“If punk was ever

to officially die, I’m

not sure I’d really
give a shit.”

SELLOUT finds the real

Frank Turner.
Frank Turner is well- you have to do alongside
spoken, polite and terribly your music?
friendly. He is also skilled I don’t ever feel that it’s some-
in the art of interviews, as thing I have to do particularly,
it’s something I like to do. At the
he should be after nearly
end of the day, an awful lot of
ten years of tireless my job is self promotion, and
self-promotion. He was that’s fine, but it’s just kind of
also filled with a restless refreshing for me to be promot-
energy that comes ing something other than me.
through in the form of Doing the whole breast cancer
constant movement, thing, obviously there was a
making our photographer, personal level on that for me as
JAMES WILBY frustrated well, because my friend Lex
was deeply involved in that
in his attempts to catch
kind of fundraising… Anyway,
Turner still long enough so I’ve been getting involved
to get a decent with more political groups re-
photograph. Turner fidg- cently as well. We had no to ID
ets and interrupts him- doing stuff on the last tour, and
self, as though there is so I think we’ve got the UK liber-
much to tell he can’t wait tarian party doing some bits
to finish the previous and bobs on this tour as well,
sentence. Articulate and which is my political bent. I feel
like I’ve got a platform, so I’m
sharp, Turner seems
going to talk about it.
knowledgable about al-
most any subject we On the last tour, you played
bring up , including tradi- a harder, more rock version
tional folk music, punk of “Long Live The Queen” –
and politics, though these do you think that this was to,
are clear specialisms. He in a way, make the song eas-
is very self-aware, al- ier to play live as it is so per-
ways bringing the subject sonal?
No not really, I like to try and do
round to selling his future
something different with the
and current projects, setlist every time we do a tour
but to catch glimpses of in order to make it interesting,
what really gets to him is and to give people a reason to
a rare joy worth chasing.
When Turner talks about
being onstage and his “songs are
fans, his face lights up
with a broad smile that skeletons, and
shows how far he has they can be
come from the days of
struggling in tiny venues
fleshed out in
to make a name for him- different
self away from the stigma ways”
of Million Dead’s mysteri-
ous break-up. Tonight is come back again. It’s fun. I be-
Turner’s biggest headline lieve that songs are skeletons,
show yet – nearly 2,500 and they can be fleshed out in
different ways. There was a
adoring fans wait for his
moment in time when that song ple at the show to have their this reflects the supposed
peculiar blend of hard- was going to be like that any- experiences spoiled by some death of punk?
core punk ethics and way, when I was writing it, and dickhead with a camera wan- Ugh. People have been calling
Springsteen-esque deliv- then it changed. We’re playing dering all over the stage… so punk dead since about six
ery. We caught him back- it the old way on this tour, but it the crew was all quite discreet. months after it started. So
stage at Manchester’s was kind of fun to do some- Once I am up there, onstage, much like Mark Twain, I think it
Academy for fifteen re- thing different. I’m quite kind of focused on the is, reports of it’s demise are
lentless minutes. crowd, so I didn’t really notice greatly exaggerated. To me
You recently released a DVD, to be honest. punk is an attitude, that comes
Your 2008 single, Long Live do you think you play differ- in many shapes and forms, and
The Queen, was in aid of ently when you know you are Do you find it strange that a I think if you only look for punk
Cancer research and you being videoed? lot of the music that es- rock in skinny angry white boys
have supported many other No not really, actually. One of pouses the punk ethics playing guitar you’ll probably
fundraising events, such as the things about the shoot on nowadays is not traditional- get bored really quickly. Right,
relief in Haiti. Do you feel that tour was that something I style punk music, it is more not like I want to make out like
that this is something that really didn’t want was for peo- melodic? How do you think I think it’s a movement like
 them in a new format, it shocks on a theme really. Not that
you out of the haze in a way. If many, but I’m lucky that the
punk was ever to officially die, band I work with includes some
I’m not sure I’d really give a serious virtuoso players.
shit. By which I mean, I just like They’re all fucking great but
music. For me, I grew up listen- particularly Matt, my keyboard
ing to a type of music called player, is just one of the most
punk rock, and if people aren’t disgustingly talented people in
making any new punk rock the whole world ever. I’m doing
records, then I’m still going to an Australian and Chinese tour
go home and listen to the “First on my own, and Matt was just
Four Years” by Black Flag. like “pick an instrument for me
to learn while you’re away” and
You just covered Barabra I chose accordion and he said
Allen, a traditional folk song. “I’m on it”, so I think we might
How does that side of music have an accordion in the fu-
affect what you do? ture.
Well, one of the things about
that is that I’ve recently gotten How did you meet your
very heavily into finding out band?
about traditional English music. When Million Dead were still
It kind of combines my two pas- together and not on tour I
sions in life, which are history couldn’t not be on tour, so I was
and music. So I’m working on crewing for other bands. I was
doing a traditional album at out on tour with Reuben, who
some point, hopefully releasing are good old friends of mine,
at some point next year, as well who were supported by a band
as writing another album, and called Dive Dive. Dive Dive
a book, and being on tour until featured a guy called Tarrant
the middle of next year. Bar- Anderson (who is now Frank’s
bara Allen was fun to do, and bassist) and they are fucking

