Teenage Fanclub
Norman Blake
Q: Was the single "I Need Direction"
a kick back against writer's block?
A: Gerard wrote the song and we all write very personally.
We don't really discuss it, its like the writing off it is just enough
so its difficult for me to say specifically what that's about. I have heard
him say its about living in Glasgow and whether or not he wants to stay
there. Its reflective song about what he's done and where he's going which
is a classic them for a songwriter.
There's quite a lot of harmonies and we though we could
go really extreme with it. Were at the point where were not worried about
doing something that is seen a little odd.
Q: How did you find the break
up of Creation records?
A: It was kind of funny for us in the way that it happened
midway between making this album. To be honest it didn't really come as
a big surprise, we had an inkling that it was going to happen. He got in
touch with us before he put the press release out and we could understand
because we know he needed a new challenge. After he had all the success
with Oasis it was obvious that there wasn't going to be a band as big again,
so the time had came when it had ran its course.
We just got on with making the album and Columbia had
first offer as they had a big stake in Creation. So here we are but Alan
McGee is still our publisher so we have still got a relationship with him.
If you look at the press today with kevin Rowland slagging Alan off, I
think he's just bitter that his record didn't do particularly well. How
many other people would have brought out a record by Kevin Rowland? Exactly.
Q: How did Producing the new
album "Howdy" change things for you?
A: I think we do develop as a band but its very subtle,
we don't go from extremes on each different album. We don't go and do a
drum and bass album so its nothing like that. We think more about the arrangements
and lyrics and as I said before its just the subtle changes. A song like
"Dumb Dumb Dumb" has the time signature totally back to front and there's
songs on there with 3 or 4 drum kits on.
If you look at a band like Blur most fans would have been
disappointed with the last album but they can afford to do that. We just
do it our way and have never felt we have to change, we've been given up
caring whether people think were retro or not. We've never sat down and
wished we lived in the 60's, were definitely of the moment.
Q: When it comes to the final
tracklisting do you ever have any power struggles?
A: Generally on the past 3 or 4 albums we've done it
so we get 4 songs each. The 3 of us are songwriters so it seems a good
way to present what we do. On this album it goes Gerard, Raymond, Norman
all the way to the end but it was coincidental, we didn't mean it be as
rigid as that we just like that sequence of songs.
Are relationship is not based on conflict so there were no Tony Blair style ego trips involved. Some people thrive on stress but we can't stand that manic atmosphere.
One of my favourite tracks is "Town and The City" which
features Mick Cook from Belle and Sebastian and "Happiness", one of Raymond's
songs is one of the best.
Q: How do you feel being put
against Travis?
A: We don't think that we sound like them or they sound
like us as people have been saying. I think its quite an easy comparison
because they're from Glasgow and they're quite a melodic guitar band but
beyond that were pretty different groups. There's a good music scene in
Scotland with the obvious comparisons being Astrid and Aerial. On a more
famous slant we've got Mogwai and the Delgados.
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"Howdy" out October 23rd
Tour - Oct / Nov
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