Interview with Gruff Rhys
Your new album’s called ‘Hotel Shampoo’, based on your collection of hotel toiletries you’ve picked up on your travels round the world. Can you describe your favourite one to me?
I collected them ‘cause I have some kleptomaniac qualities, taking towels and things seems exciting and underhand and crazy. In a way I collected them to build a monument to the waste that is created by all these disposable things, so I collected them out of disdain really. But some of the brightly coloured ones are nice: the bright orange ones are pretty good.
Which is your favourite track on the new album?
It changes quite a lot, but today I’d have to say it’s ‘Shark Ridden Waters’. It came from out of nowhere. All the other songs I had ready before the album was recorded but this one came upon me whilst I was recording another song. It sounds quite… different to the other songs as well. I considered it a gift from the heavens!
When you made the album were you looking to create a particular kind of album or sound?
Yes, I thought it was going to be a piano based record that someone could play in a bar, with saxophones and things. A melancholy piano bar record. It didn’t really turn out that way.
You’ve been involved with several collaborations. What has been your favourite?
The song with El Perro Del Mar on my new album; I’m a huge fan of his, so that was very, very exciting for me. Also my collaborations with other people… The one I’ve listened to most is on ‘Dark Night of the Soul’ with Dangermouse and Sparklehorse. I don’t know what they did to my voice but it sounds much better than I actually sounded at the time.
Can you tell us a bit about your film ‘Seperado’?
Yeah, it’s a tour film, but I wanted to try different ways of touring, like an investigative tour, so the plan was to find a distant relative who hailed from the Welsh speaking part of Patagonia. He grew up speaking Welsh in South Argentina and came to Wales in the 70s with long hair and wearing his poncho singing dramatic Argentinian style songs in a Welsh accent. He was a total sensation. I saw him on TV when I was a kid and it was amazing. Then he kinda disappeared. So my idea for the film was going on tour in South America to find this guy called Rene Griffiths. It really was a huge undertaking. I did it with a visuals guy from Super Furry Animals, he’d never made a feature film before and it took us 5 years to make. I’m hoping it will be part of a trilogy. Maybe in 10 years time we can see if we can make the 2nd film. We thought it would be easy… I’m not sure what we thought we were doing really.
Is that it for Neon Neon, your one album collaboration with Boom Bip based on the life of John DeLorean? I am a huge fan and want some more please.
It would be great to make another album…John Delorean only lived once, so we could do it about his afterlife, although I doubt it would be as interesting. If we come up with a good idea and have some time to do it, it would be amazing. It was great fun to record.
Who have you been enjoying listening to recently and what was your album of 2010?
My favourite album of last year was by Sonny and The Sunsets. They’re a band from San Francisco. It’s a really simple album, incredibly catchy, recorded quite raw, just one of those albums I kept listening to again and again. Wonderful songwriting.
What are your plans for 2011? Will you be playing any festivals?
I’ve never toured much with my solo records before but I am with this one. I’m going to be playing some festivals… not many have been confirmed yet but I’m definitely doing The End of the Road Festival.
You’re a father now, so is it more fun at home or on tour these days?
Yeah I have two kids now, so it is difficult and it’s partly why I’m making solo records so I can do it at my own pace. Whereas with Super Furry Animals if we decide to go on tour then we have to give up a year of our lives and it becomes more than one person can control. I can’t sign my life away for a couple years at the moment. Hopefully at some point I can do it again though, maybe for our 10th album?
How is your label Irony Bored coming along?
Well, I’m incredibly disorganised… I’ve just started up another one actually. It all gets a bit confusing. The new label is called Ovna, so the plan is to release my own records on Ovna and other peoples’ on Irony Bored. But I wouldn’t necessarily wish people to record on my label because I am so awfully disorganised. Cate le Bon has started recording her new album and I don’t know if it’s going to be on Ovna but I hope she manages to find a proper label. It’s kind of a back up label, so if anyone has no other option they can come to me. I just have no ambitions in running a label, plus it’s really hard work. My priority is to make music myself.
My friend had Fire in My Heart as the first dance at his wedding. Do you consider it your most romantic song?
Yes, probably. I wanted to call it Heartburn because I’m scared of over-sentimental music and I usually try to subvert it somehow at all costs. With Fire In My Heart I could kind of live with it being so romantic ‘cos it was called Heartburn, but then it got vetoed by the rest of the band.
Talking of romance, your album’s out on Valentine’s Day. Was it planned that way?
No, it was a quiet week for record releases that week. But hey, there are worse days to release an album on.
We’re really looking forward to seeing you play at the Arts Centre. Last time you played there it was packed out. Do you prefer playing more intimate venues?
I don’t mind really how many people I play to. If I’m playing with Super Furry Animals and we’ve got computer screens and stuff we like to completely overwhelm people sonically and that creates a really great collective experience with loads of people. When I play on my own the set is a bit more fragile and quiet, and it’s nice to have that connection with the audience which is easier with a smaller crowd.
What can we expect from your performance this time round?
It will be slightly different. The support group for this tour is called Y Nwil: they’re an instrumental surf band from North Wales. The whole night’s gonna have a surfing feel, a West Coast beach mood for the Norwich audience. I wanted to get a load of sand for the venue, but it was pushing it a bit. I couldn’t afford to hire a van to transport a tonne of sand.
Lizz Page
Gruff Rhys comes to the Norwich Arts Centre on Sunday February 20th. For tickets, go to www.norwichartscentre.co.uk or call 01603 660352. Gruff’s album ‘Hotel Shampoo’ is available in record stores now.