“why do we have to stop

living exciting, adventurous
lives just because we hit a
certain age?”
also kind of a challenge for me amazing, and very nice people
because singing accapela is to boot. Then when Million
not really something I’ve done Dead broke up, those guys had
before, so I was kind of bricking their own studio at the time in
it the first time I did it, but it Oxford. They offered to let me
turned out alright. I really like use it to record some stuff, and
the whole notion of kind of tra- also offered to play on it. So I
ditional music, such as found went and recorded the Camp-
songs, where people don’t re- fire Punkrock EP with them,
ally know who wrote them and and it just sort of ballooned
they have hundreds of years of from there. We had about a
history. And loads of different million different keyboard play-
versions, I mean I have six dif- ers, most of whom were shit, or
ferent versions of Barbara annoying, or both. Apart from
Allen, and they’re all based Chris TT, who was in the band
some people think it is, but this that sound like Jawbreaker it’s around the same kind of riff. To for a while, which was great,
whole punk-folk kind of thing kind of like… Eeeh. By taking be honest with you, the version but he has his own stuff to do.
that seems to be going on the same attitude and ethos that I sung is my version, - I tin- In the end, Nigel (Powell,
which I get lumped in with a lot, and ideals, and quite a lot of kered about with the lyrics, and Frank’s drummer) met Matt in
which is…. Fine, because it’s the time some melodic struc- the tune a little bit, but that’s the a poker game, which sounds
fair cop to a degree, but that’s tures and stuff, and developing idea, that’s the whole point, fucking rock and roll, ad found
a really good example. It’s a re- and it’s a living tradition. out that Matt was a musician
ally cool thing where, if I’m and a keys player, and we tri-
thinking positively about it, a lot
of people, particularly Ameri-
“punk is an How many instruments can
you play?
alled him out, and he was in-
sanely good. When Matt joined
can punks, are reminding attitude, that A few. Drums, badly, bass rea- the band it really felt like my
themselves what they liked comes in sonably well. I can play guitar, shows and the band hit a totally
about punk in the first place.
The first time you hear Jaw-
many shapes well, rhythm guitar, I can’t solo
to save my fucking life. I can
different pitch to where they
were before, and it’s really
breaker it’s amazing, but when and forms” play mandolin, lap steel banjo, come together now. I’ll still do
you hear the hundredth band but they’re all kind of variations things in my own name, but I
 INTERVIEW
want the band to be kind of like
the E Street Band where they
are a backing band, but people
know who they are. It’s impor-
tant to me that people know
that I play with the same peo-
ple, and people know that they
are a band. We’ve been trying
to come up with a band name,
and haven’t really succeeded.
Apart from, and they are, they
fucking are, joking with this
one, but they like Lazer Child.
So maybe, Frank Turner and
Lazer Child, but I think not,
somehow.

