iam Gallagher seems to have a pretty busy schedule these days.
Two weeks after the release of his long-awaited second solo album Why Me, Why Not, he’s smashed it at MTV Unplugged, made an appearance at Jools Holland and now has taken his time to give an exclusive interview to Daily News. ‘I like being busy, man’, says the legendary frontman. ‘I’m in a good place at the moment, so why not?’
Why Me, Why Not came out only two years after the release of its predecessor, As You Were. Liam feels he needed to bring out two solo albums one after another as an attempt to make up for the lost time following the split of Oasis and Beady Eye. He also likes the faster pace he can work at as a solo artist.
“We did half of the album in a week. It’s different. I’ve got a lot more to say and I’ve got a lot more input this way round than what I did when I was in Oasis, so that’s nice. I think there’s no egos in this at all. Andrew Wyatt does his bit, Greg Kurstin does his bit, I do my bit. We’re there to make good music. I don’t find making albums stressful at all. I love watching a song grow from nothing to something beautiful. And when people get hold of it and take it into their lives, for me it’s almost a miracle”.
Despite his unlimited confidence and self-belief, Liam isn’t afraid of showing his vulnerable side. He admits feeling relieved and grateful after finding out As You Were was doing well, since it was his ‘last chance to dance’.
“As You Were was a weight off my shoulders. It has kept the wolf from the door. It was beautiful, the response that it got, and the fans lent me their ears again for another couple of years, so I could go and do another record”.
Speaking about the new records, Liam reveals he’d really love to make a punk album and admits his upcoming record may very well be the one.
“I’ve got that kind of attitude: I always start off going, ‘let’s make a proper punk record’, but as soon as have a tune that sounds like Once, I back down and go, ‘nah, let’s carry on with this, this is a mega tune’, you know what I mean?”
Liam speaks fondly about his new record. The interviewer asks him if there was any theme in mind for this album or if he just went song by song. Liam claims the album isn’t united by any kind of common concept.
“It’s always about the songs, man. There’s one big theme in life, and it’s called life, you know what I mean? And that’s all friends and family and stuff that happens. There’s my themes. When I start writing songs, my mind goes blank. I get the guitar, I start playing a couple of chords, and the melody comes first. And then all of a sudden these words will come into my mind”.
Liam goes on to describe the opening track Shockwave as ‘right up his street’. Catchy, dynamic and energetic, this banger is indeed a good start to the record.
“I prefer to come back with a rocking tune more than a ballad. I like to kick the doors off the engines and let people know that I’m back. You want to make a noise on your first tune, don’t you?”
Interestingly enough, despite One of Us being Liam’s fourth single off the new album, it was actually the last song he’s recorded.
“One of Us was the last song we did actually. For me, it’s got a bit of a Wonderwall vibe. It’s got a skippy drum beat and all that. Obviously, it’s nostalgic, and it’s about family. And of course, I have a brother called Noel I don’t get on with, but I’ve got another brother, Paul, that I do. This tune has a lot of things, really. I like the groove of it. I like the gospel singing at the end. It sounds fresh”.
Mentioning the estranged brother Noel inevitably results in Liam’s passionate ranting – nevertheless, on a much more mature note this time.
“You know what it is: I see it one way, he sees it the other way. I don’t even know why we split up, so if he knows it, can he send it to me on a fucking postcard? Because we had much bigger arguments about other things before. I think he just wanted out, he wanted to do his solo thing. He thinks he’s smashing it, that he’s reinventing the wheel. What can you do?”
Liam denies longing to reunite Oasis and insists he’d love to patch things up with Noel on a personal level. At this point he sounds less like an arrogant rock icon and more like a concerned and thoughtful son and brother.
“Everyone seems to think I’m desperate to bring Oasis back. Listen, I love Oasis, we should have never split up. But I’m quite happy doing my thing, and he seems happy doing his. The main thing is my mum’s not getting any younger, we’re not getting any younger either, and she finds it upsetting. It’d be nice if people would not force him, but encourage him to see me. I’m always encouraging it. It’d be nice to end it at some point before maybe my mum’s not here, because that would be very sad. Some days it’s funny and a bit of a banter, but sometimes I step over the line and so does Noel”.
These days Liam definitely sounds more reasonable. The interviewer remarks that the recent documentary As It Was which came out in June shows lots of Liam’s nice personality traits. The film portrays him as a thoughtful son, a loving partner and a supportive father to his kids. For the first time ever As It Was sheds some light on Liam’s relationship with his long-term girlfriend Debbie. Liam’s reaction is sure to make you laugh.
“There’s a lot of reasons why we’re getting married. She’s amazing, and I’m amazing, and two amazing people shouldn’t be apart. Nah, listen, everyone comes across great in the film, I think. My kids, my band, me, my brother – Paul, not Noel – my mum, Debbie. It wasn’t my idea to make this film, it just sort of happened. I’m here to make music and get up people’s noses”.
In the meantime, the nearest future looks very action-packed to Liam: he has some shows with The Who coming up, and the rock icon admits he already can’t wait.
“The Who are the ultimate mod band as far as I’m concerned. Quadrophenia is my favourite album, and it’s my favourite film as well. So for me it’s a privilege to share the stage with them”.
After 25 years in the spotlight, Liam remains as passionate about music as ever. He’s a naturally gifted frontman, relaxed and effortless.
“To be fair, I’ve never been one of those people that get stressed out in the studio. We’re not curing cancer, and we’re not changing the world after all. Making music is a blessing, not a curse”.
Source: Daily News