Paul Davies

Spotlight by Severine, We7 PR Guru

Meet Paul Davies, a man with a lot of love for dear old London Town.

Paul Davies is your archetypal English gent. Formally of The Direction, Paul has decided to go solo and make it on his own. He has a new album out, "Man About Town", available for your listening pleasure on We7. A son of the cobbled stones of London Town, he'll sing a song to anyone who cares to listen. Taking his cues from the classic British sounds of The Kinks and early Rolling Stones via The La's & The Libertines, he brings common themes like love, hate, revolution & despair to a modern audience. Love him or loathe him, there's nobody else like him.

We7 caught up with him recently to learn more about the man and his music...

The interview

Hi Paul, how are you today?

Grand, just grand!

Was it difficult to leave your last band and strike out on your own?

Yeah, it was in a way. I mean, all the music that I grew up on was from bands – The La's, Stone Roses, Oasis, Libertines – so that way of life always appealed to me. It was a big step going solo, but I'm glad I did – I'm making the music I always wanted to now.

Where do you take your inspiration from?

The La's are a huge influence on me. The Kinks too. They really know how to play rhythm on the acoustic guitar. Everyone just seems to use them as a tool for ballads nowadays.

You write a lot of poetry as well as your music – who are your favourite poets?

The Whitsun Weddings by Philip Larkin is my favourite, it's very much one man watching the world go by, and that's the angle I take with a lot of my lyrics. Simon Armitage is my favourite living poet – he's a lot more modern, has a way of making his words flow.

You have a lot of affection for London - what is it about the city that you love so much?

The sense of history, definitely. Especially in all the pubs that you find down the cobbled side streets. The Old Cheshire Cheese off Fleet St is the oldest in London – it still has a gentleman only bar. Plus there's the Angel, just off Tin Pan Alley – that's where convicts would have their last drink before their fate with the gallows at what is now Marble Arch. Hence the saying, on the wagon

What's your favourite part of the city?

It depends on my mood. I love the South Bank, but then I've been to Greenwich a few times lately and the view from the observatory is phenomenal. London's so big, so there's always something new to discover.

What would you do if you became Mayor of London?

If I could do just one thing then I'd fine Richard Barnbrook and march him out of City Hall. There's no room for racism in today's society.

Tell us a bit about your latest album, "Man About Town"….

It's a journey through Englishness, hence the bowler hat and rather dapper-looking attire. There’s so much to be proud of in our culture, yet there seems to be a lack of identity – what does it actually mean to be British in 2008. There's lots of references to pubs and local shops and cobbled streets.

Who would you most like to record with – from the past or the present...

Now this changes every day. What is Serge Gainsbourg today is Bob Dylan tomorrow, then Lee Mavers on Thursday, Billy Bragg on Friday. The list goes...

What are you plans for the summer? Are you doing any festivals?

There'll be a few gigs definitely. I'm getting a band together for a one-off date in August which will be really cool – keep an eye out on my profile. Plus there's the Green Man festival in September.