Do you prefer to headline

small venues or play support
slots in larger venues?
I actually don’t really care. I
don’t think shows are made by What inspired your newest singer, and he said “I’m not some ideas of side projects
made by that part, or at least album, considering how planning on doing anything and collaborations with people,
that’s only a really small part of quickly it arrived on the tail else with my life.” His question, like Beardy Man. There’s also
what makes a good show. For of the previous one? essentially, was why do we the supergroup. Everybody po-
me, a good show is about at- I’ve been writing quickly re- have to stop living exciting, ad- tentially involved in the super-
mosphere, and I’ve seen cently. One thing was, Jay, who venturous lives just because group wants to do it, but it’s a
Springsteen create a good live is also known as Beans on we hit a certain age? I was kind question of scheduling. It would
atmosphere with sixty thou- Toast, is a very old friend of of stumped, basically. So I be Ben from Million Dead on
sand people, and similarly I’ve mine, and someone whose thought about it a lot, and that drums, Jim from At The Drive-
seen that it’s possible to play to opinion I value enourmously, whole conversation turned into In on bass, Jim from Jimmy Eat
a huge number of people and about life, music and every- the song “Live Fast, Die Old”. World on guitar and me on gui-
have no atmosphere at all, and thing else. We were having a That’s the first track I wrote for tar. It came about when me and
I’ve done shows where there’s discussion one day about the the album, and it really felt like Jim and Jim were hanging out
been five people there and it’s it had to be the first track on the in Arizona, and having one of
been amazing. It’s something a
lot less tangible than the size of
“it might be album as well. Things kind of
went from there for me. Gener-
those conversations where
everyone is agreeing with each
the venue that you’re in. time to do ally speaking though, I tend to
write about what’s going on in
other over a pint. We were talk-
ing about how Hot Snakes are
What’s been your favourite
ever performance you have
something my head at any moment. the single best punk band that
have ever lived, and we de-
played so far?
There’s a few, here and there.
radical like You’ve been touring almost
non-stop for nearly seven
cided to form a band that
sounds like Hot Snakes. We’re
I do so many gigs that it’s hard
to pick one. The show last night
take six years – do you plan on slow-
ing down any time soon?
gonna be called “HammerZite”,
which is German for “Hammer
in Edinburgh last night was
great. One was, we were in St
months off Not any time immediately soon,
I had three weeks off at Christ-
Time” and the album is going to
be called “Halt”. It’s going to be
Louis, Missouri with Flogging
Molly. We had a great tour with
and just kind mas, and it drove me out of my
fucking mind. I feel like I’m
fucking amazing, but when on
earth we’re all going to find the
them generally, but there was
something about that show that
of… assess.” going to record another album
this year, and get it out next
time to do that is beyond me.

was just really… I don’t know, year, and do another promo- You once said in a song that
we just came on and killed it, song “The Ballad of Me and My tional tour. After that, I feel like “the only thing I’m offering is
straight away. I really felt like Friends” (from Turner’s first it might be time to do some- me” – how true do you think
we owned that show, and it album, Sleep is for the Week), thing radical like take six that is today?
was a really good feeling, and and he was basically having a months off and just kind of… I hope it’s still one hundred per-
the crowd seemed to agree. go about that song, saying that assess. Although, I say that, cent true. There’s no fiction in
Everyone was coming up to us it was overly pessimistic and the other thing I’m thinking of my songs, not because I dis-
telling us it was amazing, and I saying that he isn’t giving up. I doing is setting aside a year, agree with fiction, I think it’s
just had to say “Yeah, it was, won’t tell you how old he is, but probably 2013 off the top of my possible to be very artistically
wasn’t it”. he’s in his early thirties and head, to be the year of the side honest with fiction, but because
he’s a club promoter and a folk project. I’ve had so many awe- I’m really rubbish at it. I feel like
 FRANK TURNER

