Salford singer / songwriter
Interview by Suzi Hoffmann. 30-05-09
photo: suzi hoffmann.
Believe it or not, this lad was playing the Tuba when he was in
short trousers!
John's latest CD, “Tales of a Northern City” hits the streets on
July 11th. It's a diverse mix of effusive “Elbow” style love
songs, John Martin -malady and up-beat anthemic protest.
The Tuba story is no joke: “I grew up in a poor part of Salford
and at school when they wheeled out the choice of instruments –
there was a clarinet, a trumpet and this old Tuba at the back of
the class, so I said: ‘I’ll have a go at that!’”
His new album ‘Tales from a Northern City’ hits the streets on
11th July and John is emphatic that the title isn’t just about
Salford.
“I’m not one of those Salfordians who hates Manchester.
Manchester has played a big part in my life - I love Manchester
as much as I love Salford”.
Indeed, ‘Tales’ contains all kinds of wonderful treasures.
Though ‘Staring Directly at the Sun’ and ‘Love Don’t Cut it’
were clearly inspired by heartbreak, ‘Home’ is a beautiful
happy-go-lucky anthem about the importance of having a good
start in life: ‘We can go anywhere with home in our hearts’.
“‘Home’ is multi-faceted”, enthuses John, “I was blessed with 2
wonderful parents, but its also influenced by the Elbow track
‘Station Approach’ – it’s how it feels when I come back home to
Salford. It’s about having good foundations and roots and a
sense of belonging. You can go anywhere in the world and take
that with you”.
As a Mental Health manager, John has seen his share of distress
but he is both political and philosophical – “ not everyone has
had those foundations”.
A couple of years ago, after a break in gigging, John decided he
wanted to change his life and the burst of creativity since then
has produced ‘Tales from a Northern City’. So how does the new
album compare with ‘Unobtrusive’ the EP he released in 2007?;
“ ‘Unobtrusive’ was OK but I can’t bring myself to listen to it
now because the standard of ‘Tales’ is in a different league”.
‘Unobtrusive’ was rather a lonely DIY affair, with John playing
all the instruments (and doing everything else) himself. The new
album is much more of a collective creation involving (among
other things) a 9- piece-choir and a whole caboodle of different
instruments.
“It was a real community atmosphere (at Blueprint studios) with
the choir, their friends, photographers – a really good vibe
with everyone’s ideas being heard.”
Most of all, he raves about working together with other
singer/songwriters who have a vision of ‘the whole product’ and
not just their own part.
“I was amazed – there was no ‘overplaying’ of any one
instrument. They left room for the lyrics and understood the
importance of the whole arrangement. I loved it much more than
working alone”. Meeting Gary Hadfield (Courteneers, The Twang)
at the studio and working with people like Andy Needham clearly
gave him a boost. And stars are definitely in his eyes when he
talks about earning his keep as a musician:
“When I went to Blueprint studios I walked in and I just thought
‘I belong in this place’. I walk down the corridor and see Gary
sitting there and the whole smell and feel of the place is
brilliant. This isn’t ‘work’, I don’t care what anyone says,
this is what I want to do and I will be over the moon if it
works out.”
The most outstanding song (for some) on the album has got to be
‘Urban Decay’. Slightly up-beat, but the lyrics are so full of
Martynesque pain and disgust (a blush from John when likened to
his hero). But aren’t we tired of hearing about ‘Salford, urban
decay and regeneration’ in the same sentence? No, the pain and
anger here is from someone who has seen his beloved community
disintegrate, and watched whilst urban developers make their
fortunes from it:
“This song comes from when my Dad died – its been 6 years in the
making. Returning for the funeral, I got off the train at
Salford Crescent and walked to Langworthy where my Mum lives.
This was my joyous walk to school as a kid, but the school had
been bulldozed. The first place you pass is a Macdonalds, the
Kettle Drum pub is flattened. The flea (infested) market and the
‘Flat Iron’ pub looked bleak and I felt totally depressed.”
His perspective is that so called ‘regeneration’ has
disenfranchised people, forcing them out of their homes and
building ones they can’t afford. He repeats his friend’s
prophetic comment: “this city centre living will all go to
shit”.
We get back onto the music and John talks about seeing John
Martyn’s last ‘tortured’ gig in Manchester.
But this John is different. His songs are happy and sad,
political and lovelorn, folky and anthemic.
So the little Langworthy boy who grew up playing the Tuba and
listening to his Mum’s Burt Bacharach and Rachmaninoff has
become an accomplished musician. Maybe the Tuba appears on the
new album? He laughs:
“Well believe it or not on the song ‘Beauty’, I did say to Gary:
‘How about bringing in the Tuba?’ He just rolled his eyes and
swore”.
Suzi
suzihoffmann@phonecoop.coop
See you at the launch of ‘Tales from a Northern City’
Blueprint Studios 11.7. 09, 39 Queen St M3 7DQ
Tickets £6.50 from www.ticketline.co.uk or email John/sample the
album on
www.myspace.com/johnherring74
You can hear John Herring's live session and interview on The
Salford Music Hour (May 2009)
HERE.
