Backstage

The Proclaimers

June 2009 | Pop

The Proclaimers have been producing entertaining and exciting music for over 20 years now, earning them a fan base that reaches far beyond their native Leith, Edinburgh. Now, with their 8th studio album “Notes & Rhymes”, Scotland’s favourite Celtic soul brothers show they are still adept at making music with emotional honesty, political fire and trademark wit. Here, Craig Reid, one half of the Scottish duo, tells us about the new album...

The interview

Over the past few years, you've enjoyed a bit of a renaissance in career terms. Can you think back to when you started to come back?

The new phase of our career for us came in 2001, when we came back with the album "Persevere". That was after a gap of about six years between albums. I think since then it's felt the second phase 'cos we've basically had an album out every other year and we've toured every year.

The 2007 Comic Relief "500 Miles" single with Matt Lucas and Peter Kay got you back on the TV and radio as well.

It did, it helped us get back. Some folk think if you're not on the TV, you're dead. But the audience was growing anyway; we'd done so many festivals and live dates since 2001. We'd been building in the UK year-on-year. But Comic Relief, that was a thing that gets you a much wider audience, and a much younger one as well.

"I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" is the song of yours that everyone loves. Why do you think it has endured so much?

I don't know. It's got something about it that lasted. It's still played all over the world, all the time. I don't know why. It just kind of hangs around in people's consciousness; 500 Miles is public property now.

You've always had a pretty devoted live following...

Yeah, it's important. If you're a band like us, you can't expect huge radio play all the time. So you have to make sure you're visible by playing live. We enjoy playing live; it's the best part for us. If you can basically do as much as you can live-wise, it kind of helps keep you in the public eye.

What was the creative process like on "Notes & Rhymes", compared to 2007's "Life With You"?

It was probably a bit easier this time - we used the same producer and the same studio, so there was a familiarity there. It was very enjoyable. Notes & Rhymes was written over six months which, for us, is the shortest period we've ever written over. The recording was done in four weeks in February 2009.

Was it intentional to do things so quickly?

Yeah it was. You know, we had to go to America in March anyway, but I think it was a good thing that we knew there was a set period that we had to record in. I reckon it concentrates your mind.

When you were writing the album, did you listen to much other music?

I was listening to Top 40 radio, a lot of oldies... everything really. There's nothing that I was listening to that consciously inspired any of the songs... when they are demoed with me and Charlie it's just the voices and a guitar or piano. They can change from that to the actual finished recording in terms of the sound.

You've always had strong political convictions as a band, do you continue with this on the new record?

I think there's definitely a bit of politics on it. We'd be quite happy to do an album with no politics on it. And vice versa. The songs fall as they fall. There are a couple of political things on this, the majority aren't though. There's not a quota of them. But yeah, there's still political stuff there.

Who are your other favourite Scottish bands? I know you played with Primal Scream and Glasvegas at SxSW in March...

I have to say, we met Mani and Bobby [from Primal Scream] at the showcase. Both of them were entirely straight and sober! We were on before Glasvegas. They are great bunch of folk. They were really great. A very strong performance. I know they weren't that pleased with the performance, but we were in the audience and thought it was great. It's good to see young Scottish acts like that coming through.

What live dates are you doing this summer?

We're starting some wee Scottish dates at the end of June - Skye, Oban and Kelso. Then straight to Canada for a tour, then coming back and doing festivals in the summer. In September we're going to the States again, and then coming back for a British tour. We then go to Australia and New Zealand at the end of the year...

Sounds like a packed schedule! Finally, who is your tip to be the next manager of Hibs?

I think [former Hibs defender] John Hughes should be the new manager. There appears to be something between him and [Hibs Chief Executive] Rod Petrie, were Petrie doesn't want him. And if that's the case, the Chief Executive should have a wee look at himself, 'cos I would say that John would be the fans choice for that job, and I think he's earned it. But I can bet that he won't get it... [Editor's note: Since this interview took place, Hughes has been named as Hibs' new manager, on a three year contract.]

Thanks for speaking to we7 today Craig.

It's been a pleasure.