Tonight Frank Turner broke fectionately known by fans) ran played an interesting and well as is to be expected, though
hearts. From the opening notes his own merchandise stand considered set, with a fairly the sound quality at the start
of “Live Fast, Die Old” from the and would give personalised even ratio of new to old songs, left much to be desired. This
new album to the triumphant shout-outs to fans based on designed to please old fans was irritating, as this seemed
close of “Photosynthesis”, conversations they had. The and acquaint the radio one like an ominous sign of things
Turner played tonight’s Man- other side to this was the ex- crowd with his back catalogue. to come – impressive lights
chester show as though it were citement and pride felt at see- and smoke, huge crowd, but
his last on Earth. ing someone who deserves it His new album has some terrible sound? Shiver. How-
finally make it. Many of the die- belting songs on it, and after ever, the sound issues were
Taking to the stage, Frank hard Turner fans have accused hearing them played live, I’ll quickly rectified, and the gig
Turner opened the show as his him of “selling out” and being definitely be giving some of the went on to be one of the best I
die-hard fans have never seen disloyal to those who have slower tracks, like “Journey of have ever seen Turner play, as
before, replete with lights, full watched and listened eagerly the Magi” another go. My per- though the huge crowd’s en-
band, smoke and an astound- since the now sepia-toned sonal highlight was his rendi- ergy fed his own.
ing 800 strong crowd. Having days of Million Dead. To all tion of The Postal Service’s
seen Turner perform to an au- these sceptics, all I have to say “The District Sleeps Alone In short, if you haven’t yet seen
dience of 50 people tonight is; the boy has done us proud. Tonight”, but he also played this amazing performer, get
was something of an educa- “Smiling at Strangers on yourself a ticket for the large-
tion. Turner has performed Turner has, in the 8 years since Trains” – a bittersweet re- venue tour next year. At £15, it
every show I’ve seen with Million Dead released their first minder of his Million Dead isn’t much for the chance to
gusto and enthusiasm, despite EP, never once become jaded days. Also on the set list were say you saw the Dylan of our
having been touring almost or lost his incredible passion for “The Ballad of Me and My times.
continuously now for six years. what he does. He has consis- Friends”, “Father’s Day” and a
That’s a long time to chase the tently brought to the stage and reworked version of “Long Live In Summary:
kind of popularity he is now en- to our headphones a sense of the Queen”. The new version Amazing. Grab a ticket for the
joying. righteousness and fervour, of the latter was, if possible, next tour before they sell out.
coupled with an awesome even better than the original, But if they do sell out, with
The heady atmosphere in Man- stage presence. It’s not often yet loses none of its emotional Frank Turner, there will always
chester’s Academy Two was a that someone can do all that punch. be another tour.
bizarre combination of longing and still stay a nice guy.
nostalgia for “the good old
days” where Frank (as he is af- But back to the gig. Turner Turner played everything well,
 INTERVIEW

SELLOUT catches up with about. does that come from?

