Photo credit: Danny Clifford
Tell us about your tour vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?
I started touring in an RV in 2001. The idea was that it would eliminate the drudgery of checking in and out of hotels and provide some stability of environment. It worked out so well that I have been doing it that way ever since. It’s a home away from home. There’s a great sense of freedom that comes with it too. I don’t always have a plan in place for which beautiful place we might go on a day off, for example.
My RV in the UK actually broke down on me the week before I arrived in The States and we had to hire a minivan to carry out the remaining shows, so it’s not all plain sailing!
We once broke down on the way to a show in Cleveland, which saw me and The Fluffers arrive late to the show and the audience came out to help us load in our gear, which was sweet!
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
I try to cook whenever I can. One of the great things about touring in America is how many RV parks there are, and in such gorgeous surroundings. Cooking on a camp fire in the outdoors is something I really enjoy.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
Do you know – I can’t remember the last time I broke a string!
Where do you rehearse?
I’m fortunate enough to have a studio in London which is where we rehearse and record with Squeeze. Created by me to feel cozy and homely, a place where we can eat, drink and make merry.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
I wrote this song, called ‘Night Ride’, when I was 11. Squeeze recorded it on our first E.P.
Come on out baby where the air is cool
I know a quiet place by a little pool
Come on out baby where there are no lights
Out, out into the night
On a night ride, on a night ride, On a night ride, on a night ride…
Describe your first gig.
It was an ambitious undertaking to have a concert in four quarters around the side of the apartment block we lived in. My mum had printed up programs on sheets of paper at her work that detailed my song selections for each quarter. Anticipation mounted as the date got nearer. In the event, it ended up with me playing songs to my mum as no one else came. This was also when I was 11.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
I worked in a health food shop, then a hippy clothing emporium. Followed by working behind the bar at a pub called the Morden Arms (20 Cheese rolls and 20 Ham Rolls to be made before the doors opened), and last but not least at a music shop called Bill Lewingtons in the center of London. I asked if I could have a day off as Squeeze had a gig somewhere up north, and they said I could not. So that was my last day of real work! I liked working in the pub, there were a good cast of characters. Myself and Jools Holland ended up playing as a duo there regularly.
How has your music-related income changed over the past 5-10 years? What do you expect it to look like 5-10 years from now?
It’s changed for the better but you can’t rely on that to continue. I’ve always made life up as I go along so that won’t change.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
To not be so trusting of people who exploited my naivety.