Richard Hawley

Richard Hawley tells Digital Spy about his solo material and gives us a little insight into what it was like working with Pulp back when they were chart-topping legends.

So, Richard, what was it really like working with Pulp?
It was a lot of fun. My part of it was definitely rock and roll. [The guys] were my oldest friends...I've known Steve Mack the bass player since I was four! I was coming out of a strange situation with The Longpigs, and it was almost like playing with your family. I had a great time.

You came out of your work with Pulp exhausted and considering leaving the music industry. What stopped you?
I didn't come out of Pulp exhausted. I came out of The Longpigs exhausted. Everything - creatively, financially - I didn't think I'd got anything left. I realised that I had when Pulp asked me to play with them.

You now work as both a recording artist and a renowned producer. What do you prefer - singing or producing, and why?
They're different things, it's like being Worzel Gummidge, you have to have different heads on. Though, hopefully, I don't look like Worzel Gummidge - after ten pints of Guiness you never know!

Can you tell me a little about your work with violinist Sophie Solomon?
I met Sophie through two producers - John Quarmby and Kev Bacon, who I'd worked with with The Longpigs and Finley Quaye. They were producing her record at Decca, and she wanted me to sing and they knew me, so that was it, really. It was a really great experience, you know. She's a fantastic musician and my drummer and guitarist played on it. The song is a very ancient Russian melody - it was Stalin's favourite song! It was just great to work with somebody that didn't play music that was fucking obvious. She's really out there, she's very different.

What do you mean, obvious?
[It's] probably to do with my age. When I listen to a band, I can hear the influences in it, and I'm not really interested in someone influenced by Muse or whatever. [I want] something different, something brave, really, and when I listen to the radio I don't see - if you can imagine a radio as a cartoon - I just see pound signs. There's a lack of love in it, it's just noise. [When they say] the next Keane, or the next Coldplay...I'm 39. It's not engaging for me. It's like wallpaper.

In September you're releasing a new version of 'Hotel Room', one of the singles off Coles Corner. What will this new version entail - why are you doing this?
Well, it's slightly faster and it's got strings on it! I always could hear an orchestra and melody behind the song. It's a nice opportunity to experiment with the song in a different way.

Your recent album has been shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize - how do you feel about this? Are you confident? Who is your strongest opposition, do you think?
Well, there's twelve people entered into it, and I'm one of them. I've got a 1 in 12 chance of winning it - I don't really think about [the prize] like that - I don't make music to enter competitions.

You opened the Time Out My Favourite Film event with a showing of Zulu, as its your favourite film. Why Zulu? What's so special about it?
I just think it's relevant now. More than anything, the reason why I wanted to do the [event] is because [Zulu] is a warning to us all about the dangers of colonialism. I think what's going off in the world is definitely imperial colonialism. We will reap the whirlwind if we're not careful, and we already are. These supposedly ignorant, illiterate countries - they don't like [us barging in], and rightly so.

What did you actually do at the event?
I introduced the film, played a few songs and got pissed!

Do you get recognised much? If so, how do you feel about that?
It's usually in quite a nice way - not people hassling you. You don't hold a guitar as a career move, you have to pick up an instrument because you love music. When the fame and all that sh*t goes, if you don't love music, if you are just doing it for loads of money, you'll be sadly disappointed. You'll be left with fuck all, and when all this hoo-ha with Mercury's died down, I'll still be left with my money and my family, cos all the rest is bollocks. I've been there, seen it, done it.

How does your family handle your success?
My wife was pissing herself more than I was when I got Arena's Man Of The Year. We've been together [sixteen years]. She kept sending me texts like 'man of the year, pick up the kids', 'man of the year, buy some milk'.

Where do you see yourself going in the future - do you have any plans?
I will happily carry on badgering away at what I do.

What's on your iPod at the moment? What should we be listening to?
All the colours of the rainbow are beautiful, [but] I'm listening to a triple album of bluegrass at the moment called Will The Circle Be Unbroken - it's Earl Brooks, Maybelle Carter. It's a really beautiful record. It's all done live. I'm also listening to a John Brin album, with Little Walter on harmonica. Also John D Laudermilk - he's a great songwriter who also wrote 'Tobacco Road'. He's got an album called Language Of Love that I like. It's kind of difficult to describe him. Lord Buckley's Blowing His Mind (And Yours Too) - he's kind of a comedian, kind of a beat poet. It's really interesting stuff.

Thanks for chatting, Richard!