Crazy Arm - lovely blokes What do you think it takes to We understand, Like Frank
they were too. Lead make it as a new band in the How did you come to be Turner does, that punk music,
singer Darren Johns talks digital era? touring with Frank Turner? and folk music are about words
I think you just have to believe We got signed to Xtra Mile last and storytelling. That tradition
here about their new
in music, and not give a shit year, which is that same label will never disappear, through
album, punk rock radio about how many sales there as Frank Turner is on, and he all the incarnations of punk,
and how it feels to be are. All the bands that I care heard one of our songs, when and the folk music that’s
sponsored by Frank about never did it for the he was travelling in a coming through with punk
Turner. money, and if I found that they convertible in LA and he just music. People will always want
did I would boycott them, you got blown away by the song, to continue that tradition of
You’ve recently had a new know? We come from an and he’s been fighting our writing meaningful words,
album out that has been very underground punk scene which corner ever since. He always rather than just…garbage that
well received. How are you was never about and will never raves about us, if anyone asks you’ll hear from about 80% of
feeling about how the album be abot shifting units – it’s him who his favourite new punk rock bands these days.
is doing? about the music, and the scene band are, he always says us. It’s a shame, because the
I’m not really sure how it’s and the community that it We’re pretty flattered by that! underground punk scene is rife
doing to be honest! We know evolves from. I think the era we Then, I guess because of the with bands that have
how it’s been received – the live in is good in a way, label connection, he offered to something to say, but those
reviews have mostly been because it seeds out all those take us out on tour, which we bands will never get aired.
great. To be honest, I’m not money-makers, because they just jumped at, and now the
really sure how to guage how all think “Oh, well there’s no European section of it as Who are your favourite new
an album is received – I daren’t money in music, so I’m going to well… To say we were happy band?
ask how many have been sold go and become an estate was an understatement. Both I’m obsessed with the Skints at
because I just don’t want to agent or something” – it’s Frank and the label have done the moment. They’re nothing
know in case it’s such a small getting rid of all those idiots. I a lot for us, got us playing to a like us, they’re a reggae punk
number that it brings us all think it’s going to be harder for crowd of people that we might band, and I just think they’re
down! I think a lot of people are kids to get where they want to not have seen for another five amazing. They’re awesome,
either downloading it or get, but it does mean that only years. I’m still gobsmacked by
listening to it on spotify, which the music lovers will be making it all, to be honest. they’re going to outstrip all of
is great – we don’t mind how music, so hopefully in twenty us in about three years. There
people listen to it, but how it years time we’ll only have the Your music is a great spin on are other bands, local Cornish
reflects in the sales I’m not best bands, and the best songs the idea of traditional punk – bands near us, like the
sure. It’s worked wonders for ever heard….possibly! At least, with lyrics that have Bangers, who we play with a
us as far as the band getting to people will be striving to do meaning, and a very lot. They’re happy to stay
the next level. that, and that’s what we care individual vocal style. Where where they are, everyone on
 CRAZY ARM

