Interview

Chris T-T

by Lizz 22 August 2016

Outline recently reviewed Chris T-T’s latest album, and said “Quite frankly, he should be accorded national treasure.” And I second that emotion. When Frank Turner was still in nappies Chris was singing his heart clear off his sleeve, offering us his honest, direct and beautiful songs. With nine akbums under his belt as well as a range of other magical musical projects, he’s coming to play at NAC’s Bar as part of Norwich Sound & Vision. I spoke to this absolute sweetheart about the hardest part of his job, being in Norwich’s own Magoo, and protest singers.

Chris, you used to be the bass player for Norwich’s own Magoo before you left to work for the Press Association in London. Why did you leave and are you still buddies with Andrew and the boys?

Funny to think it’s 20 years ago – a lifetime. We were so young, though Andrew always was an old soul. I was only a temporary Magoo member for the first album, a hired hand really – and I left on very good terms, at the right time. For them, they needed proper long-term members and for me I didn’t want to commit to touring (it would’ve been my first ever tour) playing someone else’s songs, other than mine. Yes, we’re still friends. I love them a lot. We don’t catch up often obviously but I’ve recorded at the Sick Room over the years and stayed in touch. In fact right now I’m in pretty much daily contact with Owen because we constantly play online chess - he’s a fierce chess man.

You’ve received increasing critical acclaim and popularity right from the release of your debut album in 99’, Beatverse, but have never crossed over into the more commercial world. How have you managed to stay true to your own vision and your own style?

That’s a great tricky question. Partly I’m a control freak and (especially earlier on) not great at collaborating. I’ve had to work hard to learn how to give up control in the studio – like trusting the band’s arrangement ideas, or the engineer’s ears. Partly mainstream commercial success was never an option for me anyway, even when I was starting out - I lack the basic requirements, even if I’d wanted it. Very soon as I started to see inside the music business, I witnessed the destructive energy of any crossover ‘success’ (and people’s obsessive attempts to obtain it). It’s a wrecking ball for anyone genuinely driven by their creative urge. If you’re not troubled by that phoney world, it’s a lot easier (maybe just natural) to do whatever it is you do.

You enjoyed a good deal of support from Steve Lamacq especially at the beginning of your career. How important was his help in getting your music heard back in the late 90’s?

Lamacq’s early support was fundamental I think. Back then spot plays on Radio 1 specialist shows made an enormous difference; it meant you could tour and it actually sold records. Today it’s just one of hundreds of ways we all try to be heard. But at the turn of the millennium, just a bit of Lamacq or John Peel support felt honestly life-changing. Maybe it’s the equivalent nowadays to when a band gets invited onto Later with Jools Holland – it gives them an 18 month window to make the best of a hugely expanded audience.

You’ve been involved in so many innovative projects, from playing on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square to a one man show at Edinburgh of AA Milne’s poems set to your own music. What’s been the most challenging thing you’ve done in your career to date?

Ha, well Lizz, most people (maybe you too) have to get up in the morning and go to actual work and have a boss and targets or deal with the public and do what they’re told and they’re desperate for the weekend. Honestly my ‘job’ isn’t challenging, it’s a ridiculous blessing. Oh, I know what’s a challenge: working with children. If I run songwriting masterclasses or whatever, normally it’s with adults or music students, which is fairly calm. But occasionally I find myself working with school kids and they’re always inspiring, yet incredibly, brutally exhausting. I honestly have no idea how teachers do it because I go in with every advantage (it’s a one-off treat, often out of their normal lessons, I don’t have to worry about discipline, they can call me ‘Chris’ and whatever, they’re having fun, not doing maths) yet without fail, I’m demolished by 3.30pm. Teachers go back into that cauldron day after day for more and get treated like shit by the rest of society. That’s insane. Teachers should earn six figures from day one and moaning parents should give them blowjobs and posh chocolates and sports cars every week for not killing their precious little shitbags.

You’ve been an Artist In Residence and a Blogger In Residence as well. What were those experiences like?

For me, the key value of residencies in heritage or culture institutions is you get to peek behind the curtain and see how it all works. Like a triple-A backstage pass but for a different cultural world. Many years ago I did some music for a project at the Natural History Museum and got to ‘hang out backstage’ – they had just as interesting items – even more quirky things – on display that the public doesn’t get to see. Never forgot that.

