He may have moved away, but he just cannot stay away from Hoodtown...
You moved to London earlier this year. How has that been treating you?
Pretty well, it’s busy down here but I’m enjoying it. It takes a while to settle in but there are a lot of nice people down here. I’m trying to join up with the Communists.
What venues have you been playing?
A lot of random ones. I played an all-dayer called Chickenstock in Camden the other week which was good - probably the first time I’ve seen a small plastic saxophone blown with any seriousness by a grown man. The one before that was in Croydon which resembles the Market Square on a Friday night. Just horrific.
How have you developed since leaving Notts?
I’m not sure if I’m writing better songs, but I definitely feel I want to work with more musicians so I guess I’m going a different direction more than anything else. I think I’d quite like to form a thrash band. That would be super.
Any attention from labels?
I’ve not really been getting myself around enough really. You have to do a lot to get oticed down here so I’m gathering a band and trying to get more recording done, and I’ll probably dress as Hitler from now on. Hitler gone mad.
What are your influences?
I dunno really - I think I pick bits up from different people. It helps having grown up surrounded by people who write songs as well, so you can bounce off each other and they can tell you when it’s shit. Even if your initial reaction is to think ‘what a stupid fucker’, you soon realise they’ve got a point. Also, I suppose the need not to repeat myself when I’m writing, that helps.
What inspires your lyrics?
The usual I guess, love and society. I like to keep myself abreast of current events.You have two musical brothers, why do you think the three of you have such different styles of writing?
I think we all like different styles of music.
Nick listens to a lot of jazz and he writes on the piano anyway. Chris has always been into soul and I think there’s elements of that in his stuff - he’s also just written a song which he raps in, which is surprisingly not shit at all. I guess I was more into a mix of dark Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead rock and Nick Drake/ Joni Mitchell acoustic stuff, so I suppose I’m the depressive of the three.
Who will you be playing with at the Cross?
It’ll be a few people from around Notts - probably elements of the Foncheros and other bands. Also my mate Adam, who has no affiliations
What is the picture on your MySpace all about?
Well its just pigs running, isn’t it? You’ll probably have to make your own mind up.
Are you a fan of pig racing?
Its mainly based in Russia in a small town called Dangadank, which has a notoriously poor transport network so I rarely get to see it, but one day I hope to catch the full pig Olympics.
Anything else to say to LeftLion readers?
Don’t shout ‘wanker’… that’s right out.
Tim McDonald plays LeftLion Unplugged with Andy Wright and Tommy Goodall on Tuesday 21 August 2007.
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