the DIY punk scene loves them but to tiny amounts of people.
and they’re ok with that, they After this, we’ll definitely be out
don’t want to lift up, it’s good – we have to strike when the
enough for them. It would have iron’s hot, really, and just get
been good enough for us, until out there. We’re doing a lot of
things changed festivals through summer, and
that’s the aim really. We’ve got
When and how did you about seven at the moment,
form? and we’re trying for Reading
About five years ago. We were and Leeds, and apparently
a three-piece formed out of two we’re in the running for it We’re
different bands, a post hard- still out there, but some of us
core band and No Comply, who are still working, so we can’t
were a ska-punk band. We lost tour all the time. I’m doing a
the ska bit… When those solo tour in May, because the
bands fell apart we got rest of the band can’t do it. The
together, because we were all next band tour will probably be
good friends, and then about a October, with the Skints
year later we got another guy
in. We had no idea what style Do you prefer support slots
of music we wanted to do. We in large venues, like tonight,
drew from every source then, or headlining smaller ven-
and people say we’re quite a ues?
hotch-potch of sounds anyway, They both have their virtues.
but it was far more so then. It’s much easier, in our comfort
Then we lost our fourth tant, but do you ever worry show with Mike Davie’s punk zone, to play small venues, on
that by confronting issues rock show, which was a cover the floor with the crowd, right in
member, and along came Tim, like this in your music, you of an anti-fascist song, which people’s faces. I love that kind
and it’s never been better. might stop yourself from be- was written in the sixties. I of action. I do like the vastness
We’re the band it always coming as famous as some- wrote one of the verses myself, of these shows, though, and
should have been. Five years one who just wrote songs where I updated the song to in- everyone has been really nice
in the making. about lighter issues? clude a verse about the BNP. to us. This tour is dreamlike, it
We never worry about it, no. That was one of our main doesn’t feel real to us, and it’s
When you are writing songs, Our label said that to us before, songs for the show, but for odd. I’m sure I’ll look back and
do the lyrics or the tune “Do you really want us to put some mysterious reason it ask “What did we just do?! That
come first? that on the band biography?” didn’t appear on this late-night was insane!” We still feel a bit
I write most of the songs, both We were like, yes, we do. so called punk rock show… I out of our depth.
musically and lyrically. I write all There are far more important don’t mean any disrespect,
the lyrics, and most of the things wrong with the world to because I think the show is Do you all have similar
music, and it all comes worry about. I’m not going to awesome, but I just wonder music taste, or is there a lot
together through jams in the compromise talking about who decided the song couldn’t of variety?
practice room. If it’s great, then things just because it might be aired. We definitely said, Absolutely. We have the same
it goes into a song somewhere. stop us getting played on this is one of our main three taste in music, we’re like clones
Songs kind of get thrown daytime radio. Most people songs, but it wasn’t even in- of each other! We always have
around in the practice room; agree, they’re not extreme pol- cluded as an internet down- the same albums on rotation in
certain parts get dropped, or itics, they’re seen as common load. It was just kind of the van. Baroness, for in-
cut off or questioned. That’s not sense ideas. Vegetarianism for conveniently lost. We were told stance, is everyone’s favourite
to say that people couldn’t instance. Twenty five years ago that it would be played on the band, and if it’s not that it’s
bring things to the table… we were called “Cranks”, and show later in the year, but Sheerwater’s new album,
now it’s completely accepted nothing. I think they were which is amazing or First Aid
Tim: I’ve still got things to learn, as the most most viable and scared of the libel attached to it Kit’s new album, which is
before I can even start thinking wholesome lifestyle. Veganism and backed off. Which is a amazing as well. Obviously we
about making something… is maybe not so much ac- shame, because the song don’t have exactly the same
ceoted, but another twenty shows a different side to us, it’s taste in music, but of all the