At the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, I got to go down into the secret tunnels and up onto the roof - it’s one of the most precious buildings in my life. In fact, years before doing the residency I’d got married in that same building. So I love that I know its secrets.

Meanwhile the work itself (music or words or whatever) sits apart from my normal music-making and gives me a different focus: you’re creating to a brief, rather than just indulging yourself.

Your weekly radio show Chris T-T’s Midnight Campfire has been going for a couple years now. What’s your go-to track that you can never get enough of playing?

It’s a folk show, so classic stuff like Fairport’s Matty Groves or a nice bit of Nic Jones, maybe Little Pot Stove are always in my CD box if needed. But also I use a loose definition of the word ‘folk’ so I’ll happily drop in Roberta Flack’s Compared To What, or some loping psych wig-out.

Would you say you’re a protest singer, and who would you say is the greatest or most influential protest singer of all time?

I’m not a protest singer. Overt politics is less than 20% of my output. Also I don’t really believe in the ‘protest singer’ because songwriters write about whatever they fancy. Even the most staunchly political artist does love songs or occasionally writes daft songs about fruit or something. For me the best protest song of the 1990s was Pulp’s Common People and although Jarvis Cocker is occasionally very political he’s no way thought of as a protest artist. The thing is the audience and media relentlessly mistakes style for content. Beyoncé’s Formation has some of the most radical lyrics of 2016 (and radical imagery in the video and Superbowl performance) and is also one of the biggest global smash hits of the year. Yet people wouldn’t call Beyoncé a protest singer – she’s too busy being a megastar – and the white middle-class media still wonders out loud where the political music is. All of that said, the most influential folk-protest artist ever is Woody Guthrie; without him you don't get Dylan’s political side, maybe you don’t get Dylan at all, since Dylan basically stole Woody’s schtick.

Eminem Is Gay and Drink Beer are perhaps your two most potentially controversial songs, and there’s a track on your latest album called #Worst Government Ever. Do you feel free to sing about anything you want?

Ha, honestly I don’t think those two songs are at all controversial! They both got played on the radio uncensored. Listen to Ankles, Jesus Christ, The Huntsman Comes A-Marchin or most recently Cutting A Longbow on my current album – all far closer to people’s comfort boundaries. But to answer the question: yes, I do absolutely feel free to sing about whatever I want – it’s the bit of my life in which I’m fearless. I’m dead bored of how safe pop lyrics are. It cheapens us – especially now audio production is so incredible. I wish big names would take lyrical content somewhere more interesting and complex than just how horny everyone is and what their bums look like. Particularly, I want my audience to sometimes feel disconcerted by the words. That’s good. It’s half the point of sharing in the first place. We’re not cotton wool, we’re a canary.

Your latest album 9 Green Songs is your 10th studio album. How would you say it compares to your previous album, The Bear?

9 Green Songs was quicker to make and in many ways it’s a smaller record than The Bear. The music is more varied – nods to different styles – yet the music is less important than it is on The Bear. 9 Green Songs is about these issues and stories raised in the lyrics, tackling head on the social and ecological shiz, while also linking backwards to 9 Red Songs that I released 10 years before. Although the songs are serious on The Bear, it has a kind of early 1990s indie rock sound that I really wanted to achieve – and we did. And large chunks were played live in the studio. That was the important bit. The album is a lot more about us being a band and putting together something we loved in the studio.

Your band are called The Hoodrats. Will you be playing solo or with them at Norwich Sound & Vision?

I’m playing solo at NS&V. Even though 9 Green Songs starts loud and has a few full band arrangements, overall it’s meant to be a solo record, so I’m touring it alone. I hope Hoodrats will make another album and play again. Problem is, we’re all busy and I don’t want to compromise on how we do things; it's complex and expensive to get a band out on the road, especially on the edge of the industry. In the past I’ve compromised to make tours happen – done stuff on a shoestring to the point where it’s not comfortable and nobody’s getting paid. My priorities have shifted. The task in 2017 or 2018 will be, somehow, to get enough attention, to capture enough of an audience, to fund live band shows.

Are you looking forward to returning to Norwich Arts Centre to play and see some old friends?

Yes, very much.

Chris T-T plays Norwich Arts Centre Bar on Saturday as part of Norwich Sound & Vision. You can get a wristband for just £30 for the whole weekend from norwichsoundandvision.co.uk