I thought it would split the fan base which I kind of perversely like doing oh yeah the last lot was
the video I sent a lot of geysers in bucket hats into a bit of a tailspin which is always an added
bonus it's nothing quite like a load of teenage boys crying to Champagne Supernova I wouldn't
cook for anyone else for fear of poisoning them except maybe one or two family members
[Music] let's talk about your new album so um Council Skies which is out now when did you
write it and what was your inspiration mainly the song itself is about yeah trying to find because
it's kind of it's got like a boss and overbeat I think I start the German the idea came in Ibiza
which is why it sounds like that I guess if the song's about anything that's about trying to find
Young Love on the councilor State something which I could speak with with quite a bit of authority
um one of your favorites on the album is dead to the world why do you like that one so much
uh it's quite personal to me and it's it's a very atmospheric and Moody and I don't know
I think it's a song I'll never never get bored of listening to you know it's got these Majestic
strings that recorded in Abbey Road and yeah I'm not you know why are songs people's favorite songs
I don't know whether it's the best song I've ever written or but it it kind of moves me so that's
why I like it pretty boy yes so uh tell us about pretty boy sounds quite electronic and 80s but I
don't write an acoustic guitar it was the first thing I wrote and finished for the record and
as it as it kind of went on and I was putting layers upon layers of stuff on it started to sound
like the Cure and I'm a cure fan which people are horrified by because people think that if
you're a cool fan you've got to wear lipstick and um I've always been a huge admire Roberts Tunes
I had this crazy idea one night I was like I wonder if Robert Smith does remixes and of
course in the music business you're only kind of two steps away from somebody you know somebody and
um end up getting his email and emailing him I think I'm thinking when I sent it
I was thinking he's looking at that now and going like he's from Oasis really I'm gonna
involve with this idiot anyway email back and he was like oh sent me the track and kind of
sent it to him and he and uh and I was and if I thought it sounded like the Cure before I give it
him he sounded exactly like the Cure when it came back and um it never dawned on me until
afterwards that you know when Robert had remixed it that on that remix is like members of The Cure
one of the Smiths and one of Isis and it was like wow that's amazing you know I put it out first
because I thought it would split fan base again which I kind of perversely like doing um yeah
um well do you just like being contrary or what well I don't know I mean look it I think it's a
great tune so I wouldn't do it for the for the sake of just annoying people but I did think
okay this is this is gonna this is gonna be um I like to engage with the audience
so I like to keep them on the toes anyway because it would have been easy to put
out easy now or something like that sounds like Oasis or Council Skies which is very
sounds what high-flying birds have become and uh I like to keep people on the toes and and
the reaction of it was was really really interesting and uh but it will be a live
classic for years to come but I do I love the song I love it um on the yeah the video I sent a lot of
a lot of geysers in bucket hats into a bit of a tailspin which is always an added bonus now
uh Vice and a couple of emails in the past um I was basically along the lines of keep
writing keep going um do you Mentor anybody do you give anybody advice if people ask I mean
my advice to people in bands or songwriters it's very simple it's like you have to be
in it for the right if you're in it to make it forget it because it's such a rarity that
that you actually get to make it but be into it for the right reasons and if success comes
along then great if it doesn't you know still just keep at it you know yeah it's a wonderful
thing to be able to do is to be playing me to play an instrument and and you know write
songs it's a privilege I think yeah yeah okay I think that is good advice you know if you're
passionate about it thank you then can keep going or alternately keep buying my records
okay great advice from you then all so after the American dates you're back in the UK and you've
got quite a lot lined up in July and September yeah and then more in December as well um you've
got one in Manchester yes you're looking forward to that in particular yeah we're in Shore Park
first time there's ever been a gig in wythenshaw park and um it's going to be my first British gig
promoting an album called Council skies in the middle of the biggest Council estate in Europe
which is quite a brilliant sense of symmetry and uh yeah I know I can't wait to get because as
great as the American gigzag gives the band a chance to play in by the time we get back
to England after six weeks we'll be flying and then those big gigs will be amazing yeah there's
you know the spectacle there's nothing quite like a load of very white teenage boys with their tops
off crying it's a Champagne Supernova yeah that's quite the thing it must be amazing from your point
of view just looking at the crowd I mean I I kind of taken the Mickey a little bit but it
is a great privilege you know that you can still move future generations and like yeah I'm really
really looking forward to it are you excited about the fact that you do reach new generations
well yeah I mean it's it it's always fascinated me that a band um that was so of its time as as
you know so Oasis is what 30 years old next year Definitely Maybe is and it's still
you know there's people that come to my gigs when I'm playing songs from that era who
were not even born you know and it's kind of they've got it from their big brother who got
it from their uncle or something like that so it is it's an it's an amazing thing it's it's a real
yeah it's a real privilege as a songwriter and you did something that was Timeless and classic
and there's not a day that goes by that I don't try and convince somebody of my genius you know
got a question from uh a Twitter follower Amanda what's the first
thing you do when you get home after playing a gig overseas
well I'm one of those people the first thing that I do is unpack I can't have suitcases lying around
for like even if you get in the middle of the night in the middle maybe not in the middle of the
night but if I've got time to unpack I'll unpack all the dirty clothes will go in the wash and then
it's a very Northern thing but just make a cup of tea York City one sugar and milk down peace
and quiet you know where's the cat get rid of it uh you don't like the cat well thankfully I don't
have to live with them anymore but it was quite a vulgar I mean lovely cat lovely cat but he was
quite he's quite a vocal cat oh really which was kind of you know you'd be looking out and going
I can't help you make I don't know what what are you talking about but um do you connect better
with dogs then or I love dogs yeah yeah they're too needy like they stare at you
what the cats or the dogs here the dogs and they want to be your mate and just like I don't want
to be a mate I don't I look I've got too much got I've got too much going on I'm sorry you
do whatever you want with that tennis ball I'm not throwing it anywhere for you oh oh
I'm just not I'm not I'm not a pet person even goldfish annoy me even goldfish annoy you sorry
it's like you could put muesli in a goldfish
bowl and they still eat it yeah they're easily pleased idiots
um now very important question this is a personal one for me are you Pro or anti-salted caramel oh
Pro very much oh yeah yeah yeah okay we're gonna have to disagree here why why I think it's taken
over the world oh it's not something I haven't got a lot of it in the fridge
um I'm more I'm more of an ice Lolly man myself oh yeah these disease that my kids got me oh well
I say they got me into it I I I steal it from them I can't nobly bubblies I know you can get
them in waitrose and they are magnificent but salted caramel it's interesting you know it
was invented like in the 50s well there's always been caramel hasn't there but it's
since they've added salt it's become a thing I know it's disgusting it's taken over the menus
it's everywhere well I mean it's understandable it is quite nice now I've mentioned it I bet you'll
see it everywhere I mean it is the thing I don't tend to get stuck on the ice cream
uh I always find that straight to the supermarket a bit too cold for me do you know what I mean I
kind of want them shivering when I get halfway down it I'm like I don't know about that but
um you avoid that whole section do you try to the frozen food sector it's not for me no no good I
can't imagine you down the phrase yeah you've got to make it yeah do you do the cooking yourself or
uh I I well right I wouldn't I wouldn't go as far I can I I could survive with a pantry full of food
and a cooker am I a good cook I wouldn't cook for actually here's how I'd sum it up I wouldn't cook
for anyone else for fear of poisoning them okay except maybe one or two family members you can
risk it with now coming back to the kitchen do you have a kettle or a hot tap oh Hot Tops are
evil thank you we agree on that there's always that funny bit of that they're not boiler cattle
what's up with you it takes what three minutes yeah it's part of the process isn't it boiling
the kettle having a chat while you're doing it I you know I do miss the whistling Kettle as well
but yeah boil a kettle but the hot tap is no it's it's completely wrong yeah that's completely wrong
and it's not hot enough it's 98 Degrees it's not 100. now the fizzy water come out of them
yeah that's like I mean no that's that's people with too much money and buy that thing it is
to the flavor of course it does