You say on your facebook years and it will be. These an acoustic song. So yeah. it things that are put on, no one
that you feel that it’s impor- aren’t extreme views, they’re annoys me, but I won’t stop doesn’t want to hear it. We all
tant to talk about your vege- just common sense. doing it for popularity reasons. hang out together at home. I
tarianism, your atheist know it’s a realy cliché, but we
beliefs and your support of It’s less popular to talk about Will you be doing a headline are a real family band, we’re
human and animal rights. this stuff though. tour soon? like a family.
This is all obviously impor- It’s true. For instance, we did a We headline tour all the time,
 INTERVIEW
ROSANNA HYNES meets the
journalist with a
reputation to die for.
P
aul du Noyer is quiet, meet. To be honest, the ones
reserved and polite. It that are pleasant encounters I
is hard to put together tend to forget, because you just
the calm man before you walk out with a sense of relief,
with the illustrious career he thinking, thank god nothing
has behind him – one cannot went wrong! The most memo-
help but expect the stereo- rable ones for me are when I
typical editor – but then meet the people who were
again, Du Noyer is stars before I became a jour-
anything but average. He has nalist, so when I get to meet
written for or created almost Paul McCartney or David
every major UK music Bowie, that’s quite a thrill, be-
magazine, interviewed the cause it reawakens the child-
biggest names in the indus- fan in me, you know, and I
try and written several ac- would say it was more exciting
claimed books. SELLOUT for me to interview Dusty
hunts down the man behind Springfield than it was to meet
the deeds. Madonna, she was the first pop
star I knew of as a child, be-
You have been in the maga- cause Madonna wasn’t a pop
zine industry for over 30 star when I was a kid, she was-
years now, what would you n’t even invented, so to speak.
say is your proudest moment
in journalism? You have been involved in
In journalism, it was probably the creation of a vast number
launching Mojo, which when it of
started, was quite a difficult magazines in your time in the
magazine to persuade the industry, which one would
publishers to do – they couldn’t you be most likely to read
quite see the point of it. But I’m now?
pleased to say that although I The one that I currently write for
don’t have any involvement in it now is The Word magazine,
anymore it’s survived, in a and because it’s tailored to my
pretty hard market It still sur- interests, my age, it’s the one I
vives – I think it’s still the kind would be most likely to read,
of magazine that I thought it were I not also writing for them.
was going to be when it started. I’ve been fortunate in that usu-
ally I was able to work for a
Who was your favourite in- magazine that I would have
terview with? been a reader of anyway. I
Well, some interviews are nice worked for NME at a time when
just because it’s a pleasant en- I was an NME reader, Q I
counter, and some are a great started for people of my age ferent directions. A couple of What song would you
thrill because it’s somebody and outlook, and the same with things at random are Kings of choose to sum up Liverpool?
that you’ve always wanted to Mojo. The one that I didn’t have Leon; seventy different I’d pick “The Killing Moon” by
any personal involvement with versions of a jazz song called I Echo and The Bunnymen.
“It was more was HEAT I suppose, and once Cover the Waterfront. I liked the
I walked out the door after the song, and I was just wondering What song do you think best
exciting for me to launch, I never picked up a how many people had covered represents London?
interview Dusty copy again! it. That’s the great thing about For London I would nominate
Spotify; I just keyed in the title “Up the Junction” by Squeeze.
Springfield than What’s on your spotify and up popped seventy differ-
it was to meet playlist? ent covers, from Frank Sinatra
to Billie Holliday.
Who was your most difficult
interviewee?
It’s never just one thing in par-
Madonna.” ticular. It’s generally things that Either Lou Reed or Van Morri-
are drawn from a hundred dif- son. I’d say they were joint top.
 PAUL DU NOYER
I don’t see any reason why not.
I don’t see why the foundation
of musical talent should either
grow or decline, and I don’t see
why the supply of genius
should be any less than it used
to be. However, whom those
people will be, when we look

“I don’t see
why the
supply of
genius
should be
Du Noyers leading interview with
any less than
Souxise and the Banshees on the it used to.”
cover of NME.

back on them in 20 years time,

I really couldn’t say. The only
difference is that nobody could
ever really make the kind of
breakthrough The Beatles
made, I mean, once you dis-
cover the North Pole, nobody
else can ever do it, because it’s
already been done. A lot of
what The Beatles did, apart
from being very good, musi-
cally, they kind of invented an
industry in a way, because
everybody else is obliged to do
something like it. That doesn’t
mean that nobody can be as
good as The Beatles.

What bands/ artists are your

Paul Du Noyer presents Paul biggest guilty pleasures?
McCartney with a Lifetime The Moody Blues – 60s & 70s
Achievement trophy at the first Q prog rock. They’re the most
Awards. pretentious; fantasy, pompous
songs ever written, and they
around the Internet, we will find hard, to meet a certain look like poncey hairdressers!
Do you think the rise of the ways of being steered towards standard. They were everything that
blogosphere means that the things we like, possibly through punk rock set itself up to de-
standard of journalism will a very good system of reader stroy, but secretly I love them.
drop drastically? recommendation. And once Over the course of your ca-
I think the standard of the bloggers have built up an audi- reer, you have interviewed
blogoshpere is going to have to ence, they will have to work some of the biggest names
rise. We’re still at the early hard to keep that audience, in music. Do you think that
stage of that game, and what because the great cliché of the the current generation of
will happen is that reader’s Internet that your nearest rival musicians has what it takes
ways of evaluating different is only a click away – it’s very to live on in the memories of
blogs will become more hard to keep hold of your their audiences in the way
sophisticated, and gradually, readers on the Internet. Blog- The Beatles, Bowie or The
instead of stumbling blindly gers will really have to work Rolling Stones have?
 INTERVIEW
LIAM FROST
It’s been three years since your
last album, why did you leave Why did you reduce your name
such a long gap between your to “Liam Frost”, are you with a
first and second albums? different band now?
That’s a long story…I needed to The thing is, I signed my first deal
clear my head on a few things after as a solo singer/songwriter, and
having a funny couple of years, to ‘The Slowdown Family’ thing was
get away from things a little. I got just a name for the backing group
an opportunity to go to the Arctic really. Undoubtedly they added an
with this group called Cape awful lot to the live show on the first
Farewell; I took them up on their album, but the name confused an
offer. The writing began in earnest awful lot of people into thinking we
on that trip. Shortly after that, I were a band, so I decided to just go
went to record the album in New out as myself for this one. I have
York. Then a few months after I’d one of the Slowdown guys in the
finished recording, I lost my old band still, the rest are all new mu-
record deal. Fortunately I left with sicians. After all that…I want to be
my album still belonging to me! It in a band again! ☺
took a year to find a way to release
and finally get it out there. Did you take a gap from touring
between the two albums, or have
What is different about the new you been touring this whole
album? time?
I feel like the songs are a little more I wasn’t really touring as such…but
rounded and realized. I had plenty I played a lot of shows kind of dot-
of time to refine the album, and ted round the country. Most of it
make it exactly what I wanted it to was Manchester and London
be. There’s a lot more pop songs though.
on this album, and by pop I mean
proper pop…rather than The Sat- Do you prefer to headline small
urdays or something! venues or play support slots in
larger venues?
You have changed record label Smaller venues definitely…I find
since your first album, how has both equally terrifying though!
this affected you and your
music? What’s the most embarrassing
I wouldn’t say that it’s changed all thing that’s ever happened on-
that much since I’ve left…the stage?
change itself occurred while I was We played Sheffield on the tour
still a part of the Columbia label. I around the release of the first recently. That was pretty astonish- to say in my songs.
think there was an expectation album, at the Leadmill in the small ing. Two drummers and an awful
placed upon me to write something room. We were getting onstage, lot of noise! They’ve been playing You have been described as “the
that would sell hundreds of thou- and I came on last in line. Any- together for years and it shows. UK’s answer to Bright Eyes”; do
sands of albums. Now I’m not so ways, I tripped on the way up and The same could be said of Wilco, you think you would enjoy that
concerned about that, and I’m writ- fell face first…this was in plain view who I saw at the Green Man festi- kind of international recogni-
ing more of the songs that I want to of the first few rows. I felt pretty stu- val this year. That was brilliant. Bon tion?
again. So I guess there has been a pid… Iver, at the same festival, was
change of sorts, but it feels like it’s beautiful as well. I’ve always really appreciated that
for the best. What’s been your favourite ever comparison, as I admire Conor
performance you have played so Who are your main influences? Oberst a great deal. I’m not really
What is your favourite track on far? Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, sure about the international recog-
the new album? There’s been so many, the entire Bob Dylan, Nick Cave, The nition…I mean to be known and
Skylark Avenue. It was the last tour I played in support to Stephen Clash…not just in terms of song appreciated by all those people
song I wrote for the album, and that Fretwell just before I signed a deal writing ability, but also what they would be a great thing obviously.
song, along with Two Hearts, was was great. There have been loads mean to people. I like a lot of new- But I’d have to have it on my own
recorded over here. In fact, those of really fun shows since the re- ish stuff as well, like M Ward, Ron terms if you know what I mean…I
two songs are my favourites…the lease of the first EP, right up until Sexsmith. wouldn’t want to con a bunch of
album didn’t feel finished until just this month I played at the birth- people into listening to my songs in
those were recorded. day party of this ace night in Man- What inspires your music? any way. It always feels like there
chester. The band got up with me I guess all the people I just men- had to be a bit of a catch with it.
Your music often has an orches- too…loads of people singing along tioned, but then some writers as There are exceptions though I
tral element, how many instru- to the all the songs. It’s just nice to well. I like a lot of Charles guess, Conor being one them.
ments can you play? know that people haven’t forgotten Bukowski’s books. John Fante as
That’s a really nice thing to say… me! well, who I’ve always kind of put in Have you ever toured abroad?
thank you! I honestly can’t play all the same place as Bukowski. Milan
that many instruments though you What has been the best concert Kundera is great. Then all the ob- Not really. I played at South By
know. Other than guitar, I can play you have ever attended? vious stuff, personal experiences Southwest in 2006. Other than that
a little bit of piano, the ukulele. Not I went to a Nick Cave and the Bad and whatnot…I think without those it’s all been over here…wait, does
that much else! Seeds show at Manchester Apollo I wouldn’t really have all that much Ireland count as abroad? ☺