MH - Well, I wrote all the songs. Apart from that it was somewhat typical of my solo working process – I developed the idea of how I wanted to record the songs and eventually went into the studio and recorded the songs based on my notion of how the music should sound. Fairly similar, at the end, to the way I work on any recording I am making with any project or group.
Almost all the basic tracks were recorded with Rosie Westbrook playing along on double bass. I felt it was important to have human playing, as opposed to click tracks or rhythm boxes or playing by myself, in order to get some interactive “feel” into the playing on the basic tracks.
FDF - There is a song that particularly impressed us, October Boy. It seems clearly dedicated to Rowland S. Howard. Tell us about your relationship with Rowland.
MH - t is now well established that this is about Rowland and I had no issue with making that clear in the lyrics. The chorus is based on a real exchange and somehow it seemed like a good way to kick the album off – the protagonist actually asking me to write a song for him for the project.
As for talking about my relationship with him…. It’s very hard to describe 30 years of special, thrilling, strained and downright weird interaction with such a person. He was a unique man and musician and we made some great music together. Short of committing to write a book I hardly know where to begin
FDF - You recently left a band when you were important, the Bad Seeds. You think the band will release albums beautiful even without your contribution? What is the album that you liked most about this experience? And the least?
MH - I am big fan of most of The Bad Seeds work. Always loved ‘Your Funeral, My Trial’ and ‘Let Love In’ but also ‘Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus’ which is an album which divides many people. Maybe it’s just the soul/gospel vocals that aren’t to some people’s taste because on any level it’s a classic Bad Seeds album with that variation being the only imaginable stumbling block.
My least favourite are probably ‘No More Shall We Part’ and ‘Nocturama’. Personally I still like them too but in hindsight I can see Nick had not found a new path with his writing and they sound stuck in a fussy place somehow. And that’s something he has certainly turned around. He is a rejuvenated man and has already shown he is more than capable of making great work without MY contribution. And more of it too, I hope.
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