rock and roll world think that it’s a country record and then people coming from country music think it’s a cow punk record. Who knows, I don’t know. Country is a huge influence, but it’s equal parts rock and roll and country and whatever else. It’s just sort of a mix of different things that I like. You know, when I am writing or recording, I’m never setting out to do one thing or another. It’s just what happens…happens. But you know, the minute you stick a pedal steel on something, of course people are that conscious of the idea of country music, or whatever. Whatever. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter to me how people… I was going to say it doesn’t sound to me like you are a man that worries about being pigeonholed too much. No, not too much. You’ve had a really positive reaction to the West Coast Town album. How’re you feeling about that? It’s obviously good news for you. As I say, it’s a strong reaction. It must be quite… Yeah it’s great. I really put more work into writing these songs and recording them than probably any solo record that I’ve ever made. I felt like when I finished this record, it’s the most proud I’ve ever been of any of the solo records that I’ve done, and it is great to get some good feedback from people on it. You’re certainly achieving that. Let’s just talk about the style and the melodies. They’re very different to what you’ve been known to produce. Can we expect to see more of that? What is the vibe that is coming through what you are writing now? Are we seeing this sort of continual shift? I would imagine yeah, when I make another solo record I’ll probably continue along the same vein, but I will have to see when the time comes. Who knows, who knows what it will sound like, but this is… It sounds like you’re a man who is delivering what you’ve found out about yourself through music, do you know where I am coming from with that? Like, lyrically I always write from my own life experience. On this record, I tried to sort of craft the songs in more a sort of storytelling style, I think that that’s the biggest influence of country music on me as a songwriter. Country songs tend to be more straightforward story telling than rock and roll, so that was definitely a shift. What about where you’re going, and your aspirations over the next few years? Clearly you’re a man on a path here, so when can we expect more of what’s coming up for us? Well, the next thing I want to do…I mean I’m over here. I did the show last night at the 100 Club and I’m playing tonight at Water Rats, and I’m just doing these shows solo. Just an acoustic guitar, so I would love to get over here with my band and play these songs with the full band and me. Hopefully sometime later in the year I’ll be able to get over here and do that. That would be cool. And plans for more recording? Have